Information


Rood has a minion!

Neige the Verdi




Rood
Legacy Name: Rood


The Glade Harvester
Owner: Opundo

Age: 12 years, 10 months, 2 weeks

Born: May 14th, 2011

Adopted: 12 years, 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Adopted: May 14th, 2011

Statistics




Name: Rood
Species: Teru teru bozu (weather doll)
Occupation: God of weather
Hair: Golden brown, shoulder length
Eye color: Changeable
Dress: White shirt and trousers with gold trim. Blue flowing cape.
Other: Wears a golden bell on his left ear, or around his neck in quad form.

*Art*

The prize for saving a minor immortal's life was a wish. A wish granted, anything the being is capable of giving.

"I am a god of weather, of nature. What may I do to repay the debt of my life?" Rood bowed before the man on the throne, but only slightly, not too much to give away the dignity of a minor deity before a mere human ruler.

Rood looked up, meeting the heavily bejeweled man squarely in the eyes, and waited for him to ask for perhaps a prediction of a fortnight's weather, or maybe rainfall for next year's crop. They always asked for such things.

The king coughed, "I wish for you to become one of my subjects and serve my kingdom forever."

Rood took a step back in surprise. He had misjudged. What he saw and did not see was the greed in the king's eyes.

He recovered. "A wish of forever is more than I can grant, for I myself am not everlasting."

"Then you shall obey me and my heir until... until a fish speaks!.

"That's..." Ridiculous, impossible, pure insolence, he wanted to say, but it was done. The promise of an immortal was sacred and stronger than the strongest spells.

Rood felt iron bars closing over his heart. Cheeks burning with shame, he was forced to his knees by, of all things, his own power.



(Art by me)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so, Rood's home became a mortal's dungeon, generously furnished with straw. He ate nothing, drank nothing, talked to no one, and spent more and more of his days slumbering.

When he was woken, he was bidden to pour rain over the dried farmlands, bring sun for the king's festivities and summon storm for his enemies.

The king's land flourished because of the forced blessings of a god of weather, but devoid of the nourishment of the sun and the reverence from the people, the god of weather fell.

But at least not forever... Rood sank deeper into the darkness and hoped for a miracle.

The miracle came in the form of a strange being, a mermaid.

"When a fish speaks," the king had spoken, and Rood's curse was broken. All his wounds have healed and his long-forgotten power – free, gushing, raw power – was back in his every breath and heartbeat.

The fish-lady was there, curled up in a chair with wheels and smiling at him.

Rood's smile faded slightly. She saved his life and now he owed her a wish too.

What if he had only traded one master for another.

"Everything's fine. You're safe now." Sensing his unease, she spoke soothingly.

He couldn't trust her. She seemed nice, but there is no telling of a mortal's greed. Rood had spent too long in chains. He did not want to go back to serving another.

The only solution was to not tell her, he decided. Yes, he had to grant a wish, but he could delay it. He would delay it, until another fish spoke if necessary.



(Art by smile)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was a god, but a minor one. He was not allowed to interfere with mortal lives without cause.

So as Joule battled a village fire, Rood could only stay on the sidelines, watching.

It was painful to do nothing while the little town burned and the humans ran and screamed and cried. But Rood's heart wrenched when Joule rushed into one of the little houses and it collapsed.

Through the dancing flames, he could see her, with the baby she had tried to save on her lap, doing her best to keep back the fire and find a way out.

Another flaming log fell from the roof.

She was not quick enough. Her kindness would be the end of her and she would burn along with the screaming child.

Rood could think of at least ten reasons for him to keep on doing nothing. He was a god. They were mortals. His powers were not to be used lightly. She would learn the secret of his immortality. He would be punished. A thousand years in the darkness.

But his heart was hurting so very badly as he watched the fire rise higher and higher around her.

Rood closed his eyes and raised his hand.

Thunder rolled, shaking the ground. Lightning broke the darkened sky.

Out of nowhere, a freezing rain, mixed with snow and ice, fell in the height of summer.



(Art by umbreon)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She saved his life. Now he saved hers.

They were even, right? Then why did he stay.

Day after day, Rood intruded upon Joule's hospitality. Time after time, he opened his mouth to say that his time here was past, that he had better get back to his divine duties.

Time after time, Joule interrupted with a smile, and he closed his mouth again to smile back.

He told himself that he was only staying because he knew he faced punishments as soon as he reported himself to his superiors. Punishment for his carelessness that led to his imprisonment by the king and then for the misuse of his power to cause bewilderment in the clouds above a particular burnt down village.

Or maybe he was staying because he liked it.

This mortal mermaid... Was she becoming a...friend.



(Art by Angel7)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was an immortal. He did not need the sustenance of sleep. So each night when the mermaid retired to her chambers, he sat alone.

Rood was amusing himself by reading one of her books one night when a quiet sob broke the silence of the underwater dwelling.

He set down the volume and gently knocked on the door behind which he knew Joule was sleeping uneasily. He did not entirely expect an answer, but when none came, he pushed the door open and entered.

The mermaid tossed and turned in her troubled sleep, a few strands of her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead.

"Rood...?" Her eyelids fluttered open as Rood sat down on the edge of her bed.

He nodded.

He had not been entirely honest. Though he had saved her life in return, he still owed her a wish. Any wish.

Ask me now...kind, sweet Joule... For I cannot refuse you anything when I owe you my life...

"Please...stay with me..." Joule whispered.

Rood felt the magic of the promise tying him to her, forever; for as long as she wanted him, he would stay. But this time, there were no heavy chains, only light.

"Of course I will." He smiled, reaching out to take her hand.



(Art by Hjernedaud)

credits:

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I never thought I'd be saved...