Burning brighter than the Sun Part 2 – A feast for gods

Nathalia did not know why she ended up in Europe, or where she came from to start with. In the wake of her ascension to godhood Nathalia had to learn several things. How to cross from one Illusion Barrier into another, how to assume human form, how strong she was compared to others, how she could walk amongst the world of reality. In all of that she always knew that there was a power even above hers watching, but it was only ever watching and it wordlessly communicated what it wished for her to do: Do not threaten humanity's natural path. These were Gaia’s instructions. At first Nathalia barely took her serious and was reprimanded only in the slightest of ways but as time progressed Gaia became harsher, slowly drove the abyssal from the world and then finally Nathalia no longer dared to show even a single scale to a normal person. It wasn’t a great loss however.

Nathalia also learnt of humans, much, much more than she had ever anticipated. Most of these creatures were unworthy of her, that much was clear. They were loud, smelly, stupid and weak, relying on numbers for everything. How such a species was able to form a being like her, Nathalia never understood. However, she also learnt more interesting things. She learnt about the pleasures of carnal desires, indulging in both sex and food. She found a large amount of people that were aware of the powers of humanity, using magic or other superhuman abilities, with the same restrictions Gaia had put in place for herself. Most of these were about as interesting as regular humans. A human was little more than an ant and an ant that could also spray acid was still just an ant to Nathalia.

Amongst those however she found some interesting individuals. People that had control over Illusion Barriers that managed to shut her out for a while, rarely permanently, for example. They would organize and create an actual challenge for Nathalia every once in a while. Highly talented individuals that were born with some sort of ability, ranging from something as boring as elemental preferences to unique things like a blessing of Gaia, intact until the loss of one’s virginity. Nathalia regarded that one as a curse in actuality, thoroughly enjoying sex with whatever human she deemed interesting enough.

The journey took thousands of years, rarely in control of her own path she just stepped between the Illusion Barriers she found and looked at whatever she found inside. This journey eventually brought her to him.

Nathalia stepped into the new Protected Space she had found while drifting in the flow of the world, listening to Gaia’s whispers was always tremendously boring so she had grasped at the first exit she could find. She ended up in a city unlike any she had ever seen. It was big, unbelievably so, Nathalia could barely believe that so many people could be in one place. It was even more surprising to see thousands of humans gathered inside an Illusion Barrier, trading magical items like it was a normal market day. Nathalia turned her nose at the smell of sweat and human filth, if she had anything else to do, she would have just left, but with nothing better to do she started walking instead.

No one even paid a mind to her, well, that was not entirely true. Her enticing form and height of body made her the open object for the desire of a lot of people, but everybody around realized the three-horned dragoness as what she was, and that it was better not to trifle with her and do their best to get out of her way. Nathalia was happy with that, not touching anyone even in this enormous crowd was better for everyone involved. These humans were dirty and none of them looked particularly attractive, smart or powerful and she only took interest in people that displayed a combination of all three.

Nathalia noticed that people formed a large empty path in front of her. That was even better than just trying not to touch her, now she actually had the space to move around here. This city was interesting maybe she could find something to do here, or someone. “Get out of the way,” she heard a voice at her side. Nathalia glanced at the blonde in her golden plate armour. A goddess, that much Nathalia could easily make out by her aura. Nathalia turned towards her and stepped closer, “You dare order me around?” she asked in her husky voice and showed her teeth. “You are in the way of our emperor,” the annoying goddess barked another order, “get out of the way!”

Nathalia ignored the order and looked at the so-called emperor. He was a tall man, taller than she was even, with a hard face and eyes of green. His hair was short and brown, showing slight greying but overall the man didn’t look older than early forties. He wore a white toga and was crowned with an olive branch. At his side was a pale woman with long, pure white hair that flowed down her back. That one had silver eyes and wore an almost translucent dress decorated with shining stars, unlike her annoying counterpart she was of more subtle build and she looked clean to the point that the dirt of the city itself avoided her. The woman was definitely a goddess as well but the man was, yes, what was he? His aura was innately human, it didn’t possess the thickness one could almost grasp or the connection to the world that normally marked a god but it was also stronger than anything she had ever seen and weaved into its human exterior were a myriad of other powers. What was he?

“Stand down, Sol.” The emperor said and stepped forth, “Greetings, goddess, it has been a while since another one of you arrived. I am Romulus, the ruler of this city called Rome and all of the lands around it, these two are my family, Sol and Luna.” Sol clicked her tongue while Luna nodded respectfully. “I see. I am Nathalia,” was all she had to offer as she looked at the man with interest. She had heard of Rome before but thought it overblown stories, however now that she was here she had to admit that this city was indeed grandiose. However, she did not care about the city, she cared much more about this man called Romulus.

“Nathalia, an interesting name, would you care to speak some more in my palace?” the emperor asked and pointed at a huge building in the distance. She did not mind, as a matter of fact, she was very much interested in what this man had to say, just as much as she was about other capabilities he might have. She licked her lips, “I hope you have foods of all kinds prepared,” she said.

He had, although it was not quite what she had hoped for, getting a good meal was a good thing to start with. Nathalia sunk her fangs into some kind of boar meat. She didn’t care all that much what it was, only that it was delicious. “I hear you are a dragon,” Romulus said as he watched his guest devour what was provided, “Indeed, but how do you know?” Nathalia had met a few dragons in her lifetime, they were a rare species and most of them preferred seclusion. It was easy to make out one of her kind in human form simply because they all shared the same language, Drakonian, a language everyone else for some reason understood. “Your language, I am the one responsible for the spell that translates it,” Romulus explained and grabbed a loaf of bread himself.

Nathalia raised an eyebrow, why ever somebody would do something this useless to themselves was beyond her. Romulus had no reason to have that kind of spell other than that he could, looking at his aura again it probably was little more than a drop in a river for him. “You happen upon Rome at the best possible day,” Romulus said suddenly, “Today is the banquet of Gods, as one of them you are invited.” “Sure, might break the monotony,” Nathalia agreed off-handily. “Good, because it is about to begin,” Romulus clapped his hands once.

The doors of the palace suddenly opened and beings of higher power poured inside. Angelic sages, demonic deformities, humans with animal parts, men and women made of raw elements, and other weird mixtures between lifeforms. Gods and Goddesses in all kinds of shapes, some small enough to be overlooked and others so big Luna and Sol, who acted as overseers, had to tell them to change forms into something more fitting.

Nathalia just kept eating. None of these gods proved a threat to her. Most of them were Gods of Knowledge, Life or other such pansy things. Not she, she was an avatar of pure destruction. Romulus left Nathalia alone to greet his guests, she let it pass, there was another visitor that had caught her own eye and it was a returned feeling.

A fire elemental stepped towards her. It had the crude shape of a warrior with an axe and a sword hanging from its burning hips. His whole form was just living flame and made any form of detail a variable. “You and me, we are alike,” it just said and extended a hand. Nathalia nodded, it was true, this one was a God of War. “My name is…” there was a noise Nathalia couldn’t interpret as a name but instead was just the feeling of glory, **** and terror, the feeling of battle. “Mhm, you and me will get along nicely,” Nathalia said, ignored the hand and pulled the warrior close, “we will talk after this is over,” she whispered into his ear. Fucking a god was always a worthwhile experience. She pushed him away afterwards, she had other things to attend to as she spied other beings of her ilk.

The banquet was a ‘happy’ occasion, at least until the last guest arrived. A giant humanoid with short black fur appeared out of nowhere. Nathalia was equally disgusted and fascinated by it, as it reared its head, nothing more than the oversized skull of a rat, and flopped its tail in a bored motion.

“Romulus!” the Horned Rat said in a very happy tone, “how unlike you to not invite me.” “After spouting nonsense at the last banquet, it was the best decision I could make,” the emperor said, stepping towards the big creature. “What is this about?” Nathalia wanted to know from a nearby dragon, much lower in power than she was. “The Horned Rat spoke a prophecy last time, something about Romulus greatest project burning in the fire of destruction,” he answered quickly. “Good boy,” Nathalia patted the lower god and focused back on the happenings.

“Ah, I see, the Abel does not fall far from the tree it seems,” the Horned Rat made a cryptic joke, causing Romulus to run red with rage. “Begone, Muris,” he spat out, “I don’t want you or your manipulative nature around here.” It was a warning nobody could ignore, not even the Horned Rat, who was still powerful at this point in time, powerful enough to catch Nathalia’s interest. “Oh, oh, I see, oh well,” the Horned Rat glanced at Nathalia for just a moment, then the room boomed under his voice, several of the gods collapsed under the weight of the Horned Rat's words, “I already did what I wanted to do here anyway.”

The scene froze. “So that is how you met Romulus and the Horned Rat, huh?” Ferikrona said, “Things seemed pretty dandy back then, and you were both much stronger. I wonder what happened.” “You looked at my history,” Nathalia responded in an angry tone, “You know what happened.” “You are right, I do, Pompeii happened.”