#if you see this and theres no readmore please inform me i swear im not being annoying on purpose

[eyndr-stories]

Across The World C1 - The Beginning

Summary:

The gods of this world are ancient, most of them forgotten, or nearly so. Nomen has been taught not to make deals with any old gods, should they be unlucky enough to come across one. However, when their little brother Maribus stumbles into mortal peril, they find they have no real choice but to accept the trials of one such god in order to save him.

This is an original story written by yours truly! I started writing this back at the very start of 2021 when I had a particularly wild and extremely vivid dream. This story is heavily based on said dream! This dream is also why I strongly distrust bunny mascots / anthro rabbits lmao but anyhoo, I think i've improved as a writer since this so the quality may or may not be quite on par with my other stories. I also had some help from my cool aunt Kerry with editing this, so if there's anything amiss here we can totally blame her lmao

That all being said, I do still like this story, and I hope you will too!! Enjoy <3

Things To Know:

major character death (its okay though, they live lol)

blood and violence

happy ending

protag (Noman) is nonbinary and referred to with they / them pronouns

first person POV

8 chapters in total, about 13,000 words in total. So roughly 1600 words a chapter. Lil bite sized chappys!

No swear words used, somehow

(lmk if i should add anything, i can't think of anything else)

Ao3 link here

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

C1 - The Beginning

     Perched precariously at the end of the world, my home was a very cold place to those who don't live there. It featured a steep staircase that spiraled down beside the face of a jagged cliff to an endless expanse of ice. To me any my neighbors, it was warm, made so by the people who lived there. We were always celebrating or giving a lending hand when needed. We learned long ago the need to keep each other warm.

     My brother was like our home; cold on the outside, but kind within. Maribus was achingly shy, never speaking unless spoken to and always keeping a wide distance from the people around him. But beneath his cold exterior was an eager mind and a gentle heart, especially with our mother, who had a way of melting his anxieties.

     Today was no exception as we happily sat with her at the front of the crowd, watching the parade. It was a celebration, of course. Every sturdy storefront had been painted a rainbow of colors. Flags and streamers fluttered everywhere and marvelous floats moved through the streets while performers ran into the crowds with bags of candy and small toys for everyone to share. Everyone was bundled up in colorful scarves and blankets, sipping big mugs of hot cocoa to keep warm.

     A flock of well-trained birds swooped into the crowd, their feathers a deep dazzling blue. My brother grabbed my arm, pointing excitedly at the birds. "Look Nomen! Those are dirodopafowel! They're very rare. Aren't they cool??"

     They were certainly very cool looking, even if I'd immediately forgotten their name. I snapped a picture with my camera just as Maribus leaned into the frame, making a silly face. I laughed and moved to show my brother the picture, but his attention was already elsewhere because at that moment, the star of the parade was making his way down the street on a float shaped like pillars of ice. It glittered in the setting sun, constellation patterns etched in lights along the sides.

     “It’s him!! I can’t believe it’s really him!!” Maribus yelled excitedly.

     “Easy, love,” Our mother smiled and patted his shoulder.

     I studied the man. He was the reason for this whole parade. I'd been told he had crafted a suit that allowed him to survive on the ice. He was here to explore the unknown, to chart past the edge of the world. As the float moved past us, I got a great look at what I realized was one of the most awkward men I'd ever seen in my life. This was the person that would transcend the limits of all people?

     "Make sure you take his picture, okay?" Maribus commanded.

     I tried to be more enthusiastic as my brother jumped up and down and waved at his hero. The man looked uncomfortable as he nodded and waved back, then stared straight ahead as though he'd rather be anywhere else.

     The float stopped in front of town hall. This was the building everyone had to go through to get to the ice. The man looked relieved as he climbed off the float and greeted our mayor, a tall, confidant woman. She turned to the crowd and gave a short speech, something about history being made, but I'd already zoned out. The adventurer smiled briefly before heading inside the building to suit up. We cheered, though I wasn't sure why since we wouldn't be able to see him actually step out onto the ice.

     My brother, with a huge grin and pleading eyes, turned to me and asked, "You got the picture, right??"

     Ah, shoot. Like our mother always said, I'm great to trust with secrets because I can't ever remember anything anyone says to me. While others saw this forgetfulness as the bane of my existence, I liked to see it as a good thing. I had cultivated a boldness, as though my poor memory was part of the plan all along. So technically, I did forget to take a picture of the adventurer for my brother, however, I had a better idea.

     "Not yet my man, because you're getting a picture with him."

     And sure, while my brother looked terrified of having a human interaction, I knew in the long run he would thank me. See what I mean? A good thing after all. I grabbed his hand and we snuck behind town hall, climbing through a not-so-secret hole in the otherwise solid barrier. For a moment, we clung to the wall and each other at the dizzying sight of a white sky and a steep drop into a foggy abyss below. We took a deep, cold breath and followed the long, winding staircase. Down, down, down, away from the sky, then through the thick fog until, with a thud, our feet landed on a heated pier.

   The fog was still thick as we walked the length of the pier and only thinned once we made it to the gate at the end of things. At least that's what it felt like as we stood and stared, our breath puffing into the air. We were at the end of the world. Neither of us had ever been this close to the ice that had defined our entire lives in this small town. The ice almost seemed to have its own language as it crackled and shifted, the sound of it made large and deep as it echoed unimpeded for great lengths. The expanse of ice was so large and infinite, it was like looking at a desert or an ocean. To my brain, it was impossible and beautiful. It was also cold as all f-

     “Excuse me, I need to get by.”

    We spun around, jumping at the voice of the very man we were waiting on. I admit, the suit was pretty impressive and complicated up close, intimidating even.

     "Brother. I mean... sorry, my brother, Maribus, would like to get a picture with you. He's a big admirer of yours, would you mind? We'll be quick."

     “Fine, fine, but hurry." The man spoke impatiently. "I need to be out there before it turns dark.”

     I looked down at my brother, who stood speechless and unmoving. He couldn’t take his eyes off the suit. I gently pushed him toward the man. "Go on, it'll be alright."

     My poor brother looked liked the chill had gotten to him. He stared at me numbly.

     “He’s just shy and such a huge fan,” I explained as I focused the camera on the two of them. “He wants to explore just like you, when he gets older.”

     “Is that right?” The man looked down at him, not unkindly. I capture my brother staring open-mouthed at the adventurer as he said, “Perhaps we'll meet again... on the other side.”

     Then he moved passed us, pushing the gate open and climbing down the ladder, landing with a clunky jump to the crackling ice. He held up a hand in farewell, then turned and disappeared into the fog that was quickly rolling back in. It was much thicker than before, and I worried we wouldn't be able to see the steps leading us back to civilization.

     I took my brother's hand. "Come on, let's get out of here before mom realizes something's up."

     My brother jerked his hand away and covered his face. "Why couldn't I talk to him? What's wrong with me??"

     "Aw, Mar…" I had never seen him this mortified or angry with himself. It felt like my heart was cracking the way the ice was.

     “Hey.” I pulled his hands away from his face and squeezed them in mine. “Nothing is wrong with you, got that? You were just nervous. It's a really big deal meeting someone you look up to. Anyway would feel that way.”

     We climbed the staircase in silence. These were the times I wished I could be as soothing as our mother. I never knew the right things to say or do to ease the coldness that could sometimes grip Maribus so tight that he closed himself off until no one could reach him.

     When we got home, he ran to our shared room and slammed the door. My mother glanced over, a question in her eyes, but I shook my head. It wasn't until later that night when I was helping her with the chores that we talked.

     “Your brother hardly touched his dinner. I even made his favorite soup.”

     I sighed. “Well... we sort of snuck over the wall behind town hall to take a picture with the explorer on the pier.”

     “WHAT?!” Mother nearly knocked over the mop bucket.

      I strategically moved out of her reach. “We made it back didn't we? It’s fine. But he got tongue-tied as usual and is super embarrassed and maybe feels like he messed up his one chance to talk with his hero.”

     “Never again. Do you understand me Nomen??" Mother's voice was low and hard. "Never again do you go out there. Especially not with your little brother.”

     I tried for nonchalance, even though inside I was shaken by how angry she sounded. “Okay, okay, never again.”

     When I finally turned in for the night, my brother was already in his bed with the covers pulled over his head. I hoped he was sleeping and not reliving his lost chance. I climbed as quietly as I could into my own bed and, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep.

     My dreams were troubling. My brother was curled up, frozen on the ice and I couldn't reach him no matter how desperately I tried. A full moon hung over him and when I focused on it, I realized it wasn't actually a moon at all, but an eye staring back at me. I stumbled backwards when the eye spoke. “Go to the pier if you wish to save him.”

     As the eye closed, my world went dark.

     My own eyes flew open as I sat up in bed, panicked and sweaty. The dream felt so real, and I shivered when I noticed how quiet the house was. A sheet had tangled around my legs and I kicked at it as I stumbled from my bed, crossing the room to where my brother was sleeping. I just needed to see for myself that he was okay. With a shaky hand I drew his blanket down to find only his pillow.

     My brother was gone.