In the Presence of a God
Greetings and/or salutations my friend and welcome to another (sorry excuse for a) story by yours truly. Those of you wondering, this is the same Eli as mentioned in My Story(another story written by me, but oddly, not about me :P). This takes place quite a few decades after that, and contains many links to a past you are not yet familiar with, such as Vanir for example. Rest assured, you have not missed anything. At some point in the future(probably before time ends) I plan to expand on that past. but for now I present you with this story.
As always, this is my story and any characters, events and/or locations belong to me. Please do not use them without my permission. Any resemblance to real shit is coincidental.
Enjoy!
Update: Apparently the transition from YiffStar to SoFurry added a few excess whatchajiggers, so I had to deal with that. If the system is the same, this will bump my story to the top of the list, so sorry to any authors who may have been bumped off the front page as a result of this edit!! If It could be avoided(y'know, outside of just not editing), I'd choose that option.
In the presence of a god, any god, there is but one thing you can do: Bow down in worship.
This was the situation that Eli found himself in when he entered his door, expecting to find the simple home he had lived in with his lover for some years, and instead walking into an opulent palace. The single room alone was larger than the entire village, but it took him no more than a few moments to cross the intervening space, eyes carefully focused on the floor, to within five hundred paces, at which point he sank to his knees, placed his head on the ground and awaited his fate.
He knew without looking that the god was Tonneau, father of the Nojin race, and knew also that, if he were to somehow look up and avoid being blinded by the god's radiance, he would see the god's four delegates, three Nojin rabbits of no clan and one Nojin of the Clan Leo, standing around their master.
He waited for what seemed like hours before the god finally seemed to take notice of him.
" Eli, formerly of House Acinonyx, formerly of the Clan Jubatus, you may stand if you please." the god said.
Eli was quick to respond, "I extend to you my most ardent thanks, O Most High," he said, "but it is written that to stand in the presence of a god is to insult you by elevating myself to your level."
" Your choice in which of the teachings to follow is strange. You willfuly consorted with two members of Clan Tigris when you were serving in Astia, one of whom has forsaken my name. You abandoned your clan and moved to this backwater little village in the middle of nowhere, for the love of the other, whom you lie with every night. In defiance of your martial upbringing, you seem content to spend your days gossiping with nosy human women. You curse the name of House Jubatus and have renounced all ties to House Acinonyx, vowing that you would return only to see the Elders killed, by your own hand if necessary. Why do you do these things, but object to standing in my presence?" Tonneau asked curiously.
"With respect, O Arc of the Sky, I defied the Elders because I believe that the laws of Clan Jubatus have interefered with your teachings. The Tigris are our cousins and we are all your children. But the Elders refuse to look through any but the lens of war. By contrast, it is only right that a lowly mortal kneel in humility before a god."
" Were my commands not to obey the laws of your leaders, even above your very own blood?"
"Yes, O Hand Upon the Waters, and in defying the Elders I admit fault, but it is in the name of a greater future that I do so. I will accept what punishment I receive from you, and in doing so I will know that I deserve it. But I will never say that I regret my decisions."
" And your friendship with the Tigris that has forsaken my name? What of this?"
"He was my first, and remains my closest, friend. The first person with whom I formed a true emotional connection. It is in your own teachings, O Font of Wisdom, that we should celebrate such connections, for they are the essence of emotional contact. I hope that with time I can convince him to rejoin your worship."
" I command you to stand and look upon me, Eli."
Having no other choice, Eli complied.
" You mentioned a greater future. It is for this future that I have appeared unto you today. You, Eli, are the most devoted of my children. In the entire world, there is no Nojin that believes more firmly in me than do you. Even more importantly, you are a great warrior, a credit to your clan, just as Vanir and his skill are to his. Your union represents a binding that will one day unite the Nojin race, and to this union, I entrust the future. You are to be given a child. A very important child who will-"
"No!" Eli blurted out, startling no one more than himself.
Tonneau stared at Eli in shock. It was the first time any mortal had ever dared say no to him. Then he was angry and his voice thundered throughout the massive palace as he shouted, " What do you mean 'No'? I am your god! You have no right to defy my will!"
In defiance of every instinct, Eli stood his ground against the tide of anger and said, "I am sorry, O Amber Heart, but I must humbly disagree. By your own teachings, you will not directly influence the will of a mortal. It is my right to make my own choices, whatever comes of it."
Tonneau looked at his delegates, as if hoping they would disagree, but they merely nodded. Angrily, Tonneau waved a hand and all four delegates were struck by lightning, charring them all to skeletons in an instant. This didn't seem to hinder them much as they merely bowed and mumbled their own apologies for failing to please the god.
" Then explain yourself. Tell me why you say no."
"Vanir. He has suffered so much for his decisions. He abandoned his family and his clan, the only constants in a life once filled with war and pain, for me. He is conflicted even now. Defiance against tradition does not come as easily to him as to me. He is trying to reconcile his love for me, his desire to be with me, with his upbringing, with the tyrannical teachings of the Tigris Elders, but all things come in their own time. At this point, I could not burden him with a child, a further reminder that he has abandoned the teachings of his clan to live with another male, and even worse, a Jubatus."
" You mortals do so enjoy making things difficult don't you? Unfortunately for the two of you, this is not a matter up for debate. This is about more than the concerns of two individuals, this is about the future of an entire race."
Eli opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off, " I am your god and my word is law! The teachings are mine, you are mine, and both exist only by my sufferance! If and when I choose to contradict the teachings I have laid before you I can and I will! Let it be known that I, Tonneau, god of the Nojin race, god of emotions, god of art and music, ruler of nature and all animals in it, and of both sea and storms, hereby waive your right to choose in this matter. A Nojin child, born to Clan Jubatus and possessing a great destiny, shall be delivered into the care of Eli, formerly of Clan Jubatus and Vanir of Clan Tigris, to be raised and groomed for his future role in the salvation of his race. They will raise the child as their own or suffer the consequences. So I have spoken, so it shall be!"
"Witnessed." Tonneau's Delegates chorused obediently.
Tonneau's anger disappeared and he spoke more softly. " I am not an uncaring god, Eli. I know and care for my children more than you could possibly imagine. I promise you that this child shall see you, not only as a race, but you and Vanir personally, through the dark times ahead. Vanir will accept his role in this world, and it will bring you closer together. The child will be delivered in a fortnight by my Delegates. I suggest you take the time to inform Vanir and prepare for the arrival of your child."
There was a flash of light and when it was gone, Eli was back in his home. He looked out the window. No time had passed. The sun was still continuing its slow descent towards the horizon.
With a deep sigh, Eli sat and waited for Vanir to return home.