- So - Poppy grins with the whole of her sunny pink face. - How was your sleeping?
Branch rubs his eye with one hand, cause he's holding the Staff of Light in another one.
- Well, I just realized that I hadn't slept since... - He yawns loudly. - I don't know, never?
- But how was it? - The goddess tilts her head on a side like a puppy.
He takes a very long and deep breath.
- Boring - He breathes out.
- Ha! I told ya!
- Yeah, yeah - He waves his hand. - I hope the surprise will be worth it.
- I swear It'll be! - She beams with her twinkling freckles on her pink cheeks. - Just wait for the sunrise!
He makes this face she likes so much. He frowns, smiles, and slightly chuckles, looking with his calm sight into her vivid eyes like into two sparkling diamonds. The goddess of the Day smiles at him, melting a bit inside.
The god of the Night corrects his grip on the Staff and offers the goddess his arm to hold.
While they are walking for the rest of the Night, doing nothing interesting for me or you, my reader, just walking and talking and taking care of the Night, I'll let you into the story about the Gold Sphere. Or, like Immortals like to call it: the story of Rose.
This is the longest and the saddest tale Immortals know. The whole known world got started from Chaos. No one knows what Chaos is and Chaos never gives answers. All it does is create what the world needs - at least Immortals believe that. No one knows who creates the Chaos and who controls it. Was there anything before? Will it be the end of it one day? All they know is what the oldest ones remember - King Peppy and Queen Rose.
When the Chaos created them, It left them on the Earth without a word of explanation. The White Sky and the empty Land already existed, but there was nothing else than that. Peppy looked at the world and then at Rose. They both felt really lonely. They discovered their power quite quickly - it was the power similar to Chaos, the power of creation. Peppy immediately came up with an idea. He asked Rose if she wanted to work together to fill the Earth with life. She agreed, and that's how Peppy became the god of Friendship.
The first thing they created was the little creatures, looking quite similar to them, but much smaller, and with a different matter. They named them 'trolls' and taking care of them quickly became their only goal and desire.
They made them as similar to Immortals as it was possible, but giving them all they had wasn't enough. Trolls didn't have free will, feelings, awareness, and eternal life. The essence of immortality was indivisible and uncreatable, its only source was Chaos. But trolls had dual nature, their physical bodies were filled with life-giving souls, the bounty from The Queen and the King. And the physical nature of trolls had needs. Trolls needed to eat and drink. Well, that's when Meadow, the goddess of plants, and Milton, the god of critters, came and created flora and fauna on the Land. Then Trollex, the god of the Ocean and Seas, came from the Chaos and he and his squires made pools, lakes, and rivers filled with fresh and clear water.
Soon, Gods cottoned on that even if trolls had food to eat and water to drink, their physical bodies still died, and the souls didn't have a place to come. That's when Barb and Riff came on the Earth and created the land under land, calling it Underworld.
The world got filled with life. One by one Immortals came from the Chaos and brought necessary things to the Earth. King Peppy took care of the gods' teamwork and Queen Rose guarded the world order, as she became the goddess of Harmony. She was Immortals' inspiration, she gave them many ideas on how to make the Land more and more beautiful for trolls to be happy. The Peace was on the Earth and among trolls, but Immortals still felt that there was a lack of something.
A few days after Peppy's and Rose's egg was born and gods were celebrating happily the first Immortals' child, a different kind of god came from the Chaos. He went to the Palace of Harmony and bowed in front of King Peppy and Queen Rose. He had a gold instrument in his hands, playing unknown kinds of music. They asked him about his name and his auspice, and he introduced himself as Chaz, the god of Falsehood and Betrayal. He explained that those were really necessary things, something special for trolls and Immortals. Peppy and Rose let him walk among trolls until they noticed he created the untidiness. Trolls were divided and fought with each other. That's how War and Hate appeared in the world. Peppy and Rose saw it was bad, and they exiled Chaz, throwing him back into the Chaos.
After that, Peppy became wary. He didn't want something wrong to happen with his and Rose's child. Restoring las and order after Chaz lasted for so long and cost Immortals much effort. He took a scared look at Chaos from time to time, fearing what would come from it next.
And sooner than they expected, the new god came from the Chaos and stood in front of the Queen and the King. He bowed politely, holding a long dried branch as a staff in his hand. His long grey capote covered his whole body and the hoodie on his head didn't let anybody see his face. Rose asked him about his auspice and he humble introduced himself as the god of the Silence and Darkness. This time Peppy ordered him to explain and show what those things were. The stranger described, with his sound, soft voice, that Darkness was lack of Light and the Silence was the lack of Music. He showed them both things and Peppy got scared. He wanted to exile him to the Chaos immediately, which made the unnamed god freeze. But Rose stopped the King with the argument that the stranger did nothing wrong yet. He didn't deserve to be exiled for no reason. Peppy cooled down and agreed to not throw him back to the Chaos. But he banned him from doing anything on the Earth, even walking. He pointed at the forlorn cave as a place to stay for him. The god without a name left the Palace with no word. Rose was mad at Peppy, that he broke the friendship promise between them and made an order without her agreement, but she couldn't do anything, it was too late. She could just watch as the stranger in a hoodie walked away.
A few days later, a new god appeared. His slinky gait was boldly echoing in the Palace of Harmony. He stood in front of the King's and Queen's thrones and took a look into their eyes. He announced his name was Creek and he's the god of Greed and Vainglory. He judged them for taking thrones without others' agreement. He ordered them to step down and let the Immortals decide who is the king or he would force them to leave their thrones. Peppy chuckled, being sure about his and Rose's power and right. But then suddenly, the god in the hoodie appeared between Queen and Creek. He fell unconscious almost at the same moment. A sharp knife was in his chest and the gold blood screamed slowly from the wound. Creek had one more knife in his hand and threw it at Rose once again. But this time the goddess was aware of the danger. She caught the knife in the air and attacked. Peppy quickly joined in. The fight was long, two powerful Immortals against one, but Rose and Peppy couldn't throw Creek back to the Chaos. He was too strong. They could only keep him in one place, stalling the endless fight where no one could die.
The essence of immortality was a huge power and only the same force was strong enough to destroy it. Rose knew about it. Without speaking to Peppy, the goddess cumulated whole her immortality essence and attacked Creek with all of its might. The god of Vainglory shivered and with the big light explosion his immortality, and Rose's, were destroyed. With Peppy's last hit Creek fell dead on the Palace's floor.
Queen cumulated her power into the Gold Sphere, knowing that her mortal body couldn't hold it. Peppy was looking at her helplessly and hopelessly. He knew what the dead body of Creek meant for Rose. The Queen would also die, soon or later.
But Rose didn't say anything to him. She walked through the throne hall with a glowing Sphere in her hand. The unnamed god still was there on the floor. He took the knife from his chest, and the wound started to heal. Moonbloom, the goddess of Health, was drying his chest from gold blood, but when she saw Rose, she stepped back.
The Queen got down to the god and asked:
- What is your name?
He hesitated a bit, but then he breathed out:
- I don't have any.
The goddess looked at his staff lying next to him.
- What about 'Branch'?
He looked up at her.
- If you say so, my Queen, I would be honored to take this name.
She smiled at him.
- You are a really good person, Branch. Thank you. You wanted to lay down your own life for me. I want to give you twice more in return. - With that saying, she showed him the Gold Sphere. She handed it to him. - Branch, I need a rest. Can you hold this for me?
The god was ruffled, but he grabbed the Sphere with both of his hands. His touch changed the light of it from gold to blue and all known light of the Day faded. But nobody protested.
- I trust you, Branch - Rose announced gazing at him with a friendly smile.
The god said nothing. He was shivering. He took his staff and put the Sphere on the top of it. The little vines grew from it and tightly embraced the Sphere. That's how the Staff of the Light was created and that's when the first Night happened. It was a long, sad time of Darkness and Silence, Immortals were in the mourning because of Rose. Peppy cried. But Rose was calm. She had been aware of what she had done. She was glad everyone was safe.
The Queen lived to see her daughter's sweet pink smile. She was bringing her up with Peppy for a few years until she died. Riff led her soul to the Underworld, but she faded until they arrived. He stared at the Chaos for so long this Night, the very same Chaos where he had thrown the dead body of Creek.
Branch remembers this Night much better than others, even than King Peppy. He remembers finding Riff crying on the edge of the world. It was the darkest Night also for the god of the Silence.
He looks at the Staff of the Light in his hand, glowing slightly in blue. He glances at Poppy, playing with a lightning bug on her finger. The insect is walking through her hand when she's moving it to keep the bug always on the top. Branch tilts his head down and blows into it and the bug flies from her pink hand and lands on her nose. She squints. The god chuckles what makes the goddess smile.
- Do you remember your mother? - He asks after a moment of Silence.
Poppy blinks at the sudden question.
- Umm... I have a few memories of her - She starts slowly. - But... Why are you asking?
Branch looks at the Gold Sphere.
- I'm just... She was the bravest person I've known - He whispers. - I'm sad that she's not here anymore.
Poppy gazes at him silently. She feels it too. She misses her mother, how wouldn't she? But on the other hand, the feeling that everyone knows her mum much better than her, makes her... a bit jealous. Especially that nobody wants to tell her, why her mum was mortal, but she isn't. All she knows about her mum was her name is Rose, she created the Gold Sphere and she died. She asked her dad many times, but he avoided the topic. Other Immortals got sad as she asked. She doesn't know. But maybe... Maybe Branch would tell her?
- She said she wanted to give me twice more than my own life - Branch adds quietly, interrupting her thoughts. - I still can't believe... She really did it
The goddess frowns at his words.
- As I understand, one is the Staff - She points at the Sphere. - And the second?
Branch turns to her and smiles. She doesn't get why. He offers her his arm to walk and only then she realizes what he means. Her cheeks turn red of course. Her heart beats faster of course. And she can't get enough of it.
The goddess sighs. Well, maybe she will ask him about her mum, but not now. The questions can wait a bit. She grins at him but pushes his arm.
- Let's stay here a bit longer - Poppy says. - Here is a really good view of the meadow. You can make a dew from here.
- You're right - He chuckles and gets down to take a bit of water from the nearest pond.
The goddess watches him with a smile. "Oh, just you wait until the morning - She thinks. - I'll show you. I'll make your pretty face purple, I'll make your heart rush. Just you wait, my dear. Just you wait."