[New Fic/OldGods] 1 - The 'Rending'

The Avatar of the Old Gods

[Synopsis]

In a modern world where Gates and portals suddenly opened across Earth on July 18th of 2035, unleashing countless horrors, monsters, and more from other worlds, much of Earth was destroyed, and the Old Gods of Earth had been all but forgotten, few even remembered the Old Gods, let alone worshiped them anymore, leaving the Gods weak and their influence on Earth even weaker.

Heroes rose, Villains too, Monsters roamed, and so much more now called the world home. With the events of the 'Rending,' Earth had become a Nexus point for countless realms and dimensions across the Earth. Exactly 35 years after the 'Rending,' a young girl began having Dreams. These were not your typical dreams, as in these Dreams the naive young girl began to meet the people she began to call 'Friends.'

[Chapter Starts]

  It was seemingly a typical day in the streets of New York in July of 2035, With the discovery of life-extending therapies, cures for all sorts of diseases, and rapid advancements in science, the average man and their family were living happier than ever, as food and other necessities were becoming cheaper and more available to all across the world.

  The unemployment rate was a world record-breaking low, homelessness was nonexistent with new laws, charity organizations, and so much more coming into power. The world had entered into yet another Golden Age, as suffering and crime were at an all-time low. The world was on its way to getting healed from all of the damage Humanity had done over the past couple of centuries. Humanity was preparing to expand across the Sol System and starting colonies on Mars and the moon, Luna, with technologies in Terraforming, Engineering, and Robotics making the Colonization efforts all the easier.

  However, everything came crashing down, and on July 18th of 2035, the world would be changed forever, whether for better or worse, no one knew.

  Portals later referred to as 'Gates' opened across the globe, and flooding out of these Gates were horrific monsters that killed, tortured, or worse to all in sight. Cities were decimated overnight, with the casualties quickly numbering in the Millions within just the first hour...

  Throughout a single day governments collapsed, militaries were decimated, and it seemed as if Humanity was doomed to extinction as entire countries collapsed overnight.

  That was when those with extraordinary abilities, powers, and Magic rose to fight the monsters back. These people were called 'Supers,' and seemed to have very peculiar abilities that branched from seemingly simple enhancements such as stronger or more durable bodies to very strange abilities such as the ability to summon and use flames, and various other elements, and so much more and some though few, claimed to even posses real 'Magic.'

  It was only later on that Humanity discovered that the Gates emitted energy later referred to as 'Mana' was the energy that gave men and women their powers. Not only that, but eventually they discovered a safe method of awakening the mana in others, allowing for Supers and Humanity to begin fighting back, making bastions of Humanity across the world.

  With these bastions, Humanity began taking back the world they had lost, and after ten years of effort, only the oceans and very remote parts of the wilderness had any monsters and the Gates guarded.

  No method had been found to close gates, so, Humanity began sending people through the gates, and it was because of this that Humanity discovered there existed two different types of Gates.

  The first was Dungeons, a dimension of varying sizes that housed Monsters of all kinds. These Dungeons proved to be an economic resource of the highest tier, as valuable materials, artifacts, and items were procured from these Dungeons, and it was found that the Dungeons would reset after being cleared after some time.

  The second and last type was called World Gates. As the name implied, these gates led to other worlds, and from these other worlds, different Races came through, and joined humanity on Earth, for better or for worse.

  The Rending, as the event that led to the near destruction of the world was called, led to the loss of so much knowledge and life, that the history and so much of the old world before the Rending was lost.

  Yet in 2050, a baby was born and abandoned by their mother and left on the doorstep of a rundown Orphanage in the slums of the N.Y.C.B. (New York City Bastion)

  This young girl, named Elaine by the headmistress, slowly grew up to be quite naive, as all children are, and when she reached five years old and was being put to bed by the headmistress, she began to dream.

  As her eyes closed and sleep embraced her, the young girl suddenly found herself in a field of flowers, and in the distance, was a small old cottage.

  Running through the field of flowers, the young girl giggled in happiness and excitement, before she unexpectedly tripped and fell on her face, scrapping her knee in the process, causing it to bleed.

  She began to cry and scream from the sudden pain, as she was only a child. The sound of
porcelain breaking in the distance from the cottage could be heard as a woman with brown hair wearing a peculiar outfit came running towards where they could hear the crying and screaming.

  The unknown woman, who came running and soon came upon the young girl, seemed to freeze in place upon seeing the child, muttering something, The woman slowly approached.

  The woman had long braided brown hair, wore fur clothes, and had an axe in hand, seemingly not expecting any visitors, especially not one as young as the girl.

  Cautious, the woman spoke up, "Child, are you alright?" The words that came from her mouth sounded like English, but the way she spoke looked like she was speaking in a different language, one that somehow ended up being understandable to the young girl.

  Not replying, the girl seemed to cry even louder, causing the woman to wince and falter for a moment before she noticed the bloodied knee.

  Coming closer, the woman dropped to her knee, laid down the axe next to her, and asked,
"May I see it, child?"

  Crying, the child moved her hand, showing the bloody knee.

  With a small frown, the woman's eyes thoroughly scanned the girl's wounds before having her frown turn into a smile as she began cooing towards the child, telling her that everything would be alright.

  Then with a wave of her hand, a green light seemed to encompass her hand as she brought her hand down to the scrapped knee, and before the crying girl's eyes, it began to mend and heal at a visible rate where it could be seen by the naked eye.

  The young girl stopped crying and watched her knee heal with fascination. Seeing this, the woman chuckled, while covering her mouth with her other hand.

  The woman couldn't remember how long it had been since she last had a visitor to her realm, so, as one could guess, she wondered how such a fragile mortal even managed to enter her realm.

  "Excuse me...child?" The Woman began, only for the girl to jump up to her feet and begin running through the field of flowers again, without a care in the world.

  Baffled, the woman simply watched as the child ran through the field, that is, until the child tripped, and subsequently, scraped her other knee once again.

  It did not even take a moment before the girl began screaming and crying again, causing the woman to wince.

  Sighing, the woman walked over to the child, and once again healed their small injury, and before the child could run again, she picked up the child and took her to her cottage.

  When the two walked in, instantly a tantalizing smell of herbs and spices assaulted their noses, along with the smell of food.

  "Ah, it is done, child, sit at the table and wait, and perhaps I just might offer you a bowl," The woman tempted the child, easily getting her to do what she wanted.

  The girl rushed over to the wooden table and sat down in a chair, already drooling at the prospect of being able to eat the fabulous-smelling food.

  Chuckling, the woman walked over to a pot sitting over a fire and began stirring the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon.

  Without much thought, the woman began humming as she stirred the food, checking it to see if it was ready for consumption.

  Her voice was otherworldly, almost ethereal in its beauty,

"The sky is dark and the hills are white
As the storm-king speeds from the north tonight;
And this is the song the storm-king sings,
As over the world his cloak he flings:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:
"Sleep, little one, sleep."

On yonder mountain-side a vine
Clings at the foot of a mother pine;
The tree bends over the trembling thing,
And only the vine can hear her sing:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
What shall you fear when I am here?
Sleep, little one, sleep."

The king may sing in his bitter flight,
The pine may croon to the vine tonight,
But the little snowflake at my breast
Liketh the song I sing the best,--
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
Weary thou art, anext my heart;
Sleep, little one, sleep."

  Ending the lullaby, she turned around, eyes glimmering in amusement seeing the young child's face who stared at her with eyes filled with wonder and curiosity.

  Turning back to the porridge, she scooped up some in a wooden ladle, wafting the smell with her nose, and humming in delight. Raising the ladle, she placed her hand underneath it to prevent it from dripping onto the floor before she tasted it. Smiling, she stirred the pot of porridge for a few more moments before tapping the ladle on the ledge and placing it on a nearby plate.

  Walking over to a cabinet, she pulled out two bowls before walking back over to the pot scooping some of the porridge and pouring it into the bowls. Humming, she added what appeared to be green onions on top of the porridge as garnish.

  The little girl watched the woman cook with a grace and fluidity that could only be seen in those who were masters of the culinary arts with star-filled eyes of wonder.

  Noticing the young girl's curiosity, the woman smiled and chuckled, before saying, "Interested, are you?" The young girl replied with a firm nod, as she began drooling from the tantalizing smell.

  "Calm child, the food will be ready in but a minute," The woman chuckled before turning back and soon enough finishing with her preparations, having chopped some crisp bacon into small bits and laying them onto the porridge as more garnish.

  With two bowls in hand, the woman walked over to the table and placed a bowl in front of the child. Sitting down at the opposite end of the table, the woman grabbed a spoon which was set to the side, and began eating, watching the child who began to eat the porridge as if it was to be her final meal.

  With a smile, the woman chided the child, "Slow down, child. The porridge is not going anywhere," the woman chuckled seeing the girl's dismay.

  The woman could not remember the last time she had a visitor, especially a mortal one. It had to be at least over a thousand years, and with the invasion, she thought she wouldn't ever get to see mortals ever again due to losing most of her strength. She was now stuck in this small realm, and could only wait until she faded, which wasn't bound to be long from now, as so few of her followers were left. Their faith in her becoming less and less by the day due to her inability to leave this realm.

  She can't even remember the last time she was able to see any of her fellow Gods, her Pantheon included. Yet here was a mortal child, who somehow managed to get into her realm. Who was this child?

  Not even a minute had passed since the bowl was placed in front of the child before it was empty of its contents.

  Grabbing the young girl's bowl, the woman got back up and walked over to the pot, pouring more porridge into the bowl, a smile on her lips. Placing the bowl of porridge in front of the girl, she sat back down and began eating again. She had no need for food or water due to her divine nature, but even then, ever since the invasion, she's had nothing but time to practice and expand on her list of hobbies. Cooking, music, reading, and writing, she had plenty of things she could do to pass her days, but lately, she was beginning to run out. She had no more books to read, she's learned all that she could from cooking and baking, and now? She has nothing left to learn.

  Looking at the child, she suddenly remembered she hadn't fulfilled her duties as the host. "My name is Freya, what is your name child?"