It was once told that in the beginning, sometime after the original Eternal Haven had fallen at the hands of Supay, He and the Fantastic Creators, Wiraqocha and Pacha Kamaq, reached an agreement that would shape every battle they fought from that point forward. The truce was simple: The Fantastic Creators would find a suitable planet, and then create life within it, whereas Supay and his army of the Saqra -- vile and obscene souls, with Supay as their perverse leader -- would come find them on said planet. From here, they would each attach a soul to a mortal lifeform and then send these down onto the planet, allowing the mortals to fight each other, being unknowing pawns to a cosmic war between good and evil.
Normally, whoever's army triumphed over the other won -- but, truly, it wasn't so simple. Just as Wiraqocha and Pacha Kamaq had ample time to prepare for Supay's arrival and rig the odds in Their favor, Supay, too, had resorted to directly lending a hand to his creations for his own benefit. With every day, new rules would be bent and twisted, often rewritten to favor one side, until there would come a boiling point. One would get fed up with the other, and it resulted in a brutal showdown where all rules went straight out the window -- many mortals would die in this conclusion, but the gods lived on, doing anything to win this unfair and extensive game of cosmic chess.
With time, one would triumph over the other, but even as the felled god bled out, They weren't totally dead. Their remaining spirit would cause a black hole that swallowed up the universe whole, and what remained were the Deities of each side left to clean the residual rubble. In this state of supposed finality, the Creators and the Saqra would negotiate a final time. It became clear that no matter what the Fantastic Creators do, they would be met with Supay's resistance every time, and so they proposed a new treaty: this cosmic exchange would repeat itself as many times as it needed to, until one side finally gave out, or if the leader were to be killed for real. With a destroyed universe, a small pair of deities left over, and under the guidance of Pacha Kamaq and Wiraqocha, the universe was restarted, completing one grand cycle.
...and this would be repeated multiple times, across various cycles. Repeating in a never-ending loop of destruction and needless suffering. And I'M supposed to conform to this. Well, as a soul that is free to do whatever he wants in this free-range haven, I can simply not participate in it. As I see it, this world -- and by extension, this stupid universe -- is nothing but an inescapable ensemble of life and death, and for what? Glory? Triumph? All of which we know will never come from either side?
It's all so fruitless. I'd rather just stay here in Hanan Pacha and never have to worry about life ever again. And in fact, that's what I'm about to do right now. I'm running off into the vast, cloudy plains, and never looking back. Perhaps I'll find a better life out there than down in Kay Pacha.
-----
"...and that's the last We saw before you wandered off." Rumi Katari, a quaint serpent adorned with a colorful robe and bracelets of gold on his wrists and ankles, calmly stated as he now paced around an embarrassed soul sitting down on the rocky floor. The soul in question was Uthurunku Wayna, a jumpy tiger wearing some baggy pants and a light shirt that he had borrowed from a friend, and he had just been caught escaping the Haven. He was holding his knees and digging his claws into the dirt below, clearly upset about the situation before him. Of course the Creators would know exactly when he'd leave, They quite literally have eyes everywhere. Even so, the Haven was not far from the treacherous mountain path he was caught in, so clearly someone could see him from there...
"...go away." The tiger was scowling, looking down on the jagged floor with extreme guilt. This was all he could reliably say without outright insulting a deity, though knowing Them, They've probably already seen every colorful insult he desperately wanted to fling at Them.
The serpent chuckled, moving his hands behind him and stopping right in front of Uthurunku. "Now, now... I can feel you're incredibly upset at me, and honestly, I get it." Rumi eventually knelt down and sat in front of the tiger, who begrudgingly turned his head slightly to his right to focus on anything other than the deity in front of him. "You're mad that you got caught, and you'd do anything to escape this situation, big whoop. But I think I sense something else within you, and it appears to be more than short-sighted anger."
He was right, and Uthurunku knew it. At the root of his hatred for the world and the cycle of life and death lied the grim reason he was so adamant on escaping the confines of the universe. What could he even call it at this point, anyway? Bad luck? An act of Supay? The Fantastic Creator's--
"The Creator's Stress Ball?" Rumi interjected, and a cold shiver ran down Uthutunku's spine, coming to the realization that the serpent had just read his thoughts word for word. "Well, I must admit, it's got a nice ring to it. A bit too silly of a title, though..."
Uthurunku could only growl in defeat as his own privacy was now completely disregarded, though to him, that's probably what They willed considering how horrible every life has been for him. Indeed, the reason Uthurunku wanted to remain a wandering soul for eternity is simply because every life he had the chance to live through was a mess. From the moment he could remember being born into the universe and across every death in Kay Pacha, Uthurunku was subjected to needlessly brutal and bitter lives. A neglected child suffering in the cold. Execution for simply being a different skin color. A "stray bullet" to his neck. The tiger had encountered just about every and all type of end save for natural causes, and for the longest time, he feared he had deserved this insane "punishment" somehow.
"It's quite strange, y'know," the serpent in front of Uthurunku resumed. "I've only been part of the Fantastic Creator's pantheon for precisely three cycles now, and yet, in each of them, and without fail, I always see one soul that acts so similarly to me!" Rumi kept looking around Uthurunku curiously, and it made the tiger feel so vulnerable, as if he was a sad little malfunctioning robot.
All the lives he had lived, the ineffective advice he was given, the begging and pleading to the Creators to make this stop... all these thoughts came rushing to Uthurunku as he was mocked.
And it was at the lowest point here where Uthurunku would finally snap.
Without warning, the tiger would swing one arm out towards Rumi and swipe with as much primal rage as he could, letting out a visceral yell. Rumi would react almost instantly by blocking Uthurunku's hand with his own, catching that clawed limb by the wrist but maintaining his cold smile. "Oh! Well, I can't say I would have done that," the serpent proclaimed, "but it sure is nice to imagine that timeline of events..."
"SHUT UP!!" Uthurunku would roar incoherently, before throwing out his other hand towards Rumi. This time the hand would hit Rumi on his upper arm, but it didn't affect him at all as a small light flared up between his scales and Uthurunku's claws, causing the snake to back away while chuckling.
"Ooh, nice hit!" The serpent would grab his arm as if he had experienced pain there from the strike. "I gotta work on my reflexes some more, it seems. I think you're more than cut for the role of--"
Before Rumi could finish his thought, however, he felt the terrifying grip of Uthurunku's hands holding him up by the neck of his robes. His claws sunk deep inside the divine clothing as he now stood a little taller, breathing down Rumi with exasperated sighs, bared fangs and bloodshot eyes.
"You know NOTHING about me, bastard!! You haven't the SLIGHTEST IDEA of how much I'm DONE WITH YOUR BULLSHIT!!" Uthurunku finally had the chance to yell out his frustration at the deities he was fed up of worshipping. This was the most cathartic thing he had ever done; finally, some semblance of control! With the tiger having seemingly wrested away power from a god, he continued to hold Rumi by the collar, pulling him in closer so he could hear everything Uthurunku had to say:
"Every single life I have lived, every moment I was down there on the Earth, it was ALL A LIVING NIGHTMARE. Everyone kept telling me that at some point I'd get lucky and see life for what it is, and you wanna know something? They were right!! I learned that LIFE IS MISERABLE TO BE IN FOR ME SPECIFICALLY! One of my old mentors was a successful dancer, my friends all ended up being various types of average Joes and Janes with NORMAL FUCKING LIVES, even my OWN HUSBAND gets the luxury of living as WILDLIFE! But SOMEHOW, every time I have to go down there, my life ends in SHAMBLES. NEGLECTED. ABUSED. MISGUIDED and ultimately BEATEN TO DEATH! Have you not CONSIDERED the fact that I'M FORCED TO REMEMBER ALL THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN EVERY TIME I GO BACK HERE?!?
"You and your FUCKING council of PATHETIC COWARDS have done NOTHING to make this pain go away. Isn't it your SWORN DUTY to CARE for us? To MOLD us into greater beings? Because to me it seems you've decided to COMPLETELY RUIN ME AND MY MENTAL HEALTH just for a sick and vile JOKE. What did you think would happen then, huh? Did you expect me to just take it? TO NOT FIGHT BACK LIKE A GOOD LITTLE SLAVE?
"BECAUSE YOU'RE SO FUCKING WRONG!!! I WILL be leaving this place and making my OWN path out here. I DON'T CARE if I wander aimlessly forever, at least it's a better outcome THAN SUFFERING ANOTHER ABUSE BY YOUR HAND!"
Uthurunku then twisted his upper body around, readying himself to do the unthinkable to Rumi with nearly all the stamina he had left in him after his shouting. "And to make sure I can be left alone, I'm going to leave your kin a nice surprise for them, AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CLIFF!!" The serpent tried to wriggle out of his robes and desperately tried to shake free from Uthurunku's control to no avail. It was very clear what the tiger was going to do by this point, and it would be just moments before it was too late.
"Now... STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME..." The tiger roared at Rumi one final time, before turning his head to the open sky above, and a perilous, rocky cliff below.
"...AND LET ME LIVE THE LIFE I WANT!!!" With one incredible turn that took away nearly all of Uthurunku's vigor, the tiger practically launched Rumi from his hands to nearly beyond the cliff. The serpent flinched just before slamming into the ground, but he was unable to stop the forward momentum of the launch, causing him to slip beyond the jagged edge. After a strong grunt, the last thing Uthurunku heard from Rumi was a horrified yell, which very quickly grew quiet after a few seconds.
The tiger was completely paralyzed with a mixture of fear, rage, and more importantly, defiance. He was panting heavily and shaking all over his body. The deed was done. He had slain a god by willpower alone. He was finally free to cross those uncharted plains alone, away from any deity that would force him back down. And now, no one would stop him.
The tiger was ready to turn around and at last go forth into a new direction... but immediately after he did so, a voice paralyzed him before he could even take his first step.
"Ah. I see how it is. Guess I should speak YOUR language, then."
Uthurunku turned around slowly, his head first, to face the cliff again. Just above the edge and rising ever higher was a strange, glistening object, spinning around idly and pulsing with light every so often. The tiger grimaced and snarled, knowing exactly what it was and almost wishing it never picked a fight with it.
The scepter lifted itself to a high point above Uthurunku, before pointing straight to him. The object now spun around faster and faster, causing a whirlpool of energy to flow around itself before, with an audible pulse, flinging itself towards Uthurunku at breakneck speed. The tiger had very little time to react, the only thing he was able to do in the moment was back away pitifully. The scepter eventually struck its target, a single point on the ground dangerously close to Uthurunku, striking the rocky surface and digging into the ground with such force that it produced a strong shockwave, sending Uthurunku flying backwards.
The tiger felt incredible weakness as he became airborne briefly, eventually tumbling into the ground with a loud crash. His body continued to tumble around the jagged floor, rolling around for another brief moment before it finally stopped. The tiger was now face down on the dirt, dust and rocks covering his entire body and in such a weakened state that he had no choice but to continue lying on the floor. All Uthurunku could think about was despair. He had tasted victory, he was so close to finally getting what he desired. Of course he should have known better, that they were just toying with him. This dream of his was impossible, and as this settled into his mind as fact, the next thing he did was begin to sob under his arm.
Meanwhile, the scepter stood still for a moment, stuck deep into the ground after its attack. As the dust began to settle, though, it moved on its own again, shifting itself left and right in an effort to unwedge itself from the ground. After a few fair attempts, it finally managed to fling itself out of the ground and into the air, but as it did so, the scepter enveloped itself in bright light once more. From the bright ball of light popped out Rumi, landing on one knee and propping himself upright once more.
"Blegh... man, I still can't get used to being the Creator's Rod..." Rumi, once again able to speak, shook off his whole body while he winced uncomfortably. "You must think I have it easy just becoming a little golden wand at will," the serpent now said to Uthurunku, "but it's tough work! I'm still figuring out how I can even fly for longer periods of time!" He then quietly tip-toed his way to Uthurunku, only now registering his sobs.
The tiger had enough already. He lifted his head up to reveal his battered and teary-eyed face, sobbing uncontrollably. "Just... just kill me already..."
Rumi cocked his head in confusion, now having approached the tiger close enough. "...huh?"
Uthurunku would now wail as he shamefully repeated himself, much louder. "KILL ME! I DON'T WANT TO EXIST ANYMORE! HOW MUCH MORE TONE DEAF CAN YOU BE?!?"
The serpent would step back a bit while holding one hand up, before going back to his normal stance. "...no, I don't think I can do that. And I mean it quite literally, Wiraqocha didn't give me that privilege yet." He then kneeled down to Uthurunku, sincerely asking, "Besides, even if I could, why would I, anyway? Can't you see I'm here trying to help you?"
"Help me do WHAT? SUFFER MORE LIVES??" The tiger cried back. "CONFORM TO YOUR VISION OF ME AS NOTHING MORE THAN A PLAYTHING???"
"You're being unreasonable, Uthurunku. I was never here to 'put you in your place' or 'drag you back to the real Uku Pacha' or anything like that," Rumi responded, just slightly frustrated about the current situation for reasons that were about to become clear. "I was sent to you by Wiraqcoha Himself, and even ignoring that I am His retainer, I must admit that He knows what He's doing bringing me to you."
"What could He POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT ME other than the fact that I'm an amazing PINCUSHION?!?!" Uthurunku snarled back, still horribly exhausted from his failed attempt at solitude. He sobbed some more, already having lost every ounce of hope in him.
"...well, if I may start with myself," Rumi began, "He knows that I tried to kill Him."
A strange silence now filled the air around the two after this confession. Uthurunku still sobbed, but his cries slowly muffled out as he tried to process this new information. "...you-- you tried to... what?"
Rumi looked away in embarrassment. "It was... a long time ago. Many, many cycles ago, before I became Wiraqocha's servant." Rumi shifted his legs around and sat on the dirt, facing Uthurunku while he struggled to get up. "I wasn't always like you, really. My time in Kay Pacha was generally great, but that soured when I was tricked by Supay into believing my mentor had betrayed me remorselessly in life. Since then, I hated life and what it stood for, and wanted it gone." Rumi told his story, and the tiger was, at last, eager to listen, now possessing a little bit of stamina to lift himself up to kneeling in front of the serpent.
"I had originally wanted to bring ruin to my betrayer only, but Supay's influence choked me and clouded my judgement. I had planned, instead, to bring this entire place down, with his help." The serpent motioned downward to refer to Supay when he said this. "And, well... I lost sight of what I was after, only focusing my objective to ending the life of Wiraqocha. There was no reason for it. That's just how powerful Supay's influence is, and the only way I could see things for what they truly were was with Wiraqocha's help."
The tiger could only stare in shock but had a single question that needed an answer now. Uthurunku finally spoke up in between sniffles, "But... But how does this have anything to do with me...?"
Rumi chuckled, extending one arm to Uthurunku and patting him slowly. "It's because I think Supay may have done the same to you, and Wiraqocha thinks so, too." The serpent would then retract his arm to prop himself up to stand, and motioned Uthurunku to do the same. "He knows about your lives. Such a horrendous track record with lives is nearly impossible without a bit of external help. We tried numerous times to sway your life to light, but always and without fail, it would bounce back into ruin. The possibility of Supay intervening again, in the same exact fashion that he did with me, eventually popped into Our heads. And while we had no evidence of this all this time..."
Once Uthurunku stood up, dusting away his stains, Rumi held up one hand and waved it around. In an instant, a small tear revealed itself in front of the duo, which expanded into a small crack that quickly opened up. Inside the crack, a bright light could be seen, which then faded away to a blurry mess of colors. "I found this. It's one of the dreams you had, two days before you died as a hostage in a bank robbery in your last life. Focus your mind's eye, if you can, and remember what you saw..."
Uthurunku peered inside the watercolor rift, trying to make out anything while reluctantly thinking about any of his lives. After some time, the image began to take shape, also showing to Rumi a strange sight: it was the tiger, or rather, the body he had taken in his last life, being held up by strings of some sort all over this human-esque body. The strings became clearer, and the focus was now on the being pulling them... an ominous, jet black, dog-like deity, grinning wildly with teeth in full display. The sight alone was enough to force Uthurunku back in fright.
"...as I feared," Rumi lamented, peering into the rift once more before closing the crack and turning once more to Uthurunku. "This was indeed Supay's doing. And if you had successfully escaped, he would have captured you and turned you into his pawn, as he tried to do with me. It's unfortunate that he's had to resort to such brutal methods, and on an innocent soul no less."
Uthurunku was still in disbelief at what he saw. He stared down at his hands, tears welling up in his eyes again. "I-- Impossible... So everything I've ever said was just to appease that demon...? Was I that--"
It was then when Uthurunku felt his whole body contract against two arms and a tendril squishing him tight. One reality check would reveal that he was being hugged tight by Rumi, who was using both arms and tail to comfort him. "This is not your fault. Your intentions were merely shaped to fit his narrative. I promise you this is not who you truly are, as I have passed this same scenario long ago. Even now I must remind myself of this, too."
Uthurunku began sobbing once more, feeling the serpent's scales and coils snug him tight. "No... I don't deserve this, this was over so many years...! And I played into it like a fool!" The tiger cried once more, but this time it stung more to him, realizing that he took out his anger and even attempted to assassinate a god just to prove a point. "No, stop this! I deserve exile, and I can't-- Hrk!"
Uthurunku's mouth had been sealed shut by Rumi, who then backed away for a moment. "You're being unreasonable again, and honestly, I get it. I acted the same way when Wiraqocha found me out. I should be thankful he saw me through that day, so that now I can do the same to you." The serpent then lifted one hand to cast another spell, and this time, a small ribbon of pink mist emerged from the serpent's hands, flowing over to the tiger's head and covering him in the mist momentarily.
"So, what will happen now?" Rumi asked Uthurunku but expected no answer. He then walked forward a bit to hug the tiger once more. "Well, after you fall asleep, I'll take you to Wiraqocha so that He can grant you His forgiveness. From there, though... Hmm, I think you'll like what I've got in mind. No need to spoil the surprise now."
The mist enveloping Uthurunku's eyes eventually faded away, and all he could feel was a growing weariness. His eyes struggled to stay open, and he felt his whole body sinking into Rumi's once he came in to hug the tiger. All the tiger could think of was lament, and as his muffled wails quelled, he would soon find his entire body finally giving in to the sleep charm that Rumi gave him.
"No, all you need to do is let yourself relax. It'll be much easier this way, I promise." Rumi's voice echoed in the tiger's mind as his eyelids now shut, and he was left with his thoughts to drift away. "Soon... you'll be someone much greater," Rumi's voice called out to him one final time... and then it all faded into darkness.
A comforting, peaceful, much needed rest.
-----
Wiraqocha, the highest-ranking God of Everything, idly watched the rift created in the pure white meeting room. The portal showed to Him a bird's eye view of His retainer, Rumi Katari, comforting and eventually putting the tiger soul to sleep. All the Fantastic Creator could do was watch, His tiger tail swinging about and His large hands behind His back. Meanwhile, His head was running through with a few stray thoughts, but one stood out to Him the most: "This was wrong." In any other situation, Wiraqocha would be correct, but here? Something was nagging and gnawing at Him about this.
"...well," Rumi said, still in view of the portal, "I guess now I gotta haul him over. I clearly did not think about that, curses."
As Rumi fidgeted around the sleeping body, Wirqocha spotted to His side another figure moving in the room. A yellow, scaled triceratops walked down the steps from His throne and grew closer to Wiraqocha. "Brother," Wiraqocha would greet to Him, keeping His gaze fixed on the rift, "I know not how You do it, but this feels rather... tense."
Pacha Kamaq, another Fantastic Creator, God Defender of Earth, and Wiraqocha's brother, replied to him with a warm smile. "For someone as Yourself, it can be at first. Kindness is a very fickle thing to manage. Give too much and people take advantage of you, but give little or nothing at all and you're seen as a heartless brute."
Wiraqocha nodded and sighed. "Well, what if it is easier that way? Being unforgiving in your punishments demonstrates power, and I cannot for a single moment loosen My grasp of it." The tiger deity's hand clenched as he said this, standing firm in his decision.
"Correct," Pacha Kamaq would answer, "but that, too, is on a dire balance. A true leader possesses the fierceness of a warrior with the kindheartedness of a mother to her child. One cannot overwhelm the other, both must coexist and fight their own war for dominance." The yellow dino would then walk over next to the tiger, now seeing for himself the scene His brother was watching. "Rumi was just Your first step in this direction, and if this keeps up, it won't be Your last."
Wiraqocha said nothing in return, as He was still observing was His retainer was up to. In the time since, Rumi had resorted to dragging Uthurunku's body using a bit of levitation. The tiger's soul was peacefully floating around, though it still had its usual weight, which didn't fare well for Rumi, who still had to drag around the soul down the cliff and back to safety. Wiraqocha could hear his grunts as he struggled to pull the tiger, meter by meter.
"Right, Wiraqocha," Pacha Kamaq spoke once again, "what did Rumi have in mind for this soul? We've focused enough time and energy to helping this Uthurunku fellow out, but it seems Rumi wants something else."
Wiraqocha snapped out of His small daydream and eventually turned his head to His brother. "Yes, Rumi and I have been thinking about it. It is a rather... strange plan, but if Supay is already being this aggressive about his approach, then I, too, must act as fast as I can." The tiger deity then turned His whole body, facing the triceratops. "To fully see it through, I require your assistance as well, and... well."
Pacha Kamaq raised an eyebrow at His brother, immediately seeing an uneasy look on the tiger's face. "Ohhh, I see why You held this off until now. It's one of those really stupid ideas that only sound good on paper." As brash as He was, Pacha Kamaq was correct, as He and Wiraqocha have had many cases across various grand cycles that resulted in a seemingly ideal solution that falls flat once executed. "Well, what's the worst that can happen. Go on, spill the beans, as a mortal would say."
Wiraqocha shifted His gaze away from Pacha Kamaq and at last confessed. "...Rumi and I will make Uthurunku a messenger of Our pantheon, and We will send him to Kay Pacha to increase faith in Us to mortals."
Pacha Kamaq's eyes burrowed, and He was about to comment His overwhelmingly negative stance on this matter... but He stopped as soon as He raised His finger. His mouth laid agape, trying to find the appropriate words to express this confusion but finding nothing, until eventually He retracted His finger to His fist and sighed. "To be... quite honest with You, My esteemed brother..." The triceratops now extended His arm and set His hand on Wiraqocha's shoulder, giving His brother a deep, worried look. "This might just be the worst idea You've ever come up with, and yet I can't help but feel like this could work for once."
Wiraqocha nodded his head and rebutted, "I agree that this does sound idiotic, and even Rumi had thought so as well. However, after carefully considering every possibility across every future, it would be best to intervene with the mortals as well. As such, to help Uthurunku on this task..." Wiraqocha then backed away from His brother two steps before extending His arms out, hands forward with palms up. In between both of His hands, a large orb of red light formed and grew, until Wiraqocha could hold it.
Pacha Kamaq knew what this was and narrowed His eyes. "...You want Us to ascend him to a demigod."
"I am well aware of how much risk this implies," Wiraqocha would proclaim, looking to Pacha Kamaq once again, "But it is not like we have much of a choice. Supay threatens our very haven, and it will only grow worse from here. I know this is a difficult decision for You to make right now, but alas, I have much confidence."
The yellow triceratops looked down to the orb, then back up to His brother. He then sighed, lowering his head in bitterness. "Y'know, it's actually kinda funny. I had a fear that I would be the one giving this proposition. This seems like something that lines up with all my expectations, after all." The triceratops looked up to his brother once more, smiling the best he could. "I just didn't think for a moment to mention it because it's THAT bad of an idea. And yet here we are."
The two brothers stared at each other in discomfort. Despite the divine and clean hall that they were in, this simple proposition was enough to mar the area with an impure energy that neither Creator knew how to dispose of. As the silent conflict continued, the only sounds that could be heard were from the still opened portal casting Rumi's position as he grunted and struggled to bring Uthurunku's body down the few remaining steps of the mountain. Even a humorous scene like this wasn't enough to sway the two brothers into saying anything else. This was, truly, a decision that could not be handled lightly.
After what felt like an eternity, Wiraqocha would sigh and slowly shrink His energy into his hands, clasping them together lightly. "I can at least offer you a bit of time before this choice must be final. Rumi and I will proceed to train him for this role in the meantime, and--"
"How long will this take?" Pacha Kamaq interjected quickly, his smile having faded into disappointment.
Wiraqocha flicked his ears momentarily before answering. "Hm... this will take roughly one year, and that is not counting the eighteen following years that We must wait until We descend down to him. It would be preferrable if you had made up your mind before he got sent down, however."
Pacha Kamaq would think about it for a moment before speaking up again. "How about We instead wait for Uthurunku to discover Us?"
Wiraqocha tilted His head in confusion. "Ah-- Pardon?"
The yellow Creator moved forward a bit and explained His reasoning. "This is a delicate process, Wiraqocha. You can push him and give him all the gifts You want here, but once he's down there, all of that would've been for naught. It would fair much easier for a mortal to understand what was coming if they already have a vague idea of it before we arrive. Therefore, My proposition is as such: devote as much time as We can to train Uthurunku to remember who he is, and then, once he's descended to Kay Pacha, wait until he does so successfully."
Wiraqocha slowly nodded, but very lightly scoffed afterwards. "But, Brother, My concern is speed. This must be done as quickly as possible to--"
"Nonsense." Pacha Kamaq once again stopped Him. "I think that's what Supay wants Us to think. If he truly was invading Our haven, he would have done so at a faster pace, and with much more souls to abuse to his will. His reach is very minimal here, anyway, We've seen this before. We have plenty of time, Wiraqocha."
The tiger closed His eyes after this exchange, letting Pacha Kamaq's words broil in His mind. It was a weird situation to be stuck in, yes, but there was a good chance He was correct. The extra time required for this would extend Uthurunku's guidance to nearly double what He had in mind, but if it was worth it in the end, then... Surely, it could work, and perhaps better so...
Wiraqocha opened his eyes again and looked to Pacha Kamaq with a sincere grin. "...Then We shall do as You propose."
-----
After Uthurunku was pardoned and taken into the care of the Fantastic Creators, he would be guided by Rumi and Pacha Kamaq to serve a new, higher purpose of a divine messenger, after which Wiraqocha would also play a part and teach him about his soul and how to remember it. After nearly two years or so of extensive training, Uthurunku was adequately prepared to descend into Kay Pacha and prove his teachings to his Creators.
As time would tell, Supay once again swayed the soul's life trajectory to a dark path. Uthurunku, now a female human being with the name of Martina Rivero, would suffer bouts of physical and emotional neglect from her family. School seemed to be the only safe place for her, and that is where she discovered her love for writing long stories with intricate lore woven in between.
As she grew older, the neglect she experienced turned into flat-out ignorance, with her family first not acknowledging her in any important discussion or attending her important events, until it eventually escalated to the point where she was practically non-existent to her family. However, she pressed onward, finding rooms to stay in with friends and working odd jobs just to sustain herself. She was praised for never letting up her fight, as how she managed to stay afloat was almost an act of a divine force.
One of the many ways she earned money was by publishing stories on the internet. Her passion for lore-driven stories shined here, as she quickly gained a following due to the many topics she covered, from medieval high-fantasy to gritty science fiction. Praised for her variety and consistency, she was popular amongst many subcultures online, and her fans were always kept guessing on what she'd show off next.
And it would be on her 19th birthday that she would reveal to the public a different kind of story. One that provided an alternative take on how the universe was created.
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