RE: Deity - The Breath of Creation

Alexander was amused. The great dragon lay curled up in his cave, many of his incarnations swimming through the Spirit Realm directing various spirits and aiding the construction of the formation pathways that were nearly completed. But that was all he needed to do at the moment; his main body lay curled up in his favorite cave, smiling as the newest god to the Four Realms stood before him, ready to rant and rave but unsure how to. The emotions swirled about him in grey waves, his hands clenching and unclenching, eyes, sparking with the light of the stars themselves.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me." Xing Wu said, twitching in agitation as he clasped his hands before him and bowed. A deep rumble of amusement echoed in Alexander's throat as he bent his head to be eye-level with the new god of stars.

"It is my pleasure, Xing Wu. I always make time for young gods; it is an adjustment, suddenly having the responsibilities, power, and connection of a divinity. Now, how can I help you?" he asked.

"'Young god?' I may not be one of the originals, but I'm far from young, Alexander." Xing Wu raised an eyebrow at Alexander, who chuckled to himself. That was what the man had latched onto, that he called him young? "I was there when the Shadow was cast down. 'Young' is just not true."

"Indeed you were, but you were not a god then. Your time as a god has been short is all I was implying, and the instincts and duties of divinity are a difficult adjustment even for them. I imagine the differences to be even more apparent to you." Alexander pointed out. Xing Wu grumbled something unintelligible beneath his breath, then rubbed his forehead, just beneath his horns.

"The power thing will just take time and practice. Divine power is denser than anything else I've ever dealt with, but I've been ascending the cultivation ladder for a long, long time. Sudden power spikes and denser energy is not something new to me. It's the prayers I'm getting used to." He complained.

"The prayers? Are you not already used to such things?" Alexander cocked his head to the side curiously, a little spirit that had been clambering over his horns scrambling to keep from falling. Though he called it a little spirit, it would qualify as one of the stronger ones on the scale of averages. Perhaps it would qualify to be the overall guardian of an entire continent-sized piece of land. The truly little ones could rarely stand his presence anymore, and he gently reached one claw up to push it back onto his horns. The spirit burbled happily at him, a remnant of its time as a river spirit, before it pushed past that limitation.

"It was different when it was just a Dao. I could somewhat tell when someone was tapping into my personal path, and there were some things I could do to reconnect with the other Daos that branched off of my own, but not to the extent this is. I can actively feel and hear those who are praying to me, tapping into my Dao, or even just thinking about me." Xing Wu shook his head. "It's driving me insane. And the stronger they are, the louder their voices."

"So you are just in the beginning stages, then." Alexander noted, tapping one claw against the cave floor, the rhythmic sound echoing in the cave. "At my level, I can hear and connect with almost every being in the Spirit Realm, and with many more who connect with the spirits. It is a task to start to disconnect with them, so it is not all-consuming. I believe some of the other gods may be a wiser choice to ask for help in this matter; Aeriel, in particular, is excellent at being able to disconnect. I admit to being a bit of a natural in this regard as the Spirit Dragon. Explaining how to disconnect has never come easily to me."

"This is only the beginning? Great. Just wonderful." Xing Wu grumbled, straightening up and fixing his robes.

"If you think that's wonderful, just wait until you get the zealots." Alexander chuckled, shaking his head. "There is an order of knights in the Physical Realm who commit atrocities in my name; they are closer to devil cultivators than anything else. Of course I condemn their actions, and they completely and intentionally misinterpret my teachings, but they're annoyingly persistent. Nearly wiped themselves out when they tried to gain the favor of one of my children, a true dragon, but somehow they survived. I think my eldest child took pity on them, and allowed them another chance to repent their ways. They did not learn their lesson." He peered through the layers of the Spirit Realm at said order of knights, the few who remained huddled together in a small castle. They were mostly Draconians, his mortal race, and lorded over a small collection of villages.

Dragon supremacists is what they were. Much like the Primeval Dragon, Sehuyun, had been. He wondered how she was doing?

"That's who's bugging me the most; the zealots." Xing Wu complained. "There's an immortal, and Elemental – two of them, actually, a wife and husband. Been praying to me for a while and, for some gods-damned reason, trying to summon Dei. They think I will help them rebel against Heaven or something. I have half a mind to go down there and knock some sense into them just to get them to shut up; but what's really bugging me is how they've misunderstood everything that's ever happened to me."

Alexander mused, shifting his gaze from that group of zealots to the ones Xing Wu was talking about. It took a bit of searching, as they had obfuscated themselves behind layers and layers of formations and karma enough that it took even a token effort for Alexander to pierce through. Even calling what they did praying was a bit much; they were reaching out, trying to connect with Xing Wu without actually believing he was a god, only an incredibly powerful cultivator, and asking for his aid without any promise or dedication to anything but themselves and desperation. In fact, he dared to say that they were not even actually trying to call out to him, merely using his words and the stories of the past to advance their own agenda.

Xing Wu did not suit desperation, and he doubted the man would answer to it.

Despite that though, their take on Xing Wu's entire life, as well as Dei's, was incredibly funny, and Alexander snorted in amusement.

"Is this funny?" Xing Wu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course it is. Do you know what one of the biggest differences between a higher being and a mortal is? Besides power." It was a rhetorical question, but Alexander paused for dramatic effect all the same, Xing Wu just staring up at him nonplussed. "Perspective. We can see more, understand more, can feel more than they; many mortals believe gods to be unfeeling, uncaring beings. It could not be farther from the truth. It is because we feel more, feel deeper, and understand why we feel that way that we are able to keep our thoughts and actions in check. And we also see farther. Mortals, typically, only see life in the here and now, forgetting what was yesterday and ignoring what might come. Immortals may be a bit better, but they still have the same sort of issue, if on a longer scale. Hence facts, myths, emotions; everything is twisted in the mind of a mortal to fit that viewpoint. They ignore what is truth, and make it fit their truth. To become a god, one must discard certain limitations; and the expansion of perspective is what allows us to see how to do that." Alexander nodded to himself as he spoke. This was something he had mused on quite a bit in his long lifetime.

Yet a limited perspective had its place as well. Xing Wu had limited his own perspective to the here and now prior to becoming an immortal and Dao Progenitor, solely to keep himself from falling into the same trap as when he'd been Dei. Gods experienced this as well, of course, but on a far grander scale.

"That's why they twist my story? Why they make it seem like Statera Luotian tore my Dao Star out of the sky instead of myself, or that They forced me to reincarnate as Dei in fear of my so-called power. Is that why they see Statera Luotian as two different people instead of one as well? That's just stupid." Xing Wu shook his head.

"Indeed it is." Alexander agreed. "Mortals have a habit of not listening to those who know better. But they have to be free to make their own mistakes and choices, or else there is no point to it at all. You are the perfect example of why; the greatest mortal of all history, and you need not deny it. I recommend not giving them any of your attention. They may not know it, but they will feed off of it; your attention is part of what drives divine power itself, but by putting too much thought into them you may inadvertently empower their ambition and purpose."

"I think Statera Luotian said something like that to me once. Something about Them putting too much attention on Celene and Fang Xu caused them to become the Sun and Star." Xing Wu said, recognition lighting up in his expression.

"I recommend finding something to distract yourself with, and when I see Aeriel again I'll send her your way. I would recommend you trying to make your own People, but I doubt that much is wise." Alexander shook his head. Xing Wu wouldn't be ready to create his own People for a long while yet, and he wondered if the man would ever have any interest in it regardless.

"That reminds me, why is Statera putting so much pressure on the Physical Realm?" Xing Wu asked. Alexander smiled at the man, knowing where the question was really coming from. He could sense the impending danger – such had been what drove him to finally take the step into godhood in the first place. This was just a segue into that.

"We are not supposed to be actively spreading this information so as to avoid a panic, but if someone asks, we are free to provide the answer. I would say about half of the greater gods know the truth, and while the others suspect something, they are content not knowing for now." Alexander started. And he told Xing Wu the truth, of what was coming and what was already being done. Xing Wu accepted the information silently, his aura stilling, his divine power solidifying; it was amazing to Alexander how giving him a clear goal and enemy made him focus so.

"I see. And moving the Dao Stars is part of the defensive structure, then?" He asked. Alexander nodded, lifting his head as Xing Wu began throwing off his connections to those praying to him and annoying him – specifically the zealots – to focus all of his energy on tasks ahead. "Thank you, Alexander. I appreciate the advice. I'll be going now."

"Don't force it. Let your control come naturally; do what you've been itching to do. Go explore some of the other Realms, see the new regions. This is the task we need you to aim to complete, not accomplish right away. Elvira knows this, she is simply…blunt." Alexander advised. Xing Wu waved as he turned his back, starlight glittering around him as he vanished in a teleport – not quite appearing where he intended, Alexander was certain, but close enough. The great dragon smiled to himself as he settled back down, curling up to continue watching the Spirit River as it flowed by. He let out a long, slow breath.

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It was a pity that, eventually, he may become too powerful to greet the new gods with his main body, just as Father nearly was. Perhaps incarnations would handle the task eventually, but it wouldn't feel the same as greeting them in person. But that was a long time coming, and Alexander could content himself with that fact.

***

"Let's start this nice and slow. Inesa, if you would do the honors." I said, gesturing to the brown-haired goddess as she floated beside me above the Four Realms. Keilan, Alexander, Elvira, and Reika all stood beside me, watching silently as Inesa shot down to the very center of everything; the Life-Giving Tree of the Physical Realm. There she would ignite the core of the defensive formation, and we ensure everything was working properly.

"Xing Wu will get the Stars into position soon." Alexander said conversationally, side-eyeing his sister. Elvira huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms.

"Wasn't reverse psychology supposed to be the way to get him to figure things out? That's what you all told me, and what does he do? He goes to Alexander and just asks a few questions." She complained.

"Manipulation is not always the key. He always responded better to danger than anything else…except for maybe Mother's hand." Keilan explained with a shrug, my dark-haired son flaring his leathery wings despite knowing he had personally advised Elvira to use reverse psychology on Xing Wu. I bit my tongue and watched Inesa place her hand upon the control station, funneling her power of light into the intricately carved runic stone slab.

"What does it say about you that the Goddess of Divinity and the ruler of the gods and Heaven Realm cannot manipulate a single new god?" Reika teased.

"Not everything is about manipulation. And honesty is a virtue. Elvira's strengths may not be in subterfuge, but she is a just and noble ruler." Alexander said. "And Gilles makes up the brains in their relationship anyways."

"Hey!"

"She is a bit of a meathead." Keilan agreed, earning himself another cry of protest from his sister. Reika giggled and I shook my head fondly, then focused as the formation was ignited.

Power surged through the formation lines, igniting in a beautiful display of spiritual and elemental energies. The four key structures of the Realms, the Tree, the Mountain, the Valley, and the River, shone like beacons, cheers going up from the assembled gods as the energies began to flow. I immediately shifted my gaze upward, through the shell of primordial chaos to the spherical barrier, made up of trillions of hexagonal pieces, as it formed around the Four Realms. It stood strong, lightning crackling through the lines, light mixing with shadow, not a single flicker of weakness showing in the connections.

It was a design the Mad Scientist had helped me finalize. If one hexagon shattered it would regenerate or be replaced by other parts of the barrier. And rather than having one singular shield that would shatter, the many different parts meant that other pieces could be moved or adjusted so power could be moved to the right spot. But it wasn't yet enough, even if we were nearly fifty thousand years ahead of schedule thanks to the Mad Scientist's energy.

"Excellent. Shut it down. We can now move the Dao Progenitors to the new regions they'll be taking over, and begin construction on the other formation lines." I said, turning to my children. They were smiling at the barrier, and merely nodded at my command as they started to move off, chatting freely. My eyes drifted to the Sword that Does Not Cut, hanging at Elvira's side as it was. It was about time I made some artifacts for my other children, maybe even something for the Pillars when they finally appeared.

I had an idea for Keilan. He was a God of Connections, but had yet to fully grasp the nature of fate. Perhaps a book of sorts, a Book of Fate…but the others? Alexander and Reika? I was struggling a bit with them. Ah, well. I'd find my inspiration eventually.

My mind drifted slightly, latching onto a conversation happening in the Physical Realm, between two immortals. An Elemental girl, and a Karae man.

"…that is the problem. Despite the oppression of the Heavenly Dao, the Celestial Empress has ensured the people are content. We cannot allow them to be content if our rebellion is to work." The Karae man said, annoyance flashing through his veins at his opponent's competence. I had to agree. Alanna, the current Empress of Manu Ti and the mortal ruler of almost the entirety of the Physical Realm, was an excellent ruler. No one was perfect, but she did a wonderful job of keeping people satisfied enough to not engage in open protest…most the time.

"What are you suggesting?" The woman asked. She was the weaker of the two, but her drive was far stronger. I daresay she was nearly a devil cultivator, but her path was not one of outright evil – it was far more dangerous than that, for it was rooted in what could be called "good," if put to the right task. That was how chaos and evil got to people; it masqueraded as virtue and righteousness.

"We need to undermine her authority. We need to ensure the people are not content – start in the outer planets and move in toward Pangaea." The man said. Terrorism. They were talking about hidden terrorism, guerilla tactics, and I could see their plan. They would set up formations that were meant to disrupt qi, to start. Qi carried emotion, just as much as it did spiritual energy. By disrupting qi they could influence people's emotions. Add to that their plan to recruit devil cultivators and mercenaries, just to cause chaos, and their plan held a little bit of weight.

But the woman was smarter than just that. "We need to influence the upper echelons too. Get people inside the governments and religions, to start undoing them from the inside. Then we can build a better world, one free from the control of the Heavens." She said. It was funny, in my opinion, how they no longer referred to me as a God, but as the Heavens themselves.

Because that was what I had been about to become, what I had been headed towards before this calamity changed the course of my life. I would have ascended to no be just a god, but the Heavens. Sehuyun had given me a glimpse of what I could be, by showing me what one could do above even Divinity; my answer had been "I am the Heavens." It had been true, then.

I took a deep breath and let the vision fade, refocusing on the now.

It seemed like it was someone else's story that was playing here, but it wasn't. It was still mine. I could see how almost everything flowed together, connecting and guiding people down a certain path. Sol, flying in the skies above Cradle, a little bird struggling to reach immortality and certain to draw the attention of those two. Xing Wu, who was the virtuous example of them, a direct contrast to their methods and intentions. And once upon a time, I would have played the role of pushing them all together, guiding them to the end result.

That was when I had been severing myself from Karma. Such a fate had changed. The collision course we had with the One World, the Mad Scientist accelerating our growth process, the Original Sin (if it could even be called that), the Pillars growing…the timing was suspicious. More than suspicious. Sometimes things were coincidence, that was the truth. Sometimes coincidence was the result of something greater pulling strings. And I could feel Mr. Boxes pulling strings, obscuring my vision; not maliciously, but enough to annoy me. What was the goal, here? What was the game? I could see all that was beneath me, but not my own path.

I paused for a moment, almost hoping that Mr. Boxes would chime in; but there was no information forthcoming, and I turned my attention elsewhere.

My gaze focused on Morgan, who was circling a pillar of crystallized energy in its Hidden Realm. The glowing crystal of raw energy was as solid as physically possible, the internals filled to the brim with powerful, pure energy that remained uncorrupted by the miasma that plagued the Hidden Realm; a result of Morgan's initial bout with me. This was only the first of many pillars. By the time of the collision, I hoped the entire Hidden Realm would be filled with them.

"Morgan. It is time to release your People into the Realms." I told it. Morgan's ears perked up at my words, but otherwise it did not respond to my command. The Aracheon would provide a necessary element of chaos to the Four Realms that might distract people from the greater danger. But most importantly, they were beginning to stagnate in the Hidden Realm, and releasing them would let them grow and prosper to the necessary levels before the collision. I had no desire to see them go extinct, after all. "And also, you may let our guest in."

That got Morgan's attention, the spider-wolf lifting its head and fixating its eight eyes on the ceiling…opposite where I truly was. Was I truly projecting my intent so much as to fool even Morgan?

"Are you sure that is a good idea? They're awful big." The one to answer wasn't Morgan. It was Kei, who was standing just beside me, having snuck up on me with a balloon of glitter and water. I, of course, would never had let her throw the thing at me, but it was impressive enough that she got within throwing distance. I smiled at my granddaughter, her fox tails swishing in the dark of space, framed against the blue light of the Lunar Star.

"The Four Realms need another little push. The Mad Scientist sped up our growth by tens of thousands of years, and we're still riding that high. I had once believed myself capable of fueling that growth, through my relative absence and the severing of my karma. They might be able to provide that…X-factor." I explained, folding my hands into the sleeves of my robes as I turned my attention to the guest I had spoken of. Their soul was frozen in time, their descent halted by Morgan, who kept them at bay long enough for the Four Realms to be ready for their arrival.

The soul that resided outside the Four Realms was massive. Easily the size of the Realm Sun or Lunar Star, and so eerily familiar I knew I knew them from somewhere. But their memories, that connection, was momentarily hidden from me. I couldn't quite see it.

I did not know if they were the First or the Rival. It didn't matter. It didn't even matter if they chose to stay in my Four Realms. All that mattered was that their very presence and the energy they spread because of it would fuel the growth of the Four Realms – growth I could direct in a way that would boost our chances of survival.

"Come on, then. What are you waiting for? Welcome to the Four Realms."