Wren and the Minor God

Wren’s family lived in the 8th boundary, in a well-developed interior town, of what had been the Minnesota territory stemming from the northwest angle to where Toronto had been. The boundaries had been created when the elder gods had emerged from their earthly prison 19 years earlier. , They did not desire to rule the land or exist to subjugate the whole of humanity. The human race had multiplied beyond usefulness, there were only so many necessary servants, and those servants were better served by uninterrupted hives of humanity.

There were of course fanatics and peacekeepers of the boundaries who skirmished with and tried to placated the gods. The lives of Wren and her family were of little concern. The elder gods could be not be bothered by the lives of these disinterested interior people.

The fourth grade had been a terrible time for Wren. Her mother had watched, as the cruelty expected from junior high girls had crept early into the spaces between bells. The spaces and times without adults, where children were expected to hold their own.

A hierarchy was being developed and the easiest to pick off had been the children who stood alone. Violet had been a shy but delightfully warm child blue eyed child who had come in the first grade bonded over playdates, assignments, and giggles over naughty words with Wren. The parents were amicable and it was the ideal friendship until Violet’s mother let them know that the family were being relocated 2 months into the 4th grade school year.

The goodbyes had been tearful, promises of visits and trips had been made by both sets of placating parents. Wren’s loneliness had become palpable as she brooded about the house until the first letter arrived a week later. It contained half of a heart shaped locket, the kind that a nine-year-old girl would prize, flimsy and cheap, but with the promise that to someone, you were the best.

The locket had been dutifully worn, but had become the subject of Wren’s ‘othering’ with the girls. What was the worth of a best friend of a girl who moved away, and wasn’t the locket a bit childish. But the letters between Wren and Violet continued at a flurried pace, with news and sadness and adjustments being made on both ends, but always signed ‘your best friend forever’.

The bullying continued. The truth about children is that they can be exceptionally cruel. There was nothing specifically wrong with Wren, she didn’t stick out, she wasn’t different, she just had the bad luck of being singled out. Up until October, it had always been an amicable group of little girls, with tifts and spats here and there but always coming together over excitement of Halloween or a soccer game. By the 2nd week of November, Wren’s mother had decided to move her to a different school.

Wren’s letter back to Violet had been filled of optimism and gentle hope. She was moving schools, things would improve, and between Thanksgiving and Holiday break, there would only be 22 days of school before Wren visited Violet’s family. Wren held the locket, letting the small fire of optimism flow into it, soon to be connected to it’s matching partner. The cheapness and the flimsiness of the locket seemed to disappear.

The next day the weather had turned blustery, the wind whipped with the last remnants of crackling dried fall leaves, but with the occasionally warm breeze. Her mother had tried to delay her drop off in the school drop off lane to minimize the between times that Wren had come to fear. She stepped out of the car as her mother gripped the wheel and peered out over the groups of children gathering. The wind had picked up blowing Wren to the side and pushing the car door shut abruptly. She turned towards her mother with a reassuring smile, now with a full locket warmly resting on her chest. Her mother had begin to pull away from the drop-off lane when the screaming started, which heralded the arrival of the god.

Not enough years had passed for scholars to learn about the elder gods and their various permutations to distill confirmed information into an elementary school textbook. Afterall, what had they learned in the 19 years since the revelation of the gods besides supplication and murmurs of servitude. The shape of the minor god was hulking but not indelicate. With six arms, two with the claws of an eagle, and four muscular and human, with a human facial features with eyes that literally burned blue. Cloaked in a brilliant yellow ochre tunic, she was a terrifying figure. On two feet like a lion, she stalked towards the entrance of the school, turning toward Wren, who stood frozen. The words from the minor god came but the language was not understood. The words shook the atmosphere and triggered the warning sirens which began to blare. The sirens had never actually been heard by the residents and so there was little movement.

In the panic, the most basic protocols of interaction with the gods had been forgotten. There was no genuflection or bows into the ground. The words of placation and subservience in the old language were not recited. No one moved as the she-god approached with claws scraping. The words, which translated as ‘to you I supplicate myself oh god’ fled from Wren’s tiny mind, overwhelmed with thoughts of being swatted into the face of the earth. Wren looked with fear to the she god’s many hands, the flaming blue of her eyes, and quickly down as to not disrespect the god. As she sought the middle of the god’s chest, she saw a giant locket, hanging down which matched the half of one which swung about her neck. She could feel heat radiating to the locket, as if calling to the other locket. She shook with fear, realizing she had somehow called the god.

The she-god, Glio, gazed down at the small human child, frail and of no significance. How the girl child had called her, she was not sure, but she felt called by her token. One of three minor gods born of Ha-SERF, an elder god and Tott,, his minor consort. Glio looked at the weak small one who didn’t understand her words but had managed to call her. Her servants were few in number.

To take up under a minor god was a risk. Not only was it foolish to try and flourish under the feet of elder gods but there was not an established hierarchy for favors and preference. There were scholarly guesses but there appeared to be an overwhelming opportunity to be smote from the earth rather than gain favor. Those who took the risk were rewarded occasionally, but how many had committed grievous errors? To take up under the minor god Glio, was not only an affront to Ha-SERF and his sisters Rapt and Wrapt-ha and the seven other Elder Gods but the dozens of other minor gods, half gods, and monsters who had sprung up from the captivity of the earth.

Wren was filled with an optimism, only present in children of a certain age. The fear of being swatted temporarily left her as Glio considered her. She regained her composure and pulled the locket from her shirt to show the god. Where Violet had gotten the locket was unclear, but she had to communicate that somehow she and Glio were connected. Glio considered the locket, but realized that only half was present, the other half of her symbol was missing.

Three figures came hurriedly around the building, dressed in yellow ochre vestments, the color of Glio’s cloak. It was clear that Glio had not considered the speed at which her human servants could move and they immediately supplicated themselves and murmured words of the old gods. She considered them before indicating with her human hand, Wren. Wren a regained her sense of awe and pressed herself into the ground and attempted mumbled the words of supplication, which she had yet to master.

The servants indicated for Wren to get up as they surrounded her, curious of how a small child had called their god. There were two men and one woman dressed in ochre, and the younger man reached out an touched the heart shaped locket. “You have called Glio, why have you called her” he demanded.

The woman swatted his hand away “I’m sure she didn’t try and call a god to the interior, be logical”. He huffed, “I am Adriana, servant of Glio. The question is where did you get the necklace?” Wren had decided that Violet may be in trouble if she revealed that they had been using a minor god’s token as best friends necklace, but feared the elder god would know about the lie if she were to tell one.

“My best friend gave me it as a friendship necklace” Wren admitted, searching around for help and her mother. Her mother had exited the car and was gripping the door handle, unable to move. The chances of getting smote by a god were high and she reflected that Wren was at the mercy of the ochre clad giant.

“It has been broken into two pieces” Adriana reflected to the two men, she turned to Wren “We need to find the other piece and you need to help us. This is a token of the lost high servant of Glio, and we must find them. Your friend must help us”. The three cloaked figures turned to Glio and the older man repeated the words of Wren in the old-language.

Glio considered the child. She now had three servants, but her first servant had gone missing. 18 years ago, at the dawn of her freedom from the captivity of the earth, her first servant had come to her. Aurelia had been the first to supplicate herself, and for that, Glio had granted her the locket. The locket had acted as a beacon, connecting Glio to Aurelia. One day the connection had been broken, Aurelia had disappeared and Glio couldn’t sense the token. If the tokens could be reconnected, Glio may be able to connect to Aurelia. Aurelia had brought her the men, Jasper and Orlando and her second servant, Adriana. It was paramount that they find her.

Glio searched her heart but could not feel the second half, she would need the girl child to guide her to the locket. Her words hissed and rumbled to Orlando who relayed the information to Wren. Wren’s eyes grew wide, while she had no interest in continuing to be bullied at school, but she had never left her town. She pointed to her mother, and Adriane quickly descended upon the terrified woman.

“Your must take us to the girl with the other half of the token” Adriane said, as if a 13 foot terrifying minor god was not standing near Wren. Nora considered her options. She had crossed paths with half gods and monsters before settling to the interior, before her marriage to Pete and the birth of their daughter Wren. There was nothing to stop Glio from taking Wren as her servant and subsequently punishing her for not finding Violet and the other half of the locket. She had vowed to remain in the interior, to keep Wren safe, and to live a peaceful life with Pete and their dog Tim. However, the ochre clocked god eyed Nora.

“We need provisions from the house, but we can leave shortly.” Nora sighed. It had been 15 years since she had joined the safety of the interior but if she didn’t please Glio.