After "The War of Myths"

[no99]

Not long after returning from the mission, Suma is in a lounge, with a bottle of wine in one hand. She said that she would tell her story, so here she is. She takes a long, deep drink straight from the bottle before she begins.

"Once upon a time, there was a fool and a pharaoh. The pharaoh made a wager with the universe that mankind's nature was to wage eternal war, with peace naught but a passing distraction. With his power, he raised an army of ninety-nine gods of war, cursed to a life of unending warfare. The fool murdered the last, and became a war god herself."

"Whenever a war god dies in battle, the pharaoh replaced them. Whenever a war god chose a life of peace, their gifts vanished, and upon their death they could not be replaced. However, such was their ferocity that none turned away from the path of bloodshed for centuries. The fool was among the worst of them, killing for the joy of it for many years."

"Then, one day, the fool realized that, for all her enjoyment, the war gods brought with them nothing but misery wherever they went, a plague upon the world. So, she decided to get rid of them. One by one, she fought them, defeated them, and forced them to forsake war or die. Over thousands of years, she thinned the ranks of the war gods. Many chose death over peace. They were replaced, and their replacements met the same fate. Four thousand years after the journey began, five war gods remained - the fool, the pharaoh, and three in between."

"I am Suma. I lost this eye killing the original War God No. 99. It is now my title. I will continue to fight until none remain."

Another long drink. Until none remain - she counted herself among them, too.

"Njall, will you tell your tale as well, or shall it wait for another day?"

Comments

[modern_ancient]

He declined a drink himself. "It's not as dramatic as yours, I think."

[no99]

"Don't sell yourself short, old friend. Yours has that air of mystery to it that mine lacks."

[modern_ancient]

"Very well. Story telling has become less of a popular pass time in recent centuries, so I may as well take the chance."

Njall sat up and cleared his throat.

"Long ago, there were two boys. They were close friends, despite one being the son of a conqueror and the other the son of the conquered.

One day, they were taken to a place of bright lights and strange voices. The voices offered them a choice. Eternal life and great power so long as the pursued a task. To find thirteen mystic stones that had been hidden across the earth. Whoever found more of them would be granted a wish, at the cost of both their eternal life.

In the foolishness of youth, they took this deal.

Since then, they've found ten of them between them, but one of them has decided he does not wish to end the contest. He does not want a wish, for what wish could be greater than that of eternal youth?

Three more remain. I don't think I regret the choice I made so long ago, for I have seen many strange and wondrous things. But if I can find more than he can, I can escape this world before I grow completely weary of it."

[abugslife]

I see my suspicions were correct, then; when my ancestors arrived on Earth, pretending to be the gods of ancient Egypt, you were there to witness it.

...Do you feel bitter about it?

[no99]

I am not so vindictive that I'd hold a grudge for something that happened that long ago.

[abugslife]

Good. I do admit that while my ancestors had the common sense and courtesy not to intervene with Earthlings' civilization, the fact that they tricked you just to receive free food and supplies is not entirely fair. Learning that who you thought to be gods turned out to be just a few lazy explorers must have been disappointing.

[no99]

A god is a symbol. Ra is not a lazy explorer from another world, Ra is the sum of all the works done in Ra's name.

[ugyuuya]

[Having sat and listened to both warrior's tales Yuuya finally speaks]

So you've seen so much of history and growth throughout the world. It's almost unfathomable for anyone to have lived and seen so much but I guess the biggest thing is what will happen to you when you complete your goals?

You are comrades to all of us and in time it may grow to an even deeper friendship. Will we be forced to watch you die like you've seen so many do before you? Will casting aside your immortality leave you to age and die as normal so we would have the years afterwards when peace has finally been won to enjoy each others company?

Combat has been such a part of each of your lives, will you not have a chance to make something more of life before you're gone?

[dolorous_sensei]

Wow, and I thought I'm a veteran.

[no99]

Before today, I may have told you that nothing waits for me beyond my goal but death. But now...

I have made an oath. On the life of War God No. 05, I swore to rise above the bloodstained path of a wild beast, and become something more.

[no99]

All things in this world are relative. No matter how high you climb, there is a taller mountain's peak looking down upon you.

[dolorous_sensei]

Knowing about you, it's kinda robbing me one of life's pleasure though, admonishing greenhorns by saying that I lived longer than them.

[no99]

Ha! And greenhorns in need of admonishing they remain. I'll not lord my age over you.

[ugyuuya]

Well didn't you make the first step towards that when you realized what you and the others like you were doing? At the very least you and Njall should take the time to really enjoy the peace you help bring about before leaving this world. It's been a bumpy road for us to get this far but I think once we sort the current problems we'll be well on our way to something a bit more permanent globally as far as peace goes. Not to say that everything will be wine and roses of course.

[no99]

One way or another, so long as humanity persists, so shall war. In that sense, I suppose the Pharaoh and I agree.

The point where we differ is whether or not to struggle against man's nature.

[ugyuuya]

Seems like a sad thing to think though doesn't it? I mean there has certainly been a rough history for our race but at least now things are looking up. Do you think the Unity Group would have ever been created before? I like to believe that we're looking at something better in the future not a backslide into the perpetual barbarism we subjected ourselves to in the past.

We know now that there are too many things out there that want to kill us to be doing the job for them.

[no99]

And yet we continue to kill each other, do we not? The enemies I fought today were not invaders from another world. They were humans, who would have killed me if I had not killed them.

Perhaps it is because I am a creature of endless battle myself, but I cannot imagine such a thing as a permanent peace.

[ugyuuya]

Well that's honestly a kind of depressing thought in the long run. I guess it's part of who we are but I guess I fall on the same side as you did with your argument with the Pharaoh.

I'd rather believe that we'll find our way past it some day then to be stuck in a bloody cycle of conflict forever.

[abugslife]

Ha, a keen observation. And the work done in the name of war gods, presumably, was only slaughter.

Do you know how did the pharaoh - your final nemesis - obtain the great power he used to create the war gods?

[no99]

Perhaps we will! No reason to take an old fool's word for what the future brings.

[no99]

How did all the great sorcerors of old get their powers? The world used to be full of such things. In my youth, I saw no reason to wonder about them.

[abugslife]

Just another way in which Earthlings are fascinating. Magic, mystical powers... Nobody on Geb ever harnessed such things.

[modern_ancient]

I have no idea. All I can say is it will be something new.