Origins

*Recounting of the Origin by Strawberia*

## Creation

There was nothing. Nothing wasn't darkness, it was just nothing. Darkness is the view from closing eyes, nothing is the view from lacking them.

There was nothing, and then there was darkness. Next came sight. Time and Space all laid before me in a way that cannot be described in words. Beautiful. I would keep it.

Then I saw him. I wasn't sure how long he had been there, longer or shorter. He was sightless, his eyes were empty. But I knew he held knowledge from the way he twitched his head, looking for an outlet. I had sight but no knowledge.

By will or otherwise, I reached him. I touched his face and interlaced my fingers with his. I felt knowledge flowing from him to myself. At the same time, I felt sight flowing from me to him.

He opened his eyes and saw me. I had knowledge now. I felt what he would say before he spoke.

"Elias."

"Strawberia."

We would create many things then. We would discover what we were and what we could do. We would find purpose. We would also exist in pure darkness for ten thousand years, until we created the first star. That was when he gave me my gift.

"What is it?"

"Several billion years from now, the humans will invent ones just like it. But they won't be as special as this one."

The pocket watch of All Time glowed with numbers far more complex than humans could dream of. It held the age of the universe and everything in it all upon its face.

"Well, I guess you should also get something."

I glimpsed into the future briefly and saw an amusing sight. With the magic within me, I created it.

"Now it is my turn to ask what you've made."

"A cape. It's for you to wear."

He donned it and looked to my approval.

"It suits you quite well. I'm afraid it's not quite as impressive as the pocket watch, but be assured that it will strengthen your wisdom."

It would be a few billion years before there was any additional life in our universe. Eventually, other gods were created and so was Dasmarin.

We've made so many mistakes. We hope that we can prove them inconsequential. We hope that at the end, we will have succeeded.

## The First Demon and Angel

In the early days of the Earth, there was only rock and liquid fire. We traveled its surface and mapped out the future land and oceans. We had created plenty of stars and planets by this time, but Earth would be different. It would be home to our best creations and we wanted to get it right.

So we traveled.

There was so much surface to cover that we often worked separately. It was during one of these times of isolation that rock exploded from beneath the surface, as it often did, but was followed by screams of distress.

Elias.

I found him splayed on the ground. There was something seeping from a gash on his abdomen. Blacker than black. Worse than nothingness.

I had so few words then. Evil is what I would call it now. Evil, not in its existence, but for its action. Seeping, puddling, draining, killing.

"Elias! Your…life force?" I questioned.

"Blood, Strawberia. My blood. I'm hurt and you need to save me."

"But I don't know how."

We knew so little then, especially in that moment. I knew so little. I didn't know what pain was. I thought we were invincible. I had never been confused or scared or overwhelmed before. I knew that Elias was dying and that I could lose him. I could be alone. Water ran down my face before boiling from the heat.

"Make me as I was before."

I placed my hands on the stem of void and let it wash over my hands.

"There is error here, let it be no more."

I repeated those words hundreds of times, even after Elias had been healed.

The blood that had been spilled onto the land seeped down into the rock beneath the surface. It festered and grew into the first demon, born of pain. It was nurtured by darkness and heat.

The tears from my face ascended above the surface. They bloomed into the first angel, born of love and nurtured by the stars and our spirit.

We knew of neither's existence until the humans arrived and they showed face.

Such an important moment in the history of the gods. You can fall from your throne.

We've become stronger than that. We choose to be stronger as to keep from pain. It is also for this reason that we choose not to love.

## The First Muses

This story is one I am abundantly apprehensive of sharing. But history must be known, so I will recount for its sake.

The arrival of the humans to our beloved planet was joyous, but incredibly exhausting, even for a god.

They sprouted new domains that needed guardians like wildflowers. Each new god seemed to be created differently. Some popped into existence with only a passing thought towards their role. Others required a meditative state of mind for our will to turn to reality. Still others were built, usually with our combined efforts. The inconsistency continued. Some manifested as adults with the knowledge they needed and others were just children that learned their place in the universe. Having only a system of trial and error proved difficult.

Despite all that I had done over billions of years to build stone walls around my heart, this era of worn will caused many bricks to fall. I would stab myself for the reminder of what love brings to keep from falling into it.

It was easiest to ignore the muffled pleadings of my heart from its cage when I threw myself into my work of making new gods for new domains. But I could still hear it.

I wandered the earth and found beautiful things. Poetry, dancing, sculptures, math, astronomy, and more. They were perfect candidates for domains.

As I worked on my creations, I found the whispers of what I could not have growing louder in my ears. The whispers turned to maddening screams and I furiously tore down the wall I had made, every brick.

I let every ounce of my heart pour into the new gods. There it would be trapped and safe. I tore every piece and locked them away with new souls.

My heart would get to do its job in the lives of others. As for myself, I felt empty.

It sickens me to think of how relieved I was. How relieved I remain.

Elias congratulated me on my hard work. He named them muses. He knows so much, yet so little.

## The Origin of Dasmarin, Ram of Time

"I have important matters to discuss with you regarding the humans, my lady."

I turned to face my counterpart.

"What is it you wish to discuss?"

"Erm," Elias shifted. He was nervous about whatever he was about to say. Perhaps he knew I wouldn't like it.

"I'm afraid you'll need to change time for the humans."

Of all the things-

"What is *that* supposed to mean, Elias?"

"Pardon my poor choice of words. Restructure. The humans can't quite comprehend the complexity of time."

"I thought they were going to be intelligent."

"Well yes, but even these creatures are limited. The webbed cloud of time is simply too much for them."

"Well, what do you suppose I do, then?"

"I was thinking that you could introduce a linear perspective to time."

"LINEAR?! Time is anything but."

At this point, my irritation had convinced me to start off and away.

"Wait! Please let it be done, my lady Strawberia, for me?"

That wicked old man occasionally has the ability to be as stubborn as I. How very detestable it was for him to force my heart to comply through the exploitation of my weakness to him.

"So it will be," I sighed.

I let my eyes open to the expanse of every dimension, to all of time and space. Using my mastery of the latter, I condensed the former. The resulting mass reminded me of a creature to come. With care, I sculpted a face, legs, and horns for the mass and breathed life into the new being.

"Is that a-"

"-Yes, and his name will be Dasmarin. With all of time now fashioned as his wool, I can spin it into thread. Your linear wish will be fulfilled."

"Good. Thank you, Strawberia. I understand that you didn't like the idea."

"No matter. I think I'll make a friend of this ram."

Oh, to be simultaneously right and wrong in one statement.