1 (1)The Wonderful Gods

Yuna, a small girl about the age of six, ran through the crowd of people within her home town. As she ran, she would duck, weave and twist between the figures, all of them like towering giants over her. She could see nothing but legs and shifting ivory as their clothes shifted with their motions.

Most of the faces in the crowd were familiar to her, as she'd been raised in the town almost all her life. They were all adorned in their most fanciful and vibrant clothes, as they were in celebration. Although, Yuna didn't know that they were celebrating for what she thought she'd learned all on her own.

She was running as fast as she could to her house, where, outside, her mother stood beside her father and elder brother. In her arms she cradled Yuna's three-month-old baby sister.

As Yuna ran, her long black hair whipped through the air behind her and she practically bounced towards her family.

"Momma! Momma!" She cried, a vibrant smile plastered to her face.

"There you are, Yuna, where have you been?" Her mother said kindly.

"I was talking to the goddess!" Yuna cheered.

"Oho," her father harrumphed, "and why would a goddess wish to speak with a little girl like you, hmm?"

"Because I'm special." Yuna said innocently.

"Yes," her mother chuckled, "you really are."

"So what did the goddess tell you?" Edric, her elder brother, asked.

"She said that the Gods and Goddesses defeated the Demon Army and now all the bad monsters are being sent to… Uhm.. erm.. per-agert-ary… yeah! Peragertary!" Yuna cheered.

"You mean purgatory?" Her father chuckled.

"Yeah!"

"Yes," her father smiled kindly, his grin barely visible through his thick black beard. "And we will never have to fear the demon race again."

"That's why everyone is celebrating, Yuna." Her mother said, "Edric, why don't you take your sister and join the celebration. Go, have fun. We will be right here waiting for you."

"Do I have to?" Edric asked.

"Yeah! Come on Eddie! Let's go! Please?" Yuna clasped on to her brother's sleeve and began tugging.

"Ugh, fine." Edric groaned. "One hour. That's it."

"Yay!!!" Yuna cheered and began running into the crowd, dragging her brother behind her.

Yuna's mother chuckled as her husband rubbed her back. She looked down at the small baby in her arms as she began to whine. She placed her finger in the baby's hand with a warm smile as she began rocking her back and forth

"There, there, Mirai, mommy and daddy are right here."

— — —

The stars shone down from the sky like precious, shimmering gemstones gleaming against the black cloak of night. The light of dancing flames cast from lanterns, torches and lamps lit the village. The streets were practically alive with dozens of people dancing and moving about in their celebratory activities.

"Yuna, where are we going?" Edric asked, following his younger sister out on the edge of the village, leaving the lights and dancing figures behind them.

"Just come on!" Yuna hollered. "You've gotta see this!"

"You are so immature!" Edric groaned.

"You are only three years older than me!" Yuna argued.

She stopped at the top of a grassy hill beside a small tree where she waited for her brother. She turned her eyes up to the brilliant sky above and stared in awe at the sea of stars above.

"Okay, so what is so amazing about this? It's just a hill." Edric asked irritably when he reached Yuna.

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked, not taking her eyes off of the sky above. She pointed up. "Look, it's the realm of the gods. You can see it so clearly from here."

Edric followed Yuna's gaze, staring silently at the stars for a moment.

"Why are you so fascinated with the gods?" He asked.

Yuna found the question to be strange, after all, the gods were glorious and perfect. Who wouldn't look up to them?

"Because, the gods are glorious. They are wonderful and kind and they love us all!" Yuna said, meaning each word with all her heart. "They protect us from the demons and keep us safe."

Edric avoided making eye contact with his sister. "Yeah.. I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?"

Yuna truly loved the gods. She found them to be the ultimate incarnation of perfection, they were kind and giving. She loved the gods more than anything, and she revered them above all other than her family.

"The gods are great, but they aren't perfect." Edric said.

"What do you mean? How could you say that?" Yuna said in shock.

"It's an opinion. Come on, let's head back. I'm tired." Edric turned and began back down the hill.

— — —

Later that night, Yuna laid at her mother's bedside, her head set on her arms as she kicked her feet behind her. She stared in adoration at her baby sister, Mirai, playing with her fingers gently.

"Momma," Yuna spoke, "was I as quiet as Mirai when I was a baby?"

"No." Her mother laughed, "you were quite the rambunctious little monster, actually. It was quite a pain."

"A pain..?" Yuna frowned.

"Yes, kiddo. You were a handful, and you still are, but we love you just the same." Yuna's father spoke, coming up behind her and messing up her hair.

The room was small, as was the house, and made entirely of wood logs. Her parents' room was the biggest, whilst she shared a room with her brother down the hall. A single candle gave a dim light in her parents' room, and beside the bed was a cradle for Mirai.

"Dear, can you put Mirai to bed?" Yuna's mother asked.

Yuna's father leaned down and kissed his daughter on the head, then took Mirai in his large arms. Yuna got her black hair from her dad, so did Edric. Her dad was a large, strong man, the foundation of the village. Her mother had long, blonde hair and stunning blue eyes, which Yuna had also inherited.

Yuna followed her dad as he put Mirai in the crib and tucked her in. He then turned to Yuna and took his daughter's hand.

"Come on, time for bed."

"Whyyyy?" Yuna whined.

"Come on, because you need sleep. Your brother is already aslee-"

And then a scream of absolute terror tore through the air from outside.