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Divinity

Part 1: Ascension

The harsh jungle land was almost too much to bear. It was the middle of the day and Jansen's sollerets, which were already uncomfortable, were starting to chafe. His rucksack, half plate armor and helmet weighted heavily upon him. He simply had to stop and rest, it had been two days since his reptilian mount had died and he had been separated from his unit during a skirmish. The armor clad lion found a clearing of sorts through the thick foliage of the jungle and set his rucksack down on the grassy floor.

He located a nearby log and, sitting upon it, took off his left hard metal boot. The leather portion of the inner lining was harshly rubbing his fur in the opposite direction; he grunted and rubbed over the sore spots with a silent curse. There was a sudden rustling in the bushes and Jansen hastily put his sollerets back on and grasped the hilt of his bastard sword as he suppressed the urge for his tail to swish in anticipation, for a tail clad in chain armor was protected but noisy.

A shrill cry came from the thick bushes, and drawing his sword Jansen braced himself for an attack. To his surprise three... beings, a species he had never seen before, came running at him in a full charge. The all held crude spears made of simple wood and stone and they were clad in little less than lizard hide loin cloths. They had elongated snouts like that of a rodent but sharp looking fangs and long necks. They snarled viciously as they began their assault.

**********

The lead hunter charged at the strange shiny intruder, the other two mink hunters following him into battle. All three simultaneously thrusted their spears aiming for the heart of the sparkling monster only to find out that the skin of this creature was impenetrable to their weapons. The stone spear tips bounced off the creatures hide with a high pitched pinging sound. The intruder then swung his glittering weapon and it cleanly sliced through the shafts of each of their spears rendering the hunter's weapons useless.

The lead hunter suddenly realized that this creature was unlike anything natural in the jungle. The symbols upon its shining skin along with a might weapon that could defeat any other weapons must not belong to a mortal, but to a demon or a god. The lead hunter could see his other two companions shaken as they backed up from the glittering being that menacingly brandished its magical stick of silver.

"Wait! Don't anger it, drop your spears!" the lead hunter said and with that the other two hunters dropped what remained of their weapons and backed away.

The silvery being paused its threatening advances and looked to the lead hunter. It said something unintelligible in a foreign dialect that seemed demanding and powerful. He pointed the silver pointed stick to the lead hunter and again spoke in that demanding tone.

The lead hunter decided that this... this thing would ether kill him or spare him. And so swallowing his pride he knelt before the being, they would soon find out if it was evil or good. The shining outsider lowered its weapon and, upon seeing the lead hunter kneel, put it away into a sort of container made just for the weapon. Surely this container was also powerful for the weapon did not cut free from it. Then the being did something that was both horrifying yet fascinating.

It reached up to its own head and lifted up its glittering face to reveal another face of fur under its shining skin! The lead hunter's other two companions were so shocked they ran back for the village promising to bring more warriors if they needed and to avenge the lead hunter's death.

However the being did not attack or make a threatening gesture. Instead it tried once more to converse with the lead hunter speaking that odd tongue. The lead hunter was nervous, but he would observe the being first and make a judgment after.

**********

Jansen was startled first he was attacked and then disarmed his assailants only to have their leader now bowing to him. He saw that this strange native was watching him closely.

"What is this place?" Jansen inquired

"Huna topo kewai..." was the response from the native who set down his broken spear and lowered his head.

Jansen concluded that the language barrier was going to be a large hurdle. So instead he devised a new tactic. He carefully backed up to his rucksack and dug through it watching the native. Without any sudden moves he pulled out one of his ration packs which had some dried lizard meat with light spices. He then cautiously approached the kneeling native and held out the small portion of food to the hunter.

The native at first seemed a bit hesitant, but sniffed at the food first before taking it and nibbling a bit on it. The nibbles turned into bites though as the hunter found that the ration was quite tasty and devoured it before bowing again saying something that Jansen only guessed was a remark of gratitude.

The native hunter then stood up and motioned Jansen to follow him, urging not only physically but vocally as well. Jansen picked up his pack and slowly cautiously followed the coaxing hunter.

**********

The food that the silvery being had provided was delicious, it was like nothing the lead hunter had ever had before and he was now certain that this being was not a demon, but perhaps an avatar of the sun, the being sure looked bright enough to be from the sun.

He was wary of leading the being to the village, however, the shaman would know if this being was to be trusted or not. Even if the being was deceiving him the shaman would be able to use his powers to banish the being if it turned out to be a monster.

It was a short way to the village, nestled in the recesses of a valley nearly up against a cliff it was well hidden from most outsiders. When the lead hunter and the sparking avatar approached the other hunters and warriors of the tribe ran out with spears ready for combat, but the lead hunter explained what had happened, how he had asked the being to spare him and was granted so, even rewarded with food for his plead.

The other villager were suspicious, but all seemed to calm down as the village shaman pushed his way through the rest of the villagers and interrogated the lead hunter to determine how to receive the outsider. After a brief conversation, the shaman approached the shining being.

The Shaman's name was Fiiso, a traditionalist, and a self proclaimed mystic. The entire village trusted his judgment when it came to the arcane or divine for he wielded the staff of powers. Fiiso walked around the silvery being and shook his staff which rattled with carved bones. The avatar did not stir except for those eyes which watched the shaman, those deep yellow eyes, which gleamed like the sun.

Fiiso after trying various incantations to turn the being into a snake, frog, and even an incantation to call sky-fire down upon the being failed, he asserted that this was indeed one of the Devine Ones sent down from the heavens to lead the village to prosperity.

**********

Jansen watched the strange native make different gestures and chants before turning to the mink populated village and addressing them.

"Atura ta nata ventuda... Geero FA: " the shaman shouted and the village murmured before they all began to bow down to Jansen chanting, the shaman himself turning to the half plate clad, leonine knight and bowing himself. Jansen was taken back a bit, yet decided to run with it as to not upset these natives.

The shaman rose to his feet and patted his own chest.

"Fiiso... Fiiso... ta bantoa ven Geero Fa." Said the native holy man and Jansen had a slight inkling of what the mink was trying to tell him. Jansen pointed to the shaman.

"Fiiso..." Jansen inquired, and the shaman nodded once more repeating the gesture, indicating that Jansen now knew the shaman's name. Fiiso gestured for Jansen to follow him, the shaman seemed excited of sorts leading the lion to a hidden cavern entrance in the back of the village against the cliff wall.

**********

"We have been awaiting your arrival Divine One. I have prepared everything for your coming and hope you will be pleased." Fiiso said as he showed the back cavern of the Avatars to the Divine One. The passage led into an expansive cave, this cavern was somewhat natural except for the structure in the center of the cavern, a building made of stone, like a pyramid. Above it the caverns roof had collapsed in and the setting sun shone down upon the structure making it gleam. There were also four altars all lined up in front of the great structure.

"This was here when our village started, I have looked at the symbols and from my fathers studies have determined that it is the time for the prophecy to be fulfilled." Fiiso careful navigated up the steps of the building the Divine One following and looking around in approval. Fiiso pointed to some carvings on the walls of the structure.

"See here Divine One it foretells of your coming and how you will lead our people to prosperity!" Fiiso ran his hand over one of the etchings, of course all of it was just speculation but there was a carved sun, and a being that seemed to glow, along with unspecific bowing people.

"Please lead us to prosperity Divine One!" Fiiso bowed again. The Divine One looked hesitant but spoke in his odd divine tongue. Fiiso decided that the Divine One must want privacy to plan his rule of the village and so Fiiso got up and left and the Divine One did nothing to follow him. Good, the ancient sanctum was sufficient for the Avatar, Fiiso could not wait until the Divine One lead them to paradise.

**********

Jansen tried to tell Fiiso that he did not understand, however, Fiiso after bowing again left and Jansen made no attempt more to communicate. However the structure seemed suitable for living and of course it could not have been built by the natives. It was probably a left over relic of a long dead civilization, but Jansen decided to set up living in the structure for a while.

He unpacked his bedroll and blanket, getting out all of his supplies, canteens, flit and steel, his lantern, oil, chalk, he even unpacked his small digging spade. He arranged them neatly in the room setting rucksack up as a pillow. He was about to undo his armor when he heard a tapping of wood on stone, coming from outside.

Jansen peered out of the doorway to see Fiiso and five other male villagers at the bottom of the steps holding crudely weaved baskets of fruits. Jansen was startled at first but he walked down the steps and the villagers set the baskets upon the first altar. Jansen watched as Fiiso with a grimy hand took one of the fruits from the basket and offered it to him.

With a bit of disgust Jansen took the fruit from the dirt covered hand and nodded. He took a bite of the sweet fruit which was actually fine in taste and he raised up the bitten fruit showing his approval. The shaman and the villagers bowed and then left, Jansen looked at the fruit that was on the altar, he careful gathered up the food, leaving the baskets, well at least they were feeding him.

**********

The next morning the villagers awoke and began going about their business the shaman demanded that the Divine one be paid four days of offerings. The villagers would gather up the best in jewelry that they had. Necklaces, bracelets made of colored gem stone or bone elaborately arranged.

However it was also a curious day for the Divine One emerged from the structure in seemingly simple garb, however it was unidentifiable by the shaman so it must have been the Avatar's alternate form. It was a light sort of skin that the Divine One wore, not made of lizard hide or bark, but some kind of material, like finely arranged strings, much thinner than any that could be made by the villagers, yet it was also strong as well.

The Divine One watched the village all day long, and even helped some of the villagers with things such as bringing water back from the nearby stream, or helping them to move and arrange crud pots, he even played a game of tag with the children. But not once did he make a threatening gesture, even if the villagers were wary of the Avatar helping them with mortal chores.

Near the end of the day the Divine One went back to the sacred structure and emerged in his gleaming form once more and found a nice open area where he drew his weapon and seemed to attack invisible enemies. The villagers watched as the Avatar would twirl the weapon around the bright stick flashing in the setting sun.

"See! He defends us from invisible evil spirits!" Fiiso exclaimed to the villagers as the Divine One battled on with the unseen foes.

"Truly he will save us!" Fiiso shook his staff aloft and the villagers all nodded in agreement. Finally when the Avatar stopped his battle he placed his weapon in it's container and then went back to the sacred structure. The villagers then once more presented him with the offering of jewelry, setting the offer on the second altar and then leaving.

**********

Jansen watched the villagers set down their valuables on the second table and leave, he wasn't very sure where this was going although he was taught to be humble, faithful, and chivalrous, he accepted the gifts taking them up and setting them neatly up on the side of the wall. There was one bracelet that caught his eye though, a delicate yet rough loop painstakingly carved out of what seemed to be amber.

It was far too small to fit on his wrist, but using his skinning knife, as well as some strands from a small length of rope he made it into a necklace. He tied it carefully around his neck as a showing that he appreciated their generosity. However, he didn't know the scope of his actions as it was seen by the natives.

The next day was much the same, Jansen got dressed up in his common clothes and set out to observe the villagers once more, helping them out with their labors, with a greater amount of appreciation from them. However some of them pointed to the bracelet hanging from his neck, and murmured among themselves. Fiiso was as odd as ever he excitedly shook his staff and spoke to the villagers more than usual.

That evening as Jansen finished his sword training sets, to keep his skills up to par, he was stopped by Fiiso who motioned for Jansen to follow. Jansen without argument followed the holy man to hilltop where the shaman took dirt up and sprinkled it upon his own head and chanted while making markings on the ground with the staffs end.

Jansen watched for a bit before the shaman rose to his feet and bowed to him. Then he was lead back to the village where this time the villagers held a large but docile herd lizard. These lizards roamed in groups and this one in particular was nearly four feet tall at the shoulders. They lead it to the cavern and up to the third altar where the shaman addressed Jansen, then to a somewhat surprising turn of events the shaman pulled his knife, made of obsidian, and cut the throat of the burden beast.

The herd lizard briefly thrashed as the villagers held its legs and tail as it died in jerking convulsions, the cold dark blood spilling over the altar. Jansen was surprised and a bit upset by this action. The shaman shook his staff again and the villagers left leaving the dead lizard slumped over the altar.

"Tehu ku Geero Fa yehima mesi al bada." The shaman said as he tucked his knife away. The mink mystic approached Jansen and looked over at the amber bracelet hanging from around his neck. Jansen was now very suspicious of what this native was thinking or doing.

The shaman muttered once more and then turned leaving Jansen standing bewildered and wary. There was different scenarios that played through his head, so many dark thoughts that Jansen decided he would sleep in his armor tonight with his sword at his side. This could not be good...

**********

"The Divine One has chosen one of you!" the shaman said to the small gathered group of young women in the village. It was the dawn of the next morning and the sun was peeking up on the horizon. They had gathered for the final tribute so that the Divine one would lead them to the promised land.

"To appease him we brought him first the best foods we had, then each young girl gave their adornments and substituted a lizard skin strip, just yesterday we gave our most perfect tamed beast to the Divine One." The mink women all looked very nervous, this meant that there would be one more sacrificed. There was about a dozen of them all of them were from eighteen to twenty four seasons old, all unmated, traditionally to show that status they had worn bracelets and necklaces to mark them. But when they were mated they take off the adornments. Now instead they wore a thin strip of lizard hide around their right wrist. Of course the only coverings they had were simple lizard hide loin cloths as all of the other villagers did.

The shaman approached the girls his eyes shifting about, as the village holy man he had to bless the girls when they were born and thus knew every man and woman in the village. He looked each over visualizing the jewelry they previously wore.

"He picks you!" Fiiso pointed his staff and the girls parted back to reveal the standing female in their midst. A male mink came running up to her and he hugged her possessively as he shouted.

"No! not my daughter! She is barely out of her eighteenth summer!" The male yelled as his daughter began to cry nuzzling to her face to her father's chest.

"The Divine One has her bracelet hanging from his neck! He has chosen! You will not defy the will of the Divine One will you Kalif?" the shaman's eyes burned with intensity as he looked to father and daughter standing there fearful.

"I... I will not..." Kalif said and with that two of the village hunters walked up and pulled the girl from her father's grasp. She began to cry as they began dragging her towards the entrance to the cavern.

"Father!" she screamed out looking back as she struggled in the grasp of the two hunters that restrained her. Kalif did not move he only stood there as he watched them drag his only child kicking and screaming towards the dwelling of the Divine One. After they were all out of sight Kalif dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"Yuna... oh my poor Yuna..." he cried as the rest of the young girls gathered around to comfort the weeping father.

**********

There was commotion outside and Jansen awoke with a start, he picked up his sword and cautiously peered out the doorway. It seemed as though Fiiso and the villagers were visiting again, but this time his ears rang with the sound of female screams. This was definitely not good at all.

He made his way down the stairs cautiously because of his bulky half plate so that he could stop this barbarism from occurring. As he walked down he could see the villagers nearly dragging a struggling young girl into the cavern, she was kicking, screaming, and yelling her in that strange tongue. Now Jansen moved with a greater sense of urgency, he knew what was going to happen next.

Fiiso, just as happy as two court jesters fucking, shouted an order to the villagers who raised the girl up and then held her down on the fourth altar. Fiiso pulled a strip of lizard hide from his belt and tied it around the girls muzzle to stop her from screaming. She gave muffled protests now tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched the shaman pull his knife out.

**********

"The Divine One comes to take us to paradise! With the blood of this girl as the final sacrifice he will lead us, lead us to prosperity to the Promised Land!" Fiiso intoned as he raised the knife up over his head. Yuna's eyes went wide as she saw what was happening it was all to much to know she was about to die and she went limp fainting.

"Now lead us!" Fiiso said, but before the knife could start its decent the villagers let go of the unconscious girl and pointed shouting.

"Look! Look!" they cried and the sound of a demanding voice rang out, Fiiso turned to see the Divine One standing there holding his hand out in a gesture to cease the action. The Divine one spoke, and from his tone Fiiso had a clear inkling that the Avatar was not pleased.

"Divine One..." Fiiso said and slowly lowered the knife bowing to him. The Avatar lifted his shinning face revealing the other face under it and anger burned in his eyes, those deep yellow eyes that gleamed like the sun.

The Divine One approached shouting with a voice like thunder. The villagers cringed but Fiiso was unflinching, yet still fearful of the wrath that the Avatar might bring down upon them. The Avatar approached the altar and looked upon the girl that was to be his sacrifice. Then the Divine One gently lifted her up off the altar and began walking back towards the sanctum.

Fiiso began to protest but the Avatar gave a glance over his shoulder and Fiiso stayed his tongue. The shaman was confused, did the Divine One not want the offering of blood? Or was there some kind of purpose behind the Avatar granting mercy on his chosen sacrifice? The Divine One carried the girl up the stairs and then turned to Fiiso and the villagers, he said something in his omnipotent speak and then carried the girl into the dwelling.

**********

Yuna was groggy and weak but awoke with a start. She looked all around at the walls, this was not a hut; it was a room of stone. She looked upon the strange things that were about the room and then realized that this must be the dwelling of the Divine One! She was herself laying on some kind of material, not lizard hide, nor a grass mat, it was soft and comfortable, it was like nothing she had seen before. Covering over her legs was a something of a different material; it was like finely woven twine much smaller than anything that the villagers could make, and for it's thinness it kept her warm. Was she dead in the afterlife?

Then as if answering her thoughts a shadow was cast in the doorway and there stood the Divine One the light was shining off his skin in brilliance. Yuna was ever so frightened now but dared not to move. Instead she nervously brushed back a lock of her light brown hair and pulled up the strange material over her naked breasts. The Divine One spoke in a soothing tone. Yuna though nearly let out a scream as the Avatar seemed to grab his head and pulled off, his own shinning skin revealing his alternate head form of fur from under it.

She was unaccustomed to such a display and once more Yuna passed out. The next time she awoke though the Avatar was now fully in his alternate form, his glittering skin was neatly piled in the corner along with some of the jewelry from the village girls. He watched her with an inquisitive expression on his face. He then took out some kind of object, it was a bit bigger than a palm fruit and it was shiny like his shedded skin, it was round and flat like a large river rock, but a perfect circle like the moon.

One part of it had some kind of protrusion and the Avatar seemed to make a twisting motion before that protrusion's end came off. He held it out to her, but Yuma did not comprehend what he wanted her to do with it, was he asking for her soul? The Divine one sighted and then perked up with an idea.

The Avatar tipped the strange container and water poured out of it, he smiled to her and placed the end protrusion to his lips and drank from it a little. When he stopped after two gulps he again held it out to her. Yuna cautiously took hold of the object, it was cool to the touch and she mimicked his motion tipping the protrusion to lips carefully and letting the cool water wash over her lips and down her parched sore throat.

The Divine One smiled to her in a friendly manner and voiced something which might have been considered his approval of her actions. He then offered her some fruit which of course she took up and ate, she had not eaten in a while and she had no idea of how long she had been out.

**********

Jansen watched the young mink girl eat, he was sure that there would be repercussions to him saving her from death, but he also saw this as an opportunity. The villagers never came to the dwelling and this would be a chance for him to try and understand them. When he interacted with them in the village they never spoke to him. Jansen waited till the girl was done with her meal before trying to communicate.

"Jansen..." he said and pointed to himself, much in the same way that Fiiso he had his first encounter. The girl looked a bit confused, so he repeated his gesture. This time the girl looked less confused and she pointed to him.

"Ja su" she attempted to imitate his name. He nodded and once again enunciated his name to her, which she repeated with greater success than before. After a few more times she could finally say his name without much trouble.

"You are?" Jansen then pointed to her maybe thinking that he could get her to tell him her name. She shook her head meekly.

"You nah..." she replied.

**********

He really was Divine! He had completely guessed her name, or he might have been told her name. Yet from the look of enlightenment at her correction it seemed that it might have been a pure guess.

"Yuna..." she repeated and patted herself gently on the chest. The Avatar nodded and repeated her name this time perfectly.

"Yuna." He said nodding and she nodded in return indicating the pronunciation was accurate. He smiled and said something in a gentle tone before he got up and want over to an odd container and pulled out a small object that was white in color.

He held it between his thumb and forefinger moved up next to her, Yuna did not attempt to move away from him. He then made markings on the stone floor in front of them with the object as if it were child drawing with a stick in the dirt, however the object magically marked the stone floor.

He drew six marking in total and then pointed to himself saying his name again. Yuna was very impressed, he had markings for words? Not even the shaman knew that, the shaman only could interpret pictures, but not actually read marking nor make them.

The Avatar then paused for a while and then wrote two more sets of markings and then pointed the first one that had six symbols and sounded it out.

"You-nah..." he pronounced in a long drawn out way. He then pointed to the second one with four symbols only three of the symbols from the first matched the second.

"Yu-na?" he pronounced in a brief way. Yuna pointed to the second set of markings with four characters.

"Yu-na." she said dubiously. Jansen then held the magical marking object to her, she was afraid to touch it. What if it marked her? Would the markings stay permanent? The Avatar sensed her unease and he ran his hand along the marks on the floor and they almost completely vanished!

Powerful magic this was! Yuna was still unsure, but the Avatar gently took her hand and placed the object as he had held it in her hand, then he guided her hand writing out the symbols to her name. He then let go and pointed to the symbols again and patted a part of the stone that was unmarked. Yuna carefully ran the marking stone over the floor making her name.

Something started to transpire that night as Yuna and Jansen sat there making markings on the floor. Jansen would show her an object and would tell her its name and then write it out on the floor. Yuna realized that the Avatar was teaching her his Divine ways.