The goddess that wandered alone, Minerva, had ebony skin with long white hair that reached the ground and trailed far behind her, her eyes were twin orbs of darkness, and the dress she wore appeared to be made from spider webs. She did not walk but glide a few inches from the ground, her head bowed in thoughts, and her siblings were aware to be wary of her when she was in that mood, even the so-called strongest.

The rest four comprised of Volgim, Bacchus, Horush and Boreas.

Volgim resembled a squat young man barely above five feet tall with light gray hair that resembled metal, his eyes were multi faceted like cracked glass that shifted into different configurations like an endless jigsaw puzzle, on his back was a spinning metallic disk that was a foot across. His clothes were also made from metal that bent and shifted like fabrics.

He nudged Boreas who did not appear that different from his Incarnation revealed on Jarkarr, with a wreath of flowers on his head and armor made from ice.

Volgim was the closest in relationship with Boreas and Bacchus. He winked towards the latter, and Bacchus grinned back at him, those three were thick as thieves, as they choose to share part of their Domains with each other to show their firm allegiance.

Bacchus gave Boreas his authority over plants, specifically flowers, to enhance his appearance, for it was clearly known that Boreas was the most vain of all the gods.

Boreas honored him by making of it a wreath over his head, he in turn gave Bacchus authority of the winds, making him swift beyond compare and from that authority Bacchus crafted a famous treasure known for its speed, Bacchus wore green boots, and his jackets and trousers were also green with faint yellow gems scattered across it, his eyes were deep pool of green water that swirled in a circle.

Volgim had been given the authority of lightning by Boreas, and he honored him by creating a Temple of the Iron god, and making the lightning of Boreas become its symbol.

Horush walked close to them also, silent and watchful, he was a god of few words, and he let his actions speak for him, he appeared the most bestial of all the gods with two curved horns on his head behind his thick locks of hair with a swinging tail resembling those of a bull, and with the most human eyes of all his siblings, they were brown, and shockingly seemed to hold deep kindness.

They all trooped towards the palace made from wood, and Minerva was the last to enter it open door before it shut behind them with a loud thud.

Inside that palace, they dwelled for the next eight years, with none being wiser of the fact that the gods were now among them.

What plans were being hatched was unknown, but it was easy to observe the changing momentum of the Empire broadly, as a wind of change began to sweep through it.

®

“Watch the eyes, they tell you all the story you should know.”

“I’m scared.”

“That’s a good thing, you now know the price of failure.”

Telmus, Earth god of the Minerva family, acclaimed the greatest warrior the Empire had ever known, termed the first mutant because of his rule breaking bloodline ability, and the man who alone could challenge the gods, stood in the air and watched with folded arms as his daughter if six years old crouched before a snarling Manticore, her only weapon, her nails, and teeth.

The Manticore was a lupine beast with scaled hide the color of rusted metal, and dagger like teeth that were 12 inches (ca. 30 centimeters) long, with three heads and a poisonous bite, these twenty foot tall beast could challenge Dominators at the second circle and in most cases it would win.

Yet, the person who was challenging it was a six year old girl, who was at the Incarnation State. Her white hair were braided and tied together with a gray rope, and her brown skin twinkled with drops of sweat under the moonlight.

The Manticore had been circling her all these while, and it finally howled and attacked. The face of the girl went pale as the ferocity of a bloodthirsty beast at the second circle washed over her, and she could not help but call on her Incarnation.

A ruler appeared above her that had seven imprints on it, and she rapidly activated the first imprint and it glowed red, as the Manticore slammed to a stop as if it hit an invisible metallic wall, the three heads rebounded as it snarled in rage.

The girl screamed and nearly fainted as she began bleeding from her eyes, nose and ears, but she pulled through the pain and activated the second imprint. The Manticore was suddenly flung backwards as it howled in pain.

She gritted her teeth and glanced at her father, and then, deciding to impress the godlike man who stood above her with white hair waving in the sky like clouds.

She screamed a challenge and activated the third mark, and the manticore was pushed into the ground by a formless force with a bone breaking pressure that cracked the ground for hundreds of feet across and buried it deep into the ground, and if this was on a Minor World, the scale of destruction could have been measured in hundreds of miles if not thousands, and going by the many snapping sounds from the body of the Manticore and the pale green blood it vomited liberally all over the ground, it was seriously wounded.

Likewise, she collapsed on both knees, her breath labored, and she nearly fainted, and when she peered at the implacable figure above her who remained silent, she knew what he wanted for her to kill the Manticore, but she feared that it was impossible for her, this task was too great.

Already the beast had healed from the damages she had inflicted and was getting ready to attack and this time it was blood lusted.

A Manticore did not have many techniques, and it could, in fact, be seen as very poor in the aspect of abilities and powerful techniques, except for it single trait of strength and durability. It could hit hard and could take hits, and the Manticore’s impressive regeneration was also an important factor in its strength, its Incarnation and Beast Core only served to increase its strength and durability, and it was capable of contending with dragons.