Small twigs and pebbles crunched under my feet as we walked. I smiled against the blanket of sun that had wrapped around my face, warming my skin. Spring had finally set in, the first signs of it being the small flower buds and unfurling leaves. Birds chattered in the trees, their wings ruffling gently as they prepared for flight. I adjusted the straps on my bags, wincing as the leather bands dug further into my skin. Alex was still refusing to aid our travels one bit. Not even summoning something to carry our luggage. He had summoned a plate of chocolate and cheese chunks though. After that I'd forgiven him, its effects were starting to wear off.
Two women passed us, likely farmers' daughters judging by their simple dresses. Their hair was a smooth blonde colour, bleached from spending time outside. Alex winked at them. Their faces immediately brightened into a soft shade of pink and they erupted into a fit of giggles. I shot him a look, "really?" He shrugged, lifting both shoulders and allowing them to fall. A stone skittered under his foot, "it's rather boring being asleep for millennium. Pardon me for wanting to have a little fun." He added that part with an exaggerated pout. I wondered then if the reason for wanting to take the long way to the steps was because he wanted to simply experience the journey. I supposed a few extra weeks meant little to a god who had been alive for thousands of years.
I worried my lip, "what is time like for you?" Rosie shot me an incredulous look as if my question was the strangest thing in the world. Alex's eyebrows flew up to his hairline, "that is a question with the impossibility of a God." I scowled at him, everytime he spoke like that his chest became an increasingly enticing place for target practice. "your godliness is starting to become increasingly less impressive the more you talk" I snapped, kicking a nearby stone with the toe of my shoe. He chuckled but sighed, "time loses its value when you are as old as I am. You no longer cling to every second like it might be your last." I considered his words and I found I understood what he meant, in the way a mortal could. In a way time was like a currency, the more you have the less you feel grateful for it. "It is not good when Gods lose their appreciation for small things such as nature or time, it turns them into something... other." I scoffed, marvelling at the audacity he had to call time and nature small. Alex raised an eyebrow at me, "what?"
I slid my gaze to him, "how can you consider those things to be small? Some would think them to be the largest entities of the world." His eyes glittered, not with humour, with interest. He smiled softly as he answered, "you are thinking like a mortal. There are larger things than those aspects. It is interesting to me to see how your people's opinion of Gods changes over time." Thinking like a mortal, I felt the words in every part of my being. I was a mortal in comparison to him but it still bothered me for some reason. I found I wanted to understand his point of view more. "does it bother you?" I asked, "that people in this world no longer worship the Gods?" We still threw around the term 'gods', but not in a serious way. The temples had been left to ruin thousands of years ago, as far as I was aware non remained. He chewed on his lip, "it doesn't bother me in the way you think it does, that we're no longer... praised. It bothers me to know that some think we abandoned them." I gaped at Alex, that had certainly not been the answer I expected.
"Is it hard being a God?" I asked, brushing a loose strand of hair out of my face. Rosie snorted and I glowered at her. Alex's eyes however flared in surprise, "you are the first person to ever ask me that." Quilo noticed me struggling with my bags for the tenth time and decided to take one for the team. He flung it over his shoulder and smiled when I let out a grateful little sigh. I winked at Alex, "I like keeping people on their toes." Quilo snorted and I grinned at him. Alex considered my question for a long moment, "some will not understand what it is like to have the power to fix worlds worth of problems. Some consider it a great burden to have. But to answer your question... yes. However, I am grateful that I have this power and not someone who would use it for the wrong reasons."
I blinked at him, the way he'd said 'wrong reasons' like he was familiar with the idea. I worried my lip, "I suppose some people's solutions are other people's problems, it must be difficult trying to work out difficulties granting a favour for one person might bring others." Alex's chocolate brown eyes swirled with an emotion I couldn't place. He swallowed thickly, "you are wise queen, your people will do well." That must be great praise indeed coming from a God. I did not need his reassurance, but my steps felt a little surer as I continued walking down the path.
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I realised something strange as the hours ticked by, hours of dodging fallen branches and idle conversation. I had not had a chance to enjoy the time Quilo and I had been travelling, only once we'd left the mountains had I started to appreciate things a little. My heart did a happy little flutter as I studied the birds in the trees, the fluffy clouds in the sky, and the leaves that drifted past. I loved the feeling of the sun against my face, the smooth air wrapping around my shoulders. Quilo placed his hand in mine, his callouses scraping against my own. I had the startling feeling that this moment was perfect and I'd be happy to stay in it forever. Rosie at my side, Quilo pressed against me, even Alex's presence was starting to become slightly more tolerable.
I caught Alex staring at a tree for the fiftieth time, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Have you never seen one of those before?" I asked, genuinely curious considering how awestruck he seemed by them. He laughed, "of course I have." My gaze flicked back to the tree and I studied it for a moment, trying to see if there was anything special about it. When I found that there wasn't I asked, "why do you keep staring at them as we pass then?" Alex looked at me and I had the fleeting feeling that this is how he had studied the trees. He was silent for a moment before answering carefully "I have a certain connection to nature." I glanced at him warily, thinking over the words he'd said earlier. He'd made it sound like nature was nothing and yet... "how so?" I asked, taking my bag back from Quilo. It was heavy and I felt bad for forcing him to carry it. Alex glanced at me, an odd expression tugging at his features, the silence that followed told me he wasn't sure how best to answer without giving too much away. He sighed, "all gods are the gods of something."
I blinked at him, frustrated with myself for not considering that sooner. There had been the gods of flame and ice, why had I not considered that there would be others? "What are you the God of?" I asked, willing my voice to sound disinterested to increase the chances of him answering. Everything stilled. The trees, the wind. Not even a bird let out a soft cheerful note. It worked, "I am the god of earth. That's my formal... title" Rosie gaped at him, her hands trembling slightly, "you are the God of the earth?" Alex shot her an amused look and I had the feeling that he was trying his hardest not to laugh. "No" he answered, "I am the god of earth, all things that grow and change." It was my turn to gape at him, the god of earth? that seemed rather... impressive. I didn't let that show on my face though. Instead, I looked at him sceptically, "that seems like a pretty big title for one person."
He laughed, "if only you knew what I did." I shot him a look that told him I'd like to know what he did if only he told me. He winced apologetically, "here, consider it a thank you for being patient with me." The look I shot him then said my patience was quickly wearing out. He smirked, "hold out your hand." I did as he asked, holding my hand out palm up. He studied me for a moment, his eyes holding mine. I did not look away. Small lilac darts appeared in them, twining with the brown. He lifted a hand and pointed into the centre of my palm, his finger hovering over my hand.
The air shifted and Rosie clapped her hands over her ears. The sound didn't bother Quilo and me, likely because we had magic. The faint smell of cut grass and damp earth filled the space. I gasped as a small cloud of purple mist twirled around the end of his finger. I couldn't feel it but I could sense it. It felt... cheerful and happy. But I also got the feeling of ambition, like it was reaching for something. My eyes widened as Alex pulled his hand away and the mist subsided. On my palm now sat a tiny plant, no bigger than a bean. I marvelled at the strangeness of it, the intricacy of the pot it sat in. The leaves were impossibly well-formed for a plant of this size. "it's a maranta" I whispered, cupping my other hand over the top of it because I was genuinely worried it would get blown away by the slightest ruffle of wind. He smiled brightly and then clicked his fingers. Sparks flared where the pads of his fingers had met, the purple zaps looking impossibly bright.
A clink sounded and my breath caught as he handed me a chain. On the chain sat a diamond-shaped glass locket. Hinges on one side in the centre told me the top opened so you could put things inside it. My eyes widened as I realised that it wasn't just a locket, it was a tiny greenhouse. Perfect for holding a plant that was no bigger than a bean. Tiny green coloured glass leaves and vines spiralled up the sides, butterflies and ladybugs clinging to them. I swallowed, unable to understand how something so small and dainty had been created. It should be impossible, to create something this... intricate. Then again I considered the impossibility of the being before me.
"The prayer plant once represented gratitude," Alex said gleefully, clearly noticing my awed expression. "I didn't know that" I whispered, making a mental note to research the meaning of certain plants further. Alex's smile faltered as he murmured "the necklace is from the upper world, it was created there." It was stunning, beautiful, impossible. I wondered what the upper world looked like if this was what was created there. Alex took the tiny plant and locket, carefully opening the hinges and placing the pot inside. He handed it back to me, "the plant will not get any bigger unless you want it to. Nor does it need watering or feeding, it will look after itself." I realised then what magic truly was, it was the power of everything. The power of having the literal world at your fingertips. I began to grow a new appreciation for Alex and my own power.
I handed it to Quilo and he nodded, moving to stand behind me. Goosebumps prickled my skin where his fingers touched. My hair felt smooth on my shoulders as he brushed it to one side and then looped the locket around my neck. He pressed a kiss to the side of my throat and I felt the weight of the glass fall against my chest. I'd always carry it with me, gratitude. I was so grateful for the reminder that I was no longer trapped in that castle. That I had the kindest and fiercest person as my soul bonded. I then understood fully what Alex had meant earlier, it is important to be grateful for the little things. Even the ripple of bark on old trees, the rustle of leaves, the small holes that bugs had made in the trunk to call their home. "I... thank you" I whispered to Alex, "I feel like I should give you something but I'm not entirely sure anything I could offer would be worthy." He laughed, the sound reminding me of rustling grass, "the impossibility of you is enough." Because that is what Alex lived for I realised, the possibility of the impossible.