When Gods Play
Two celestial beings united, their love birthing a child of boundless potential. This child, a Young Deity, possessed the raw power of influence and creation at his fingertips. Yet, fate dealt a harsh blow, leaving him abandoned upon a cold, stone shrine inside a cave, to face the world alone.
A hollow emptiness twisted and churned in the Young Deity's stomach, consuming him from within. His cries, born of desperation and need, echoed through the cavern, a haunting melody of loneliness and hunger.
With the innocence of youth, he reached out with his mind, his whisper carried on the wind, "Feed me."
This simple yet potent command ensnared a passing bird. Compelled by an unseen force, the bird offered its humble meal of worms and insects. But as the Young Deity brought the offering to his mouth, he gagged in disgust, his frustration unleashing a lethal wave of energy.
The bird fell lifeless.
Each creature that answered the Young Deity's call met a similar fate, deepening the chasm between his innocent intentions and the grave outcomes. The cave's air thickened with the tang of copper and the sickly scent of decay.
This changed when the nymphs heard his call. The nymphs, ethereal beings graced with divinity, could not ignore the Young Deity's plaintive cries. Ida, with her cascading silvery hair and eyes of the deepest blue, led her sisters to the child's shrine. The sight of unintended carnage halted their steps, fear rippling through them. Yet, within Ida's trepidation, a maternal instinct flourished. With gentle hands, she offered milk from her goat, a humble, life-giving gift to the famished child.
As the Young Deity suckled at the milk, relief swept through the gathering. The once heavy air, laden with death, now buzzed with life, as vibrant flora burst forth, carpeting the cave floor with lush grass and adorning the walls with fragrant blooms. The barren land beyond transformed, echoing the child's newfound contentment.
Under the nymphs' vigilant care, the Young Deity thrived. Ida and her sisters balanced indulging his playful desires with tempering his might. They invented games to delight the young boy, his laughter echoing in their realm. Yet, his displeasure could shake the earth, summon storms, and provoke volcanic eruptions, reminding them of his potent discontent.
This fragile peace broke with the arrival of another deity, a ruler of the seas, whose envy sparked conflict. Their clash, a maelstrom of divine wills, rent the sky with lightning and filled the air with the roar of thunder. The earth quaked, and oceans roiled in turmoil.
Then, unexpectedly, laughter replaced fury. The deities' powers collided but caused them no harm, tickling them into play. But their play altered the world around them drastically.
The nymphs watched in despair as their tranquil home fractured beneath the gods' careless joy.
In the devastation's aftermath, the Young Deity, Zeus, surveyed the scarred landscape. Ida knelt among the ruins, her silent sobs a testament to their loss. Her tear-streaked face, a silent plea for restraint, met Zeus's gaze, igniting a pang in his heart.
Zeus took to the skies, the full extent of the devastation unfolding before him. The land's pain, the nymphs' anguish, and the silent absence of once-abundant life weighed heavily on him.
In this somber moment, Zeus's understanding deepened. With a gentle glow emanating from his palms, he began to mend the broken world, breathing life back into the scorched earth.
Poseidon, his brother & playmate, began to help.