The Divine

The Sophie Chronicles
Book One: Deception
First Prologue
“The Divine”

Pizu sighed and looked out at the world. It was a beautiful, uncorrupted place, but so boring. There were only animals and growing things, none of which could talk.

“Even if they could,” her brother Orzu said, “they would have nothing intelligent to say.”

Pizu just nodded. “I already asked Mother to let us give them both the intelligence and ability.” She smiled sadly. “She said no, as always.”

Orzu gently rested his hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you just ask Mother if you can create beings who can talk,” he suggested, “rather than change those that can’t?”

Pizu’s eyes lit up. Without another word, she took off running, her bare feet gliding over the grass. Situated in the middle of the grassy plains of Obein, the realm of the Divine Ones, was the house of Neru, Mother of the Divine. Pizu ran straight in and searched the grand palace. She finally found Neru in her chambers with Toru, Father of the Divine.

“Mother! Father!” Pizu called. Neru and Toru both turned to her, smiling.

“What is it, Pizu?” Neru asked.

“I want to create, Mother!”

Neru looked into the eyes of her daughter. Normally a bright green, they were ablaze with the fire of passion. Neru laughed softly. She knew that look.

“I put you in charge of creation, my daughter,” she said. “You may create.”

“Thank you! I won’t let you down!”

Pizu hugged her Mother tightly and ran out, feet padding softly on the marble floor. As she ran through the palace, the other Divine saw her and began to follow one-by-one. She eventually stopped at a small stone pedestal on a cliff overlooking the sea. The top of the pedestal was fashioned into a bowl. She waved her hand, filling the bowl with cool, clear water.

The other Divine had gathered behind her: Neru and Toru, Mother and Father of the Divine; Pizu’s brothers, Orzu the god of stone and Zuzu, god of conflict; Nalynn and Norynn, twin goddess and god of love and friendship, respectively; Dufor, god of the sea.

Pizu projected an image into the thoughts of her family: tall, pale-skinned beings with long, white hair and bright green eyes, like hers.

“These I will call the Mumari. They will live long and have great knowledge.”

She closed her eyes and waved her hands, and on the world the Divine created two of these new beings were slowly formed from nature. She stood in spirit by them and blew life into their faces. Both woke suddenly with a gasp. Pizu turned to the first, a male.

“I, Pizu, created you, and I love you. Your people will be called Mumari, and you will have great knowledge.” She smiled and touched his heart. “Your name is Baldur.”

She turned and touched the female’s heart. “And you are Leia’nah.”

The two new beings joined hands and walked away. Pizu opened her eyes, back on Obein with the Divine. Neru smiled.

“Your Mumari will find friends in my creation, the Elves,” she said. “I have made them fair beings, also of long life, who can learn from the Mumari.”

Orzu stepped forward and waved his hand. “And I create a short, stocky people to help tend to the mountains and stone places. I will call them Dwarves.”

Zuzu stood away from the others, jealous. This always happened. Pizu would think of something to create, everyone would like it, and he was left unappreciated. Not this time. Zuzu would bring war upon their creations. He stepped forward and waved his hand.

“I, Zuzu, god of conflict and now war, create the race of Man to embody qualities from the Mumari, the Elves, and the Dwarves,” he said with a wicked smile. “Ever shall they be at odds.”

Pizu sighed sadly and looked down. Neru was angry, but let the matter die. The deed was done, and all the Divine sat back and watched as their creations became numerous peoples.

The Crater of Nuhen

Long ago in the Before Times, the world was empty of life. The gods and goddesses of the Upper Realm desired creatures to rule over. Pizu, the Creator and Mother of the Divine, created tall, pale beings with green eyes and long, white hair. She called them the Mumari, and gave them supreme knowledge and long life. The other Divine were impressed with Pizu's creation, and happy. Neru, goddess of knowledge and learning, desired to give companions to the Mumari, and thus she created the elves. The elves, under the guidance of Neru, learned from the Mumari and came to honour and revere them, as they honoured and revered the Divine. Orzu, god of stone and metals, created the dwarves to also learn from the Mumari and to help him tend to the mountains and the deep places.

One among the Divine grew jealous, however. Zuzu, god of conflict and war, created Men with qualities from the three Elder races. Strength from the dwarves, knowledge from the Mumari, and fair appearance from the elves. He desired that his race would prove the superior and rule the others, but his creation rebelled against him and befriended the Elders. One Man alone continued to follow Zuzu, and cursed his kind for turning away. His name was Morhen, dark priest of Zuzu. Zuzu became drunk on the power and service he gained from his loyal servant, and a darkness grew in his heart until it overcame him, and he himself rebelled against the Divine. He commanded Morhen to wage war on the creatures of the other Divine, and corrupted the hearts of many Men to serve this purpose. Morhen formed a mighty nation of corrupted Men and made war on the creatures of the Divine as Zuzu made war on the Divine themselves. The beings of the earth met on the Plains of Gergyr, and far into the battle Morhen met with his brother Nuhen, king of the good Men. The two fought long, with sword and with magic. Their battle was so intense that their armies fled to a safe distance and watched as the powers of good and evil wrestled for control.

Finally, Nuhen realized that he could not prevail against the combined power of Zuzu and Morhen. He cried out to the Divine to use him as a sacrifice to defeat Morhen and Zuzu, and save the peoples of the world. The Divine granted his request and sent down their power in the form of a giant, glowing orb. The orb descended on the still-fighting forms of Morhen and Nuhen, and when it struck the ground, it exploded with such force as to leave nothing but a giant crater big enough for three of the largest cities to rest within. When the smoke cleared, the brothers were gone, and nothing but the crater remained. The armies of Morhen fled the battle in fear, and the Free Ones named the crater after their great hero, who saved them from the malice of Zuzu.

For now.