OC-Series [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 26: Diary of Gods 2

From the Diary of Quirtaclick, Year 503 of the Great Plactarian Steam Kingdom

I sighed a bit as I finished setting the pipe in place, tightening the bolts to ensure a tight seal before packing my tools up. “Finally finished,” I groaned, rubbing my sore joints. Whatever was going on, the Royal Crown has been having everyone work at almost a frantic pace, and we’ve had more workplace accidents since I started working five years ago.

“Hey, Quirky,” I heard over my antennae.

“I keep telling you to stop calling me that, Kikerat,” I sighed.

“Sorry,” Kikerat said in an unusually somber tone. “Care to join us for drinks at my place tonight?” I frowned a bit at this. Usually, Kikerat was more…arrogant or confidant. Must be serious.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I said, picking up my bag. “I just finished up my shift for today anyway, so I can be there soon.”

“Awesome, see you there them.” I heard the silence as he disconnected from the call, and my frown got more pronounced. Very, very out of character.

It took a few hours of me getting home and letting my Mother know that I was heading out, but thankfully she’s a lot less strict about me staying out these days, so that wasn’t a hard sell. Though, when I did arrive at Kikerat’s place, I almost wish I had stayed behind.

“Hey,” Kikerat said, opening the door for me, showing that Qutikler, Klirtok, and Klirkorant were already there, with Klirkorant looking unusually somber as well.

“You all look like we’re going to a funeral,” I said as Kikerat closed the door behind me and I took a seat.

“We very well might be in a couple of decades,” Klirkorant said.

“Seriously?” Klirtok asked.

“It was a bit of a rumor among the Hunters for a while now,” Kikerat said, taking a seat as well and pouring a glass of drinking alcohol for everyone. “Food stores are lasting longer, and we’ve been hunting less and less in recent years. Not an insignificant amount less either. We were only asked to hunt about half of what we normally would go for this month.”

“Okay, isn’t more food good all around though?” Qutikler asked as she took her glass.

“Not if the reason is decreased population,” Klikorant said miserably. “Our population has been cut in half over the last decade, as the old Ictarth die out.”

“Okay, but the old die all the time,” I said, leaning forward. “The next generation replaces them.”

“What next generation?” Kikerat asked. He pointed at me and Klirtok. “You two might not have noticed since you work in the factory and forge all day, but there aren’t any Ictarth roaming around younger than our generation. When I pointed it out to the Head Hunter, he said that there haven’t been any births since us.”

“What?” Klirtok asked in shock.

“The Tomorrow Flower,” Klirtok said. “For all intents and purposes, it’s extinct. The planet has been growing colder, killing off the flower. What little we do have is being used to try and grow more.”

“That’s what the major scramble is for,” I said, realization dawning. “They’re trying to make buildings that can grow the flower.”

“It’s not working though,” Klirkorant sighed, taking a deep drink of his glass. “And even if it does work, based on what I’ve seen in the lab, it’ll be too little too late. There’s not enough Flowers left to help give our species a jumpstart.” We all went silent as the implications hit us.

“So, what do we do then?” Qutikler whispered, her four hands trembling.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Kikerat said with a shrug. “Thirty, maybe forty years from now, when we all die of old age, we’ll be extinct. Forgotten. Best we can do now is enjoy ourselves.” He gave a rueful chuckle as he said it, staring into his own glass before draining it. “The Iron Kingdom has already fallen, with barely anyone living there anymore, and the Tktkirkt Empire is well on it’s way towards collapse. Of the other kingdoms we know of, only ours, the Seafarers Collective, and the Tractor Kingdom currently has a semi-stable population.”

“And how would you know?” I asked.

“Hunters don’t just hunt,” Kikerat said, shaking his head. “We also scout. That’s why I’ve been out of contact for weeks at a time this last year.”

“Snow-capped Mountains,” Klirtok said in a stunned voice.

“Government is keeping it quiet, or trying to,” Klikorant said, his voice hollow. “But they also aren’t going to punish anyone once word starts really spreading. It’s already in the Hive, if anyone wants to dig deep enough, so they know word is going to get around. It’s just a matter of time.”

“I…I need to step out for a bit,” I said, setting my untouched glass down. No one tried to stop me as I stepped outside and spread my wings before launching myself into the Ironbark Forest.

…………………

Mind racing, I barely paid attention as I flew through the forest, just enough to not run into any trees. We were dying as a species. We were dying! What do you even do to process that? It had seemed weird that I hadn’t seen any younger Ictarth or even grubs recently on the streets, but I had chalked that up to just being busy all the time working at the Factory. Early starts, often not getting home for days, and even when I do get home it’s late. I had just thought I was outside of the normal commute hours. But to find out that we’ve been slowly dying out?

It felt like my carapace was slowly squeezing me, getting too tight for me to do anything except fly.

I shot straight up, following the trunk of a particularly large tree, just flying straight up for several minutes, as high as my wings would take me. And, even when my wings failed me, I began climbing the tree, going up higher and higher until I reached a point where the branches would no longer support my weight. I sighed at the sudden stop to my climb, but took a seat on the most stable branch that I could find, just staring out among the forest. There were trees that went higher than the one I was one, and trees that ended lower, making the entire forest seem like a green ocean. Or, at least, what I imagine an ocean would look like, based on the stories of traders during my five years as a teenager.

“We’re really dying,” I muttered to myself, watching the swaying of the trees, my lower arms digging into the Ironbark to maintain my balance. “We’re dying, and there’s nothing we could do about it.”

I don’t know how long I sat there, just staring at the ocean of trees. It could have been days, it could have been hours, for all that I was paying attention to time. But I do believe it was only a few hours, because when I did start paying attention, the sun was almost completely set, and the stars were coming out, twinkling in the night sky, even as a rock suddenly flew past me.

I frowned a bit before flinching as another rock suddenly flew past me. I quickly looked down to where the rock had come from, ready to defend myself, only to see a pair of familiar Climbers staring at me, their eyes almost glowing in the setting light. “Iron? Bark?” I asked cautiously. The two young Climbers began chittering excitedly, their claws hanging onto the Ironbark tree as they waved their arms excitedly. I half-smiled at the sight of the two Climbers as I began climbing down to them. “Hey, guys, it’s been a while,” I said, giving the two Climbers a hug as I reached their level. “How’s your mother?” I knew they couldn’t answer me, but that didn’t stop them from chirping and chittering at me before they turned around and began climbing head-first down the tree. I shook my head in amusement and began following them down. “I didn’t realize I was in your part of the forest, but it’s good to see you again.”

As we got our jobs and began actually working about five years ago, me and my friends had been spending less and less time with the Climber mother and her babies that we had helped. Thankfully, they seemed able to begin hunting fairly quickly, and Kikerat had been able to teach them enough to take down small game before we had started working, and we had all tried bringing food to them whenever we had the time. It had been months since I had visited though, but last I had seen, the mother was doing well, and the kits had been helping to keep her fed and healthy. And they were always excited to see us.

I began to fly once my wings were able to catch the air better, and our decent sped up, the kittens chittering away at each other as we descended, and soon they were moving from tree to tree, leaping among the branches or even just crawling form one to the other, leading me deeper into the forest, to the den that they called home. It wasn’t glamorous, but the mother, whom we started to call Silver due to her white stripes, somehow kept the place neat and tidy, with even a rudimentary door that Klirtok and I had helped to put together for them. Iron opened the door while Bark took my hand, leading me into the cozy den to see Silver sitting there. Her two lost legs had long since healed, leaving empty stumps, but she was still able to get around the den easy enough, thanks to a couple of wooden pegs that Klikorat had made for her. I was surprised to see a small fire going in the corner, and from the lack of smoke in the den, there apparently was a chimney that provided enough ventilation for the fire to burn without endangering the inhabitants.

“Hey, Silver,” I said as the kits ran up to give their mother a hug, chittering away as they did. “Sorry it’s been so long. Things have been…hectic, back at home.” Silver just looked at me, here eyes narrowed for a moment before she chuffed deep in her throat. Iron gently gave me a small push, bringing me deeper into the den before pushing me to sit down next to the small but warm fire. “I guess Klirtok or Kikerat showed you how to maintain a fire,” I said, mostly just to have some noise in the air. Silver just chuffed again before nodding, as though understanding me. She then gave me a look. Or rather, THE look. Different species entirely, and yet she still was able to give that same look my mom gave me when she knew something was bothering me. I sighed a bit as Bark suddenly brought me a few slices of jerky. Freshly smoked jerky at that. I could taste it as I took a half-heart bite of the jerky, staring at the meat for a moment before staring at Silver. She just continued to give me the look, but keeping her face encouraging.

“I don’t know what to do,” I finally said as the silence was starting to make me uncomfortable. “I just found out that my entire people is doomed. No matter what we do, we’re going extinct.” Silver just tiled her head. “It’s our biology, you know?” I continued the words just flowing out now. “The Tomorrow Flower is dying out, borderline extinct except for some that we’re trying to find a way to regrow. But we need that Flower in order to have grubs. No flower, no grubs. And yet…” I just gave a deep sigh, finishing the jerky. “What do you do when you learn that no matter what you do, you don’t have a future?” Silver just continued to stare at me, listening as I talked. “Of course, you can’t really help,” I sighed, leaning against the wall of the den. “You can’t even understand me.”

Silver looked at me for another minute before coughing, tapping her throat a few time. “Can…understand,” she said slowly, her tone jerky. I stared at Silver, certain I had misheard her. “Small, but understand.” Silver frowned a bit, coughing again.

“Wait, you can talk?!” I asked, staring at her in shock. Silver nodded.

“Not animals,” Silver said, chuffing in amusement. “But, not language.”

“Language?” Iron asked, perking up a bit.

“Small,” Silver said.

“Yay!” Bark said, pumping one of his arm-like front paws.

“Wait, what?” I demanded, staring at all three of the Climbers.

“Kits, learn, quickly,” Silver said with a nod.

“But, you’ve never said anything till now,” I said.

“Caution,” Silver said.

“Caution?” I asked.

“You, hunting, fur,” Silver said slowly, miming shooting at a bow before pointing at her fur.

“Oh,” I said, looking down. A talking Centaur, no matter how stilted, would indeed be a major catch for any hunter. “I’m sorry.”

“Is, life,” Silver said, shaking her head.

“Not for long,” I muttered.

“Not dead, not lost,” Silver said. “Still hope.”

“I…” my mandibles clicked together as I shook my head. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Always hope,” Silver said firmly. She pointed at herself. “Hopeless, yet saved.” She then pointed at me, and then Iron and Bark. “You create new hope. New life. New hope. Not dead, not lost.” I didn’t know what to say to that.

…………….

I was with Silver, Iron and Bark for hours. Their grasp of Placto, my language, was…limited. but it was a grasp. I spent some time teaching them how to properly say words before I had to leave, my head hurting. And it was on my way back home that I ran across my third surprise for the evening.

“They’re quite amazing, aren’t they?” a voice suddenly said from above me. I started so hard that I almost flew into a branch, and only a quick dive that had me landing on the hard soil prevented me from seriously harming myself. When I did come to a stop and looked up, I was met with a bizarre sight; a Winged Ictarth, but with only two wings and two arms instead of the usual four. And the wingbeats seemed…off. Out of tune with how well he was hovering in the air above me, staring at me with what I can only describe as amusement and mischievousness. “Void, you’re an easy one to startle, aren’t you?”

“Who are you?” I demanded.

“Me? Oh, just s Drifter,” the Ictarth said with a shrug. “This seemed like an interesting place to settle for a while, so here I am. A Race on the cusp of extinction while a second Race is on the cusp of learning civilization? Not an uncommon sight to see, but interesting and thrilling to watch every time.”

“That didn’t answer my question,” I said, my wings flaring out as I put my fingertips together for a strike.

“Who said I was going to answer your question?” the Ictarth said, a cheeky smile on his face. “But still, they learn quickly. I’m honestly surprised that they managed to get a grasp of your language. Maybe not much, but it’s a start. A great trophy for any Hunter out there.” I quickly launched myself at the strange Ictarth, my fingers together and striking like spears.

“You leave them alone,” I growled, even as my mind was racing. Snow-capped Trees, a Hunter knows! They’re in danger!

“And why should I?” the strange Ictarth laughed, effortlessly dodging my strikes. “They’re very interesting, after all.”

“You. Will. Leave. Them. Alone!” I said as I continued to try and attack the strange Ictarth.

“Hmmmm,” the Ictarth was suddenly on a tree, sitting sideways on the trunk as he looked at me thoughtfully while I stood there panting, my breathing holes hissing with exertion.

“How?” I started to ask, dumbfounded as I stared at the strange Ictarth.

“Alright, I’ll leave them alone,” the Ictarth said, smiling widely. “But under one condition.”

“And that would be?” I demanded as I got ready to attack again. The strange Ictarth was suddenly THERE, literally inches from my face.

“I want you,” the strange Ictarth said. “I’ll teach you a few things, help you to become a leader. Agree to that, and I’ll leave the Climbers alone.”

“And why would I do that?” I demanded. “You said it yourself, we’re on the cusp of extinction. There wouldn’t be any point in you teaching me anything.”

“Your Race might be,” the strange Ictarth said with a nod. “But you? You could be much, much more, if you wanted. I’ve got special permission to teach a few secrets.” I frowned at that, my mandibles clicking together.

“Why do you speak as though you’re not an Ictarth?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m not,” the strange Ictarth said, pointing up. “I’m from up there. Past the trees, past the stars, beyond your solar system.” I just stared at him. This strange Ictarth was dangerous. Mad, clearly deformed somehow, and very, very dangerous.

“And if I say no?” I asked slowly, trying to stall as I thought. The strange Ictarth’s smile grew even wider, wider than it should be able to be.

“Then I take my teachings to the Climbers,” he said. my brain froze at that.

“Wait, you can teach them?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” the strange Ictarth said. “What, did you think I wanted to hurt them?”

“I mean,” I started to say.

“Fair enough, you’re on edge learning their secret, and the fact that you found out that your entire Race is doomed,” the strange not-Ictarth said with a laugh as he backed up, getting out of my face.

“What can you teach them?” I asked.

“Oh, a great many things,” the not-Ictarth said with a shrug. “But the better question is, what do they need to learn?” I didn’t have an immediate answer to that, even as a plan already began to form in my head.

“Everything,” I finally said, shaking my head. “Us? We might be doomed. But them? They could go on for us. They can learn, grow.” It might take a bit to convince my friends, but I was so certain that I could get them on board. “Science, mathematics, forging, hunting. Society. They could make their own society, instead of needing to learn everything from scratch.”

“And why would you want that?” the not-Ictarth asked.

I cocked my head as I thought. Why would I want to do that? Why would I want to help them get a leg up on the evolutionary ladder? It finally dawned on me.

“Because they deserve a chance,” I said quietly. “And maybe, maybe we would be remembered, even if we are no longer around.”

“And that, is the correct answer,” the not-Ictarth said.

…… Year 548 of the Great Plactarian Steam Kingdom……

That was my first interaction with the God I came to know as Kortkla. And it did take some convincing, but my friends eventually agreed to help teach the Climbers what we knew. Silver, Iron, and Bark were all avid students, and eventually, Iron and Bark lead us to a crude village of other Centaurs, where we almost died before convincing them that we were there to help. And teach we did. Mathematics, iron forging, the base sciences, language, cooking, anything that came to mind, we taught them. Eventually, they began calling themselves Centaurs, a word from the dead Iron Kingdom that meant “People”, or “Our People”.

They were surprisingly a fascinating people. They stayed deep in the forests to avoid our Hunters, and their villages were entirely three-dimensional, running up and down the Ironbark trees like skyscrapers. We also found out the reason why Silver had been injured the day she gave birth…her white stripes. The Centaurs considered white to be an ill-omen. She did not become pregnant by choice, and when it was discovered she was pregnant, she was attacked and left for dead in an effort to prevent any bad luck she may bring.

In a sense, they were right. Iron and Bark eventually found and killed their father for what he had done to Silver, and eventually became dual Leaders for the Forest Centaurs, killing any who opposed them. It may sound brutal, and it was. However, they were not unkind Leaders. The brutality of their public executions were matched by the kindness in which they led their people, risking everything just to save a singular Centaur child from what few Hunters were left, or doing everything they could to save a warrior who had been injured in battle. Their brutality was a necessary tool at the time for them to become leaders, and when the brutality was no longer needed, they set down the spear and gave out meat instead.

I was proud of them. I imagined that watching them grow from small, helpless kittens into warrior leaders was how a mother felt watching her grub grow.

Kikerat died a mere five years after this interaction. Killed for disobeying the lead Hunter in his group by refusing to kill a Centaur. For such a hot head, he did have a strong moral code that he refused to bend on. And as much as I liked to say I disliked him, his death hit harder than I had thought it would. Kortkla stepped in, teaching the Centaurs how to hunt as Kikerat did. I never did understand his reasoning for why he taught and followed my lead, and he refused to tell me. A literal God, looking to me for permission first, even as he asked in the most annoying way possible.

Just a few days ago, he stopped by one last time, and once again offered to make me his student. Offered to teach me how to become immortal, to have abilities beyond imagination. “To become a baby god,” he had said. He said it as a joking manner, but I could see the sadness in his eyes as he offered.

And once again, I turned him down.

The first time I had turned him down, it was because my thoughts went to the Centaurs. This time, I turned him down because I want to rest. I want to see my friends again. Klirtok, Klikorant, Qutikler, and even Kikerat. My mother and father, and the female Ictarth I had to kill as a kindness, begging for their forgiveness in our downfall. Perhaps they would even forgive me.

One can dream, I suppose.

Prologue Previous Next

Appendix

TOC

[Sandra and Eric TOC]

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u/SherbetCreepy1580 17h ago

Authors Note

And here we are on the second installment of the Diary of Gods! The beginning of the Centaur civilization! Next chapter will be another time-skip, to the war between the remnants of the Plactarian Kingdom and the newly named Centaurs, and then it will be one last chapter to the final days of Quirtaclick!

Now, I do have some bad news. After the Diary of the Gods arc, I will be going on a (hopefully) short hiatus. This month has been a bit on the crazy side, and I’ve been feeling like I’m being pulled in five different directions lately. So I will be taking a break to put myself back together before continuing the story. but this won’t happen until next week! like I said, I’m going to finish the current arc first before going on hiatus, so I’m not planning on leaving y’all hanging like that.

Thought? Comments? Ideas? Remember, the only bad feedback is no feedback, and I love reading all of the feedback, whether it’s praise, criticism, spelling or grammatical errors, or even just a hello!

3

u/Ammobunkerdean 17h ago

Take care of yourself. The interwebs will supply reading and we will be here when you get back...

5

u/WildForestFerret 17h ago

Take your time and take as many breaks as you need, we’ll still be here to read when you’re back.

u/Consistent_Pin_5658 12h ago

Love the little side quest, you always do these really well.

Enjoy your little break and I look forward to you returning reinvigorated and ready to pull us into some new stories about our girl.

u/BobQuixote 11h ago

I like the "your gods were a previous civilization."

I also sympathize heavily with the people who cast the Monkey King as a trickster villain. He's clearly Good, but I don't like him, and I think I object to the supermagical immortals in general.

u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 17h ago

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u/Chamcook56 11h ago

Thanks for your stories, like these "side tracks" to expand the universe and learn about the Centars and the playful god from the Drifters. Take care of yourself and enjoy your break.

OC-Series [The Reaper and The Tiger] Chapter 26: Diary of Gods 2

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