Angel Story Entry

The destruction of humanity was at hand.

It had all been decided.

The Gods had all unanimously agreed that such a thing was perhaps in the best interest of everyone involved.

As expected however, the decision was met with a great amount of resistance from humanity.

But the Gods were not so merciless as to let humanity cease to exist without some say in the decision making process.

A date was settled on, and humanity was given the opportunity to plead their case and appeal the decision.

A chance to prove their worthiness and accomplishments.

A chance to fight for their right to exist.

And they all just had one day to do it.

Rynneth stirred in her golden throne.

“And who is this one?” the Goddess of War and Victory asked, her hallowed voice booming off the grand chamber she her fellow Gods were sitting in.

She watched the mortal approach them, an old man with a beard as white as the cloth spun toga he wore.

“One of yours I take it?”

Two thrones down, sitting in a similar throne as her own, a being which looked not unlike the human that stood before them, looked on gleefully.

“Oh yes, indeed! A prodigy amongst the humans, so I’ve been told, the world’s greatest, most respected philosopher. I am curious as to hear what he has to say.”

Oziandious, God of Truth and Wisdom leaned down at his acolyte, like a proud father watching his child.

“Tell me then, what have you come to say in humanity’s defense?”

The human, who had been at first been cowed by their collective appearance and in the face of Gods, straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat.

He proclaimed that in all his years of travels, intellectual debates, and experiences, he had deduced the true meaning of life. Such an accomplishment, he argued, would surely warrant the continued existence of humanity.

He unveiled the purpose of life to them.

He spoke eloquently.

He spoke convincingly.

And when he finished, even Rynneth could tell the human was expecting to have won over his patron deity.

Oziandious leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard, looking somewhat disappointed.

“Well…you are on the right track at least.”

A haunting laughter suddenly filled the golden hall.

Mallus, God of Tricks and Lies, it’s many masks dangling at his side, laughed heartily.

“Right track? He was nowhere even near it!” The God laughed, clutching its sides before rolling its head back and roaring with ethereal laughter  once more.

Rynneth watched as Oziandious sank in his throne, dejected.

“Send in the next one,” she commanded, dismissing the human before them, just as another group of humans entered the hallowed hall.

They were artists, and they declared that should humanity cease to be, than there would be no one left to draw art; to capture beauty in its rawest form and preserve it for all time.

They showed them a myriad of landscapes, portraits, and paintings.

Of Landscapes, brilliant forests, bubbling brooks and tranquil valleys.

If they were to go, they argued, who would be left to appreciate such beauty?

“But beauty was already there,” A quiet, feminine voice replied back.

Illicia, Goddess of Love, her body like that of a child, looked entirely out of place in the massive golden throne she sat in.

She looked on with worry.

“There was always beauty in the world. But then you chopped down the forests and tainted the rivers. No one needn’t preserve it in oil and paintings. All you had to do was look around you and you could live in it.”

“Of that we can agree on,” Graiach, Goddess of Earth and Home spoke, her boughs shaking with every breath she took. She was more tree than God, her root like tendrils devouring her own throne into herself.

“Human vanity is proof in of itself, as you have just shown us. These landscapes, which you treasure so greatly, you forget that it was we who shaped the world. You merely copied it and perverted it to your own view.”

And so the artists were sent sulking away, as another group of humans marched past them and took their turn pleading their case.

This continued on, and on, each human or group of humans bringing forth some argument or evidence that proved the worthiness of humanity.

Rynneth, tolerated them all, but her patience wore thinner and thinner as their appeals became more and more desperate.

It was one of the last groups that finally provoked her ire.

Rynneth bolted up from her throne at the sight, her six great feathered wings billowing behind her.

“You dare bring the remains of the First Hero here!?” She exploded in anger, furious of not only the sacrilege, but also that the humans would even dare attempt to appeal to their pity and guilt.

“The First Hero showed that humanity was worthy and had potential. How quick you all forget his sacrifices.”

She turned towards her fellow Gods.

“Now you see why I advocated for their annihilation.”

She would hear no more of this.

The humans cowered and pleaded for forgiveness as she turned and left the golden hall.

Her rage was short-lived.

There were so few Gods left.

There used to be an innumerable amount of them, each having dominion over some aspect of creation.


The War in Heaven took a heavy toll on them all and now only they remained.

She herself had been nothing more than a humble battle angel in the great war, and with so many Gods gone, someone had to take and shoulder their collective responsibility.

At least she can shoulder this one last duty in honor of their memory.

They could start over.

Begin again with mortals who wouldn’t be so selfish or impudent.

She had already managed to convince her fellow Gods it was necessary.

And the day was almost over.

There was only enough time to hear one more final appeal.

Her anger assuaged, she returned to the golden halls, only to find her compatriots in argument.

“What is the matter?” She asked as she took her own throne once more.

“The humans are in disagreement,” Oziandious explained. “It appears a human slipped in unknowingly. They are asking us to forgo him
in exchange for someone else.”

Rynneth scoffed.

“Nonsense. If he is here, we will hear their appeal. We will not be kept waiting.” Rynneth commanded.

It wasn’t long before another human stood before them.

He was old, and had a dusty appearance about him. He looked just as timid and scared as the any other humans that stood before him earlier in the day.

And yet, Rynneth noted, he looked strangely confident.

“And what is your reasoning as to why the destruction of humanity isn’t warranted?” Oziandious asked aloud.

The human cleared his throat.

“Because,” he simply replied. “Then none of you will be able to try my invention.”

“And what invention would that be?” Mallus leaned forward intrigued, his many masks rattling at his side.

“Well, I have to make it first. And to make it I have to have some materials.” The human replied.

“You did not bring it with you?” Illicia inquired.

The human shrugged.

“I didn’t expect to make it this far.”

Rynneth rolled her eyes.

The Gods acquiesced to the humans demands. It was only polite.

Afterwards, they would be destroying humanity after all.

However, what the human asked for was…confusing.

He requested ground fine flower and water, fresh tomatoes, and cheese, all of which was provided by Graiach from her own personal garden.

Next, he requested a brick layered oven.

“If you wish to placate our palate, others before you have already tried,” Oziandious cautioned.

The human began to mix the flower and water together, kneading it as he spoke.

“I can assure what I have in mind is wholly unique. It’s a family secret.”

“I like secrets,” Mallus interjected, his many masks rattling against each other. “Let us see what the human has in store for us.”

An oven was brought forth for the human along with kindling, and all the Gods watched in a curious fascination as the human began to work and assemble the ingredients, working feverishly on whatever it was until he placed the result in the oven.

To their combined surprise, the circular dish came out only a few short minutes later.

The human divided it equally into six pieces and presented each to the various Gods.

Rynneth looked displeasingly at the dish. She had already had her fill of food and wine that other humans had tried to appease them with.

One more wouldn’t make a difference.

It was Mallus’s sudden jovial laughter that caught her attention.

“It’s wonderful! The best! Another one, human! Make us another!”

Rynneth watched in fascination as the God of Tricks and Lies devoured his share whole, and was already clamoring for more.

It had to be a trick.

What kind of God of Tricks and Lies would ever tell the truth?

“It’s actually quite pleasant,” Illicia agreed, chewing her own food modestly, covering her mouth. “I can tell a lot of love was put into this recipe.”

“And there’s no meat in it either,” Graiach commented.

Even Oziandious contently ate his share, with specks of tomato sauce dripping on his own white toga.

“I like it at least,” he said, licking his fingers. “I would love to try another.”

Rynneth turned to look at the last of their circle.

She had known him best out of all others.

Surely even he wouldn’t be so swayed by one little morsel that a simple human mortal could have made.

And yet…

Rynneth watched in morbid fascination as Death himself took one bite, and nodded approvingly towards the human.

She couldn’t believe her companions would be won over so easily by food made by a mortal.

Rynneth rose from her throne once more.

“You there, human. I know you.” Rynneth accused, pointing her silver gilded spear towards the human.

He bowed low, averting his eyes.

“Yes. I fought in your name once. I am honored you remembered me,” he replied respectfully.

Rynneth’s golden eyes narrowed.

“You abandoned your sword.”

“I did,” The human confessed.

Rynneth planted her spear into the ground. Her six great wings cascaded behind her and her fiery halo wreathed and flared to life.

“You swore oaths to fight and die in my name. To achieve the greatest victories in glorious battle! Such is the path to all those who swear to follow me.”

“I know this, your holiness,” The human replied. “But I am an old now, and wars are for the young.  I discovered there was more to life than victory. I casted my sword aside and promised to live a simple life. A peaceful life. I have kept that promise. I raised a family. It was my son who first discovered this recipe.”

Rynneth smiled, having finally seen the human’s deception.

“And why is he not here now? Why do you stand here in his stead?”

The human, who had kept his head lowered, finally looked up to her.

“He was…quite victorious.”

She said nothing more.

Rynneth stared at the human before lowering her spear and returning to her throne.

She looked at the morsel the human prepared and begrudgingly took a single bite.

And then another.

She sat in silence for a while, pondering on what she had just tasted.

It was only when the other Gods were looking at her expectantly did she finally answer.

“Fine. You have shown us that humanity it still holds some promise,” she declared. “Your destruction will be averted….for now.”

The human bowed low, thanked them for their time and just as briskly as he entered, turned to leave.

“Human,” she called. “What do you call this?”

The human turned back and smiled.

“We called it pizza.”