The Birth of Khalid

And so it was that in the years of darkness, before the coming of Khalid, the Divine Light, that many gods did strive for control of the Varati, and in their petty jealousies set the Varati upon one another, each claiming the other to be worshipers of a false god.

Ashur Masad looked down upon the slaughter of his children, for all Varati are the children of the sun, and wept bitter tears at the foolish carnage before him. He contrived with Ushas, the lady of rising light and gentle winds to bring peace to his people. From this union was born Khalid Atar, the Eternal Flame.

Before even dry from the birthing, Atar's infant eyes looked about with keen interest, falling to rest upon the heavenly light of his beloved father.

"What is that?" asked the infant, pointing at Ashur Masad's great blade which cleaves the night in two, that the sun may rise each day.

"This is the Sword of Heaven and Flame," answered Ashur Masad.

"What does it do?" asked the newborn Atar.

"It cleaves day from night, right from wrong, truth from falsehood, and brings war and the wrath of the righteous to those that fear day's light." These were the words of Ashur Masad, and must ever be remembered as the path of the righteous warrior.

"My father's words gladden my heart," responded the young Atar. "And as a dutiful son, I shall walk my father's path as best I am able. I will be a scorching flame to the unrighteous, and a source of warmth to the worshipful. In my hand shall rest a sword, and it shall cleave what is tainted from what is pure. It shall cleave the heads of my father's enemies from their bodies."

The Death of Ashur Masad

The siblings of Ashur, the Gods of wind, water, earth, night, day, and so many other realms known to mortal man, rebelled at the news of the birth of this prince of heaven. For they were jealous of this new God, and of his royal lineage. None could rise to the throne of heaven so long as there was an heir. After months of plotting they rose up in their envious wrath, and turned upon Ashur Masad, slaying him most treacherously.

The great Ashur battled valiantly, as a king should, but in the end was overwhelmed as he was taken by surprise. His siblings cut him down, leaving many terrible wounds upon his body. Yet the ever-rising sun remained defiant, even when wounded unto death. And so it was that the Nameless One darkened her spear with the blood of Ashur Masad's heart. Ungrateful was she for the gifts granted by the great Ashur, bringer of light and life.

Yet the siblings in their treachery could not agree on how to divide Ashur's power between them, until the snake-hissing voice of the Nameless One spoke above the others.

"Let us cut his body into many pieces," said she. "And whatever piece is held shall be the piece of his power that is ours to command. In this way no one of us may overwhelm the other, or claim higher being."

So it was that as the last act of their obscenity that they cut the body of Ashur Masad into pieces, each taking a portion of him, and by doing so spreading his power amongst themselves, ensuring that the sun would never rise again.

The Avenging Son

Khalid grew to manhood in a year and a day. And upon the day that he achieved his manhood, he took up the weapons of war, for he was now a master of all, and walked out into the world to subdue his father's enemies. He could not slay them, for the old gods were of blood relation, and murder of one's own kin is the foulest of sins before the eyes of Ashur.

So Khalid spread his bright wings and took to the sky, the Hawk of Heaven, the son of the sun and the dawn. Newborn god of war and flame, he spread his wrath across the land, taking fire and sword to the opponents of his will. But with each passing battle, he grew more brutal and more unforgiving, soon taking to maiming his opponents that they might forever remember the price of their offenses.

The old Gods fell one by one, until only one remained... the lady of the dark moon, Goddess of blood and wrath whose name is now unspoken, having been purged from every record of the Varati. She was the lady of senseless war, delighting in the slaughter of all, and caring not for honor or courage. Only the quantity of blood spilled pleased her. Her chariot was made of the broken and mangled bodies of babes, and her dread whip was made of the stuff of the night sky itself.

She met Khalid in battle, and aye, his flame was near extinguished.

But Khalid Atar is the Never-ending Flame, and his courage won the day. Horribly wounded, he nevertheless stood victorious over the Unspoken One, preparing to remove her tongue that she might never speak deceit or lies again. Then She of the Forgotten Name lashed out in rage and desperation, seeking to emasculate our dread and beloved Lord in her fear and hate.

And so it was that Khalid Atar earned the scar that only his concubines have ever seen. Along his right hip, a deep spear-slash... for he turned aside before She of the Venom Tongue could find her mark.

In his rage and pain, Khalid Atar took the head of one of his own blood, and killed a Goddess.

The Rising of the Sun and the Judging of Khalid

As each sibling was brought low, Khalid collected the pieces of his father's body, until at the last he slew the queen of slaughter and regained his father's heart. Yet the sun will ever rise, and so it was that the flame of the son was enough to return life to the father. Ashur Masad rose again, his radiance blessing the world, after the fire of the son touched his dead body.

But even a God cannot defy death so easily, there must be a price paid. To die and rise again is as natural as the falling rain, or the rise and set of the sun. So it was with Ashur Masad. Each day his glory blesses us from above, lighting our days from the throne of Heaven; and each night he sits in silent judgement of the souls of the dead, weighing their worth from the throne of night. He passes judgement on the hearts of the dead, determining the form they shall wear in their next life should they not yet be worthy enough for paradise.

Aware of the severity of his sin, Khalid Atar approached his father for judgement. Honesty is the way of the righteous warrior. Ashur Masad looked down upon his son and was saddened, for Khalid's wings had been tainted black by the murder of his kin.

"My son," said Ashur, "you have committed the gravest of offenses before the Gods. Yet you do so in righteous wrath, against one who warred against her own kind, and in the battle rage of torn flesh. Your sin is great, but She who is now nameless must also bear the blame for her end, for she was an undutiful woman. So it is that I pronounce sentence upon you."

"You shall die, to be born again in mortal flesh. Your power shall be reduced, and you shall walk among our chosen people--to teach them, to give them hope, and to lead them to a path of victory. Your body will be mortal, but your god-hood will protect you from many mortal weaknesses. You shall be immortal by their standards. When the Varati, the children of our hearts, have risen again, and when those who worship the fallen gods are brought to heel and taught the true ways, then shall your spirit be purified and you will once again walk among the heavens."

And so it is that Khalid Atar came to the Varati in mortal flesh to teach and to lead. Yet the old Gods are not dead. Ashur Masad and Ushas, the parents of our glorious God-King still watch over their son from the heavens. Some even say that Ushas, lady of the dawn and bringer of gentle winds, visits her son to this day, saddened by the darkening of his nature. Also, his aunt, the lady of dusk, kept the peace with her divine siblings, as did the lady of the night's light, the divine moon who now rules the darkened heavens without the influence of the Nameless One.

But taunt not the fallen Gods, children of the Sun. They are imprisoned, but not impotent. They still hear the cries of their worshipers, of wood, air, and wood, and occasionally answer their prayers. They are the makers of the world, the Gods, and are not to be trifled with. In time they may reconcile with the King and Queen of the heavens, and so regain their heavenly station.

FIN  

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