In the beginning there was time. Erebus was the keeper, and he kept it from the start. Though time was all he had, meaning was missing in the swirl of his endless thought. Erebus could not govern all things that he planned to create. It was therefore in his thought to create beings to govern his creation. Erebus then formed Primitus, focusing atoms of light into fusion exploding in silence across the multiverse. Primitus was the first spark in the mind of Erebus and with this creation, light came into the vacuity. Primitus became the overseer of stars and galaxies. Each star begot its place, and Erebus felt his darkness lessen further.
The planet Vassi formed in the chaos. It was desolate and lifeless. The thought of Erebus dwelt here, until his thought settled on a land called Ethos. At its centre stood an insuperable mountain, crowned by a vast plateau. Great stones stood like a wall, fast and unmoving at its edges.
In the middle of this elevated plain, Erebus gathered mud and formed the first tree. The mud became hard, and with his thought, the tree came to life. The prodigious expansion of roots caused the dry ground to crack, and water surged up from the land. These waters made a pool about the tree. The pool overcame its boundaries and four streams were born from it. These streams rapidly grew into rivers leading to, and plummeting from the rocky edges of the plateau. On the bark of the tree an amorphous shape bulged and fell into the surrounding waters. This was the birth of Avani.
Avani took the form of a woman and became conscious of the world around her. A flood of tears streamed from her face as she roamed the dead world.
Primitus watched her from a star and was moved by her sadness. He allowed light to shine upon the world. Water was heated and rose up into the sky to form pockets of vapor. These pockets burst and nourished the dry ground.
Avani was tasked to design life. She grew numerous plants and trees, of which only she herself knew their diversity. The trees would age and speak among themselves in the language of leaves. She instructed plants to bear fruit and seeds. Many plants bore beautiful polychrome flowers. She designed crawling, slithering, swimming and flying things; some going deep into dark, wet holes or climbing high and creeping about. She designed both peaceful and terrible things to roam Vassi. Leviadon was one so terrible and he was born from a pocket of encrusted magma. He bore olivaceous eyes, a body patterned with dark pentagonal scales, and immense wings stretched from his sides. He roamed creation unchallenged.
Even though Primitus was a great being in spirit and wonder, he grew to admire Avani with all the wonder of her creations. Because of this, he gave up his duty among the stars and his lesser spirit came to live with her in the undying land of Ethos in the form of a man.
In time, Avani came to form the first woman on the plateau of Ethos. She sculpted her figure from the mud, and with a touch, the woman breathed in life. Avani named her Aiyana, which means ‘ever-blooming’. Her hair was dark and long and her pale green eyes captured the burgeoning forest. Aiyana roamed the forest on the great plateau, often in the company of Avani. When the eyes of Primitus met Aiyana, he was taken by her beauty. He often watched her unseen, and listened to her as she sang. His desire was evident.
Avani glowered at the sight of them.
The thought came to Avani to create a man in the image of Primitus. She therefore sculpted a figure in the likeness of Primitus from mud at the base of the insuperable mountain, and with a touch on his chest, the man breathed in life. Aiyana called him Amadei, which means, “god’s love.” He was bold, and his eyes were dark brown complementing the gnarled bark of trees. Amadei spent most of his time with the teachings of Avani, and she taught him much. He grew inexorable with lust for knowledge. Avani gingerly taught him in the arts of alchemy and sorcery. His skill in these arts developed quickly. Primitus witnessed the bond that had formed between Avani and Amadei, therefore his heart hardened and dark thoughts crept into his mind. He went to Avani while she was wandering in the forest, and crossing her path he began to speak;
"You have done great things and your power inspires awe, but can you fly higher than an eagle?" Amused, Avani said;
"Keep your eyes on the sky, my Light."
Then Avani looked up, and august silvery wings grew from her bare back that cast a shadow over Primitus. Then swooping, she rose high up into the air above all her creation. After a long time she came down with her feet gently touching the ground and standing before Primitus. He still stood unmoved and said;
"You can soar high indeed, but can you tell an eagle where to nest?" Avani grew impatient, but she showed him where she bid the eagles to make their eyries, atop the insuperable mountain of Ethos.
"These are all great things, but show that you can tell an eagle when to eat or drink, and I will truly be amazed."
Avani became livid and her eyes became crimson red. The body of Avani turned into spirit and it went into a great eagle clawing on a rock at the edge of the plateau. The giant swept down and caught a sizeable fish from the river below the mountain. It flew to Primitus, perching proudly on a branch next to him, with the fish squirming in her claws. Then Primitus smiled and said;
"Great mother of the world you have truly shown me your power. An eagle you shall stay, for I fear your teachings have fallen on unworthy ears. You shall henceforth be known as Aula, and the land of Ethos shall forever be your home."
The power of Primitus was by far greater than that of Avani, and her fate could not be undone. Aula let out a screech that could be heard across the land, and as she flew away, a feather fell from the sky.
Primitus took the fallen feather and with it he fashioned a flute. Primitus was pleased with what he had done. He then went down from the mountain by a secret stairway and went in search of Amadei that ever dwelt below the mountain. He came across him while he was wandering in the forest in search of Avani that ever dwelt below the mountain. When their eyes met, Amadei was frightened, for the eyes of Primitus were black and the malice of his deeds were seen his eyes. Amadei spoke first;
“Lord, I cannot find my mother! I am in desperate need of her voice.”
“Your mother can no longer speak or sing. She has given you that which I deem forbidden, and I can no longer permit her to be with you,” said he.
Amadei’s knees became weak, and he fell to the floor stuttering;
“This news is grim father.”
The light of Primitus dimmed and his face became dark.
“You need not be burdened, for here you have all you need.”
Then he turned from Amadei and went away.
In his thoughts Amadei cursed Primitus, for he would not dare curse him openly.
The next day Amadei was hunting deer in the forest. His thoughts were not pure and he longed for vengeance. Therefore he did not hunt out of hunger. He knew of no better way to tame his anger. Crouching through the bushes, he finally saw a deer grazing fifteen feet from him, unaware of danger. With a spear fashioned from hard wood, he thrust it toward his target. He struck his target, but it was not immediately fatal. This was not his first hunt, and after many trials such as this, he has learned to track his prey. He quickly sprinted into the direction the deer was heading. Finally, after quite some time, he approached the deer. The deer was lying still breathing heavily, with its eyes glaring helplessly. The blood was flowing from behind its ear, where the broken spear point was lodged. Amadei went to sit next to the deer and placed his hand on its head. The deer was now breathing more heavily. His hands were now covered in the deer’s blood and as he spoke, a silent hex escaped his lips. A desire for blood crept into him. His eyes grew wide, with a lust he did not know. Then he drank from the wound where it bled. The deer twitched until its life was utterly drained. Amadei rose from the deer, his face now smeared with blood and dripping from his chin. He felt renewed as he walked to a river. Washing his face in the waters, he saw that age left his skin.
Primitus came out of the shadow from where he watched Amadei, and his face was sanguine with anger. Amadei startled, stood up straight from where he washed his face, with the deer’s diluted blood now running down his naked body. Primitus stared at him bluntly in disgust. With a hesitating fear Amadei asked;
“Why have you come to me Lord?”
Primitus sneered and looked upon Amadei with contempt. Then he spoke with cold words;
“The knowledge you have been taught I deem forbidden. If ever you seek it out further, I shall remove the light from your eyes. Return now to the life you drained and wear its pelt.”
He turned his back on Amadei and said lastly;
“Let this serve as a reminder to those that come after you, for they will not be treated with the same kindness.”
With this, Amadei obeyed without question and Primitus went away.
Amadei walked back to the deer in dismay. He took up a sharp stone and removed the deer’s skin. From this, he fashioned a garment and always wore it. He would never forget Avani, and how she was taken from him. The name Primitus was forgotten and those that came after Amadei only learned of the name, Grimmer.
Grimmer came to the shore and blew upon the whistle he fashioned from Aula’s feather. The sound travelled far across the waters. He stood for a long time staring expectantly at the horizon. Within moments, Leviadon rose from the sea and came on to the shore, causing great waves. Near sunset, the soaring wings of Leviadon could be seen approaching from afar.
With little effort the monster finally planted its claws into the sand and stood bellowing. Leviadon breathed fire from his scaly nares, asking why he was summoned.
Grimmer grew in stature and he became radiant with light. Grimmer rose from the sand, reaching the height of Leviadon. Then he said in a commanding voice, which echoed across the waters;
“I am your keeper now, and you shall obey my every whim.”
Leviadon glowered and reluctantly bowed his head low. Grimmer mounted him and together they turned to the setting sun and sped off towards the horizon.
I am an aspiring writer from South Africa