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Avataress Trilogy:

Secrets and Origins

1. Darkness in Light

Years ago, when June was little, she was with her father as they both looked up into the night sky and ponder of the possibility of what could be out there. He huddled her daughter close and told the young June, that he honestly doesn't know himself about what is out there, but he assures June that the universe never stops. Never stops inspiring, teaching and giving hope to those who can do spectacular things. Looking to June with a smile in his face, he also tells her something about when things come down, it will always help make the world a much better place. June asks if that something will make her life better, he laughs, smiles and assures that it will for her as well, and it will be nothing short of spectacular.

Now in the present day, June would never thought when that time came of something coming down from the stars, it would turn her into a being of unlimited might and at a high price. Forcing her to leave her home, friends and family all to prevent a god's siblings from finding this world and destroying it in a fight. June's unusual demeanor sees the bigger picture and musters up the strength to overcome the series of events that led her to leave the Earth behind as the avatar Avataress. Innocent people and an entire solar system has been destroyed as a result of Equtas's search to find her sister and only to add more to her pain is she is fathoming the truth about why Fortitunus inhabited her body and what would happen if they separate. She doesn't want any part of this unfortunate "partnership" but she now has to learn to live with it. Avataress flies through the stars and galaxies passing by them like signs on the road. June takes her time to see them up close and grows to love the awesome beauty of what this universe has to offer as she did man years ago. Fortitunus can see the level of amazement in her eyes.

The view from the being's eyes to June's is incredible. For Fortitunus however it is all part of her normal and former life, nothing really special to her. Galaxies, nebula and other incredible phenomena, June can spend all of eternity basking in their light. Even black holes, do not have any effect on her, loving to take a bath in the powerful gets of high-velocity radiation. This energy can burn planets and destroy all life within its rage but feels nothing more like a spring shower on the avatar's body. It is just a matter of time before June will tire herself out in this tour and is in need of rest. Avataress could not find any suitable places to lad except for one and it is on the largest and brightest star in the known universe; VY Canis Majoris. June didn't know but Fortitunus sees it as the best place for her to rest. Simply resting on the surface of a star wasn't the first thing a mortal would imagine resting. Avataress sets foot on the infinitely vast landscape of the star. Once again, like swimming in the jets of the black hole, the violent surface of the star feels no different from a summer day at a park. The almighty vixen lies down on her back to rest hoping of what to do now on their journey.

June wakes up feeling different and awake. For the whole time, she can only see either herself off mirrors or Fortitunus at a time when becoming the giant vixen or through a voice in her head. Now however, devoid of clothing in a grassy field she sees a tall and strong being approaching her. It is Fortitunus in her true form, her real form. She may not have a mouth but her eyes show how she is happy to finally see her face to face instead of just through surfaces.

June asks Fortitunus of where are they, and the goddess explains that this is a world forged from her subconscious, a piece of her memory to make things easy for her when they do meet one day.

The fox looks around and it does remind her of the time she spent with her father looking up at the stars, asking of what could be out there and what it could give her. She then looks to her friend and asks her about her existence. She wanted to know where she came from. Fortitunus tells her story, one as elaborate and tragic as herself. As far as she can remember, she was raised, not came to be in a lost world beyond any part of reality. It was a mesmerizing please where she played with the other beings that define the apex of every characteristic mortals possess without showing it themselves: love, war, bravery, cowardice, enlightenment and darkness. Every trait all mortals across the universe possess, they were behind it all. She explains to June that while they don't have a concept of "parents", they do act on each other as brothers and sisters. At anytime, they go out into the universe, spreading their power and change the course of fate, destiny and history at their will.

Then something happened, one by one, each god we called sibling started to bicker, fight and then everything broke down leading up to what became the Eon Wars. Fortitunus was one of the gods forced to fight by her older brother Ultimus and to pump them full of her strength to give them the edge. Thousands of her siblings she once called friends died, even by her own hand for no reason at all. Then she showed her weapon, it is a long, massive sword lined with runs in the language of her people and shines with the brilliance of the heavens itself. Telling June that this blade brought down many of the gods, but only those who attacked her or her siblings. But soon she had to deal with the idea of being some sort of battery to Ultimus and the others to fight the stronger gods.

Then came that terrible day that altered her view of the war and how she sees her own siblings forever. A long time ago, she was once very close friends with the goddess of hope and innocence, Enia. She didn't want any part of this war and urges me not to fight, for it was pointless. She could not see it herself until. Fortitunus shakes and sheds a tear from her blanked-out eyes, hoping not to relive that memory again. But she must explain it all, Fortitunus witnessed Enia's death by Equitas' own hands. That's why she wasn't so hesitant to kill her earlier. The war not only costs her only friend but poisoned her sister's way of thinking. All of her own might wasn't enough to save Enia and the cries for help still echo her mind. That's when she severed her links with the rest and just ran away. Hiding away on a large star much like the one they're resting on right now.

June wanted to tell her that this entire ordeal is because of a single coward's death. Fortitunus reacted with shock and anger until she realizes that it is not really June. She is being controlled from the outside by a dark figure emerging out of the star's surface. It is the god of darkness himself Etriga in his newly found avatar: A humanoid warrior from parts unknown, he welcomed himself through poor June, not caring for her own safety. At first he did not sound furious for a moment at why she ran away but he can still punish her through the goddess's source: June. Using the fox as a puppet and peering into the darkness recesses of her mind revealing the harshest thoughts she still has of her unfortunate partnership. From the outside, Avataress can not move or break free without both entities working together and Fortitunus tries to get June to break free. Etriga laughs at her foolish attempt and reminds her that a direct link to a god is unbreakable at least, his bond. Much different from what being an avatar can do.

He then goes on about the good ol' days of the war and his time using his powers to command the weaker gods to do all the dirty work for him. Until they need new bodies to continue living. He found one in a warrior in some forgettable planet. After taking his body, he had the entire population turn against one another, slaughtering them all in the process. This infuriates Fortitunus as he, like Equitas has radically changed. Angrily tells Etriga to let June go for she has nothing to do with this in their fight. But she is now and will use her to fight against the goddess, all just to hurt her. If she wants to take him on, she will have to defeat June, meaning to kill her.

This is a no-win situation to the goddess, Etriga has total control of June and knowing him, the only way to truly sever the connection is to kill the host. If that happens, Fortitunus loses her main source of survival and dies. If Etriga does the unthinkable and lets June kill Fortitunus, she will be free from the bond, but will instantly change back and be vaporized on the surface of the star. The only way for them to get out of this dilemma is for June alone to do the impossible and break herself free from this bond, or else they are both doomed. Two large torrents of dark energy flow from out of the fox's arms and strike the god, shocking her with dark red lightning crawling over her body. Breaking herself free, she urges the possessed June to free herself from the dark god's bond. He laughs at her attempt and reminders that nothing in this universe can ever break a controlling bond between mortals and a god. In June's hands, form his mightiest weapon: The Scythe of Death, fitting for someone her personality shifted more to killing than instilling darkness. With each swing of that blade, hitting her friend a piece of her power gets blown away.

She can not hold up for much longer until she finds in an instant when the scythe hits the connection between the two. This gives her and idea and a flaw in Etriga's powers, nothing can break the bond except for the bond itself. He can already see her intentions and forces June to go the attack with that power amplified. But in the last second, Fortitunus leaps and rides the dark energy waves to June and grabs the scythe in her hands. Struggling to move the blade close to the line, Fortitunus hopes she can reach into June's consciousness and free her from his vile grip.

Pushing to get the blade closer to the dark line, Fortitunus hopes she can reach into June's mind and snap her out of it. Pushing the blade closer and closer, Fortitunus calls out to June to reach out to her despite his strong control over the fox. June however can hear the faint cries of her companion and slowly regains control helping to push the blade closer to her connection. Etriga grows more angry, knowing that this feat is impossible but the proof is right before his eyes. With the help of another god, the connection meets the blade and violently breaks, freeing June from the god's control. Furious, she awakens the Avataress form and easily sees the god quick enough to grab his neck and squeeze hard! Quickly towering over him, Avataress snarls and rages against the dark god for even doing this to her. Balling up her fist and is ready to throw the hardest punch in her life. Etriga breaks free and dodges the punch. As he falls to the ground, he can see his own scythe out in the world and runs to grab it. But the mighty vixen stops him and hard kicks him in the head.

June realizes Etriga's true colors, he's not a warrior but a cowardly puppetmaster with a fancy weapon. Fortitunus now takes over and pulls his body up from the straps, angrily scolding him for this act and use whatever energy he has now to tell the rest of the group to either stop hunting her or else she will be coming for them. Then with all her might, Avataress throws Etriga out into space. But that promise is soon cut short as in his moment of fleeing, he instead uses this time to throw his scythe at him hoping to hurt her but instead, Avataress grabs the scythe and throws it at full force. With no time to move out of its way. The blade stabs him in the chest, killing his form quickly as it reverts back and vaporizes by the heat of the star.

Apparently this is a new thing to learn to know while gods can kill other gods, so can the same while as Avatars as well, not much difference at all. June recovers and has no memory at all but of seeing everything cold and dark. An opportunity of letting them know of their coming is lost but now the great star isn't safe anymore as well and leaves. As Avataress flies off to the next point, June and Fortitunus feel that running is no longer an option anymore and need to take on the gods if they want to be free from the threat. Fortitunus does know of an answer that would solve both their problems but it would be a long journey. June asks of where they need to go the goddess answered that they would have to go where time, space, physics and everything that mortals know breaks down. They have to go...

...To the Lost Pantheon.

End Book One.