Even with our ritual, not everyone returned. Some had already moved on to the next life, while a few were taken away by unseen force. Surprisingly, the Zaravani I had killed were among those who came back to life. Erik had brought their bodies from the Ancient Mountain here just for me. I don't know how he did it, but he used his ability so precisely. In an act of profound gratitude, they offered to arrange the highest form of funeral to honor Aycecek's death—a ceremony befitting their own nobility. She would rest in the mountain, becoming an ice maiden eternally adorned with gold ornaments.
For this sacred rite, Cynthia had to create a replica of Aycecek. When I looked at her, she seemed exactly as she did that last spring, napping peacefully in the field. She was like a fleeting vision from a vivid dream that you never meant to remember, never meant to truly return, recover, or be restored. With all that had transpired, I hadn't found the time to fully grieve her death. But after her funeral, it finally hit me. It was then I knew true sadness, and for the first time in my life, shed a genuine tear.
In Chinese literature, bitterness is deeply related to hardship and suffering. Sometimes, It's used to describe the very taste of tears that shed from profound suffering, not just a mere sadness. That's precisely how I feel right now, I never knew tears could be so bitter... A bitterness that lingers and never goes away.
When they checked on Aycecek once more, Erik detected a faint enigmatic energy clinging to her. Spiritual energy is quite a distinctive thing. It's almost as if it carries its own unique wavelengths or a specific heat signature, so unique that you can trace it back to its owner. This is especially true for divine energy. Given how closely this energy resonates with mine, I might have found this mysterious being myself, If I had more experience. But at this moment, in this entire area, only Asena shares any connection to me.
Erik and Cynthia remained to lay out our plan for the future, and it was then I realized they were part of the original founders of the Moon Maidens. They brought ideas of sexual equality to many tribes around here, especially to old shamanic tribes that once had female shamans as leaders. Disguising themselves as human shamans and manipulated these tribes to create a secret sisterhood, primarily composed of Erik's followers, to help secure the well-being of women and children.
Even before, Aylaqun only knew Cynthia as a great shaman, but after the ritual, everything changed. Now they know that we are their high gods, ones who can control life and death. Even the Zaravani, who were not our original followers, now truly believe in us after witnessing our power with their own eyes. And that makes us put some distance between ourselves and all of them. So we ordered Aylaqun to tell these people to keep our identity a secret. But I don't think they're brave enough to spread the news of gods who can resurrect someone right in front of them anyway. And who would even believe in what they say?
Next, we had to decide what to do about our close associates, especially mine. Cynthia and Erik had already drawn very clear lines with their followers. And for the Moon Maidens, who always operated in secrecy, they already knew how to keep a secret and conduct themselves around us. But it was different for the Tagh Boru and the Zaravani, particularly with the deep respect they showed us. Word of our powers wouldn't spread publicly, but through whispers. Cynthia believed this was the right approach for us and the Tagh Boru, as it would allow our influence to grow stronger in this area and then expand to the entire Confederation. Baghatur couldn't do anything to the Tagh Boru directly anymore, he even had to call for a truce.
As for Azhdar and Temurel, the two leaders, they needed to know some of our plans and movements. The same might be true for Temurcin and other elite warriors. But we decided to share most of our information with Aylaqun and Aykuz, and use the Moon Maidens as our agents. However, Atashan being my personal guard, might need to know more than other warriors, but only after we confirm he can keep a secret.
After we dealt with the urgent decisions, Cynthia grew bored and wanted to ice skate. So, on one snowy night, she led the three of us to the lake of the Tagh Boru. For our skates, she simply took some old blades and with her ice, glued them directly to the bottom of our boots. At first, she skated with the grace of a true professional, then effortlessly performing Octuple Axels and even a Back Triple Full in a single jump with incredible ease.
Erik, on the other hand, performed moves so fantastic that no human being could ever hope to replicate them. He moved almost like some kind of ethereal shadow, defying any physical laws. When he leaped, his body seemed suspended for an unfathomably long moment, before landing with a feather-light grace that left barely a whisper on the ice. His spins were a blur of impossible velocity, changing direction instantaneously without any loss of momentum and leaving shimmering afterimages that lingered just a moment too long. He carved patterns on the ice that seemed to transcend the boundaries, twisting and shifting in ways that suggested he might exist in multiple dimensions at once, making the observers question the very limits of human capability.
He explained, "Our bodies are the miracle itself. First, you just need to think and remember all those moves to perform them perfectly. But to do something beyond the possibility, you need to realize that you already can do it from the beginning. The rest is up to your imagination, just keep the image in your head clear. This is also how I perform a true miracle. Does any of this make sense to you?"
At first, I tried some simple movements from my own memory. Then, I thought about how Olympic skaters performed their moves, but it felt a little off. It was more like I needed to realize their movements rather than just think about them. Still, it was hard to recall their exact techniques from memory, so I simply mimicked Cynthia and Erik as they skated before me. And they were totally shocked by the result of my attempts. I performed some of Cynthia's acrobatic movements with a blurry ethereal touch just like Erik, not perfectly done yet but close enough.
Cynthia explained more about my innate power to Erik. Before he continued to tell me more, "So, you're one hell of a fast learner, huh? That's great! Let me tell you more about basic of miracles and magic. A true miracle changes the flow of reality, but it needs immense divine energy. As for a simple miracle – just like our skating, which doesn't really bend reality – it requires less energy. And as for the magic, it's like a simpler version of a miracle. It might look like it defies physical laws, but it actually doesn't. They're usually some kind of reaction that occurs and is triggered by a tiny spark of energy. You just need to know how to manipulate the energy, any type of it. I even think many gods and spirits teach their magic to their human followers. But humans find it easier to use magic with a little help in the form of incantations, spells, runes, patterns or circles."
I asked curiously, "What exactly are those aids? Are they some kind of medium?"
"There are many types. Some are prayers asking for energy from something they believe in. Others are a key to activate the reaction of specific magic by using only a few energy from the surroundings," the Reaper answered.
"So I can also make some kind of magic myself," I spoke my mind.
"Yes, you can. I even have a signaling spell for my human agents," he told me about his own magic.
"Stop talking, guys! We came here to skate!" Cynthia protested.
After the White Goddess skated to her heart's content, we returned to the Sacred Mountain. She took us to the Sacred Spring, then introduced someone to us, "Everyone, meet the Water Spirit of this spring."
A shimmering orb of pure radiant energy, a profound deep dark blue with an ethereal shifting iridescence of green, hovered just above the spring's surface. It pulsed gently, casting a soft mesmerizing glow that illuminated the surrounding.
"I, humble Water Spirit of this spring well, reverently prostrate myself before the boundless grace and majesty of the greatest deities who rule over this land!" The Water Spirit greeted us.
"Water Spirit, do you know of any recent anomalous activity other than three of us? We're looking for energy that resembles the Sky God right here," Cynthia questioned.
"I felt some faint strange energy that I wasn't familiar with, from the northwest not long after the Harvest Moon, but I don't know if it's related to the Sky Father or not, Mother Earth," the Water Spirit offered some details.
"Do you know what kind of being it is? Is it an Evil Spirit or some kind of a Deity?" Erik also asked.
"It might be at the level of a Great Spirit or Minor Deity, Lord of the Underworld. But I can't say for sure, it might even lowering its power to look weaker." The Water Spirit answered.
After receiving more information, we moved to our yurt and spent our time discussing a lot. They also caught me up on the levels of supernatural beings, starting from a human perspective.
A human's soul is like a blank canvas painted by their own deeds and experiences. But after their lives end, their souls are painted by their stories and by what people believe. They become immortalized by those who believe in them. This is how humans, animals, and even trees can become Great Spirits, similar to Natural Spirits that the Tagh Boru believe in, such as the Water Spirit we just met. And if they have enough belief and faith from humans, they might ascend and become Deities without a clear separation of good and evil.
But for those broken souls that cling to their emotional attachments and forget everything else becoming mindless spirits like Vengeful Spirits or Evil Spirits that manifest from the raw, concentrated malice of collective negative emotions, if these spirits gain enough believers and worshipers, they might even become one of those Mad Gods: great entities without personality, pure disasters without a mind. High Gods of many lands have to band together with minor deities and spirits just to cleanse these Mad Gods and Evil Spirits from time to time. It's like deities are some kind of self-defense mechanism, created just to cleanse those evil beings and restore the balance to our world.
In the middle of those conversations, Cynthia told us about her suspicions, "You guys know that I came from the U.S., right? But I actually have Swedish-Sami heritage. Quite convenient, huh? 'Another woman from another reindeer herder tribe, let's bring her here!' I think there are higher being orchestrating all of our actions, just like how we do to the humans."
"I feel related to you, I also come from a family of shamans that specialize in the world beyond the living. What about you, Kris? Do you have something related to your role as a god?" Erik asked.
"I think he associates more with the all-knowing Sky Father of Indo-European people. But he's also related to martial arts and wars, which goes well with our people's nature," Cynthia commented.
"I don't know. I'm just curious and want to know and learn more. I take martial arts and languages as my main hobbies, while I try to learn more about things like stories, history, culture, and science – all knowledge in general," I replied.
"Seems like they might have sent you here to learn more. All-seeing, all-knowing, you are quite fascinating, Kris. Such a unique goal to have," he pointed out before continuing, "I also play an archaeologist nowadays, but I don't have the privilege to truly dig it all. I explored the Denisovan Cave not far from here when you guys tried to resurrect your people, but I had to scan it with my power and leave the rest to real archaeologists in the future."
"Oh, you have to take me there too," I requested.
Erik looked at me before saying, "Of course, you can come, Your Majesty Sky Father!"
Not long after our conversation ended, profound silence filled the surrounding area. I was deep in my own thoughts, contemplating the three of us.
A circle of birth, death, and something in between, constantly moving and changing, becoming the seasons and time itself. An unseen force at play, driving us around and around. An invisible hand hidden not so far, yet far—far away…