The Oakborn
The Otherplace
The Otherplace
Grandmother’s face hardened. Her eyes became like steel as she listened to several gods mock the threat that they were called to discuss. They acted as if the Oakborn was nothing. As if it had not vigilantly watched the world for danger. As if they had not all come to it at one point or another for counsel or a favor. Her jaw tensed, her eyes narrowed, and the air around her went cold. The Raven, Snow King, and Green Woman took note of this change in mood and sat back in their chairs to avoid the carnage to come. The Stag, however, paid no mind and continued to laugh with Cassius. “Well, my friend, I already have quite a few of those running around! Perhaps your kingdom needs a few Changelings! Perhaps some Oakborn blood could bring some more life to the Solaran cities!”
Grandmother stood up and the Stag immediately silenced himself. “Whoever believes that this does not concern them is a fool.” The rasp in her voice scratched at the air with restrained rage. Her eyes ran over the forms of Krieg and Palchard, two extremely vexing individuals. “Need I remind you that the Oakborn was a god in its prime when it was assualted?” She saw Palchard and his sister, Anansi move towards the exit. With a wave of her hand, the great wooden doors slammed shut. Oh course she knew that closing the siblings in would not prevent them from leaving, but she never wasted a chance to be theatric.
“Has it been so long that you don’t recall?” Her voice boomed throughout the room, echoing off the walls. “We were more powerful than all of you.” Grandmother shook her head and laughed. “And you have the audacity to mock such grave danger? Do you believe you would fare better than us against this threat?” Her eyes shot to the war god, Krieg. “What room do you have to speak, Warmonger? You’re too busy wasting away to stand a chance against whatever waits on the horizon.” She spat her words towards the corpselike body of the dark one. “The rules of this world have never been set in stone. Things are the way they are because we, as the gods, have willed it. But, as the Watchers of the World, we can tell you that there is nothing stopping our dynasy from being toppled by something stronger.”
She looked towards Palchard with cold anger in her eyes. “And I won’t even waste my breath on you. You will simply brush off what I say with a joke and tumble out of here like a common street performer, unfazed and ignorant to the meaning of my words.” The Grandmother sat back down in her chair, as if the passion fueling her speech had exhausted her. She watched the trickster god, still seething with anger. Perhaps the mysterious force would take that troublesome deity off her hands. She sighed and the doors opened once more. “I am tired of your disrespect. Leave this ‘old rotting tree’ before I have to suffer another moment of your company.” She glanced at Anansi, but said nothing to her. The spider goddess had done nothing to offend the Grandmother, but she was wary of the storyteller. Although she was nowhere near as irritating as her brother, she was a dangerous being all the same.
She took a breath as she addressed the table once more. “I thank you all who have offered your support.” She looked to Houdan and smiled, bunching up the crows feet by her eyes. “Thank you, Enlightened One. Your Wisdom and Strength will be greatly appreciated in the coming trials.” The Grandmother smiled at Ai. “Thank you as well, my lovely. I know these matters don’t interest you, but it is kind that you entertain an old woman. You must come over to my cottage for tea some time.”
The Raven rubbed her temples and shook her head. “Well, I suppose that was an unexpected turn in the meeting. Grandmother, you really must work on that temper of yours.” The older face chuckled. “My temper is fine just the way it is.” The Raven shrugged, smirking. She told no one of the whispers in her mind, the voices of the Great Oak’s roots. They pleaded desperately with her as they repeated the same phrase over and over again.
'The Beast is awakening. The God Eater Cometh. The Beast is awakening. The God Eater Cometh. The Beast is Awakening. The God Eater Cometh.'