Prologue: Invitation

You are cordially invited to the wedding of...

Mesopotamia was so grand that it was called the ‘Cradle of Civilization’. Within this grand area, there was a city unlike any other. It was called Babylon where the Hanging Gardens were constructed, the first true laws were to be made here, and someday, a great gate would be made for the great goddess, Ishtar.

Within this wondrous city, there were no mortal men, as they had not been brought into the world just yet. No. In this land, there were only gods. From their victory over Tiamat, these beings had found a peace atop the ashes of the conflict.

In the heart of this amazing Babylon, there was a magnificent palace dedicated to its victorious king: Marduk. Like a verdant oasis in the desert, the palace was a symbol to this warrior king who had defeated the great dragon, and the great mother to the divine. While the deserts that surrounded Babylon were filled with monsters whose veins were filled with blood, but even those creatures could not destroy the order formed by these newer divine beings.

The palace had towering walls dressed with cascading tiers of lush greenery.

The palace gates were almost musical in their design, morphed into existence by a symphony of colorful fragrance. Towering palm trees climbed the palace walls.

The grounds had crystal-clear water running everywhere, shade to lounge under in the many courtyards, winding pathways meander through, and ever-expanding gardens that would grow every spice, flower, and vine imaginable. This was the reward for the victor.

If one were to ascend the terraces, they would find a view of Mesopotamia that would be the envy of the divine the world over.

At the heart of the palace was Marduk’s throne room. There was no equal in the land of Babylon. A canopy of emerald leaves along trailing vines decorated the hall. He was not one for gems and overt splendor. There was gold enough on his throne. The soft glow of the sunlight was the true treasure, for when it struck his hall just right, everything bloomed with a life unlike any other.

Upon this polished throne of marble, ebony, and gold sat Marduk as ruler of Mesopotamia. He was the very embodiment of sovereign strength. He wore no covering for his chest, but was hairless from the neck down. Wild black hair sat upon his head, bright hazel eyes glowed upon his face, upon his brow was a circle of the purest gold. The crown seemed unique to all of the shining ore that adorned his walls. It was almost fluid, like water even though surely it was cold, dead metal.

Beside him, upon a chair of silver and pampered pillows was his wifely queen: Ṣarpānītu. Her body was dressed in fabrics of the finest red and water-blues. The gentle curves from her breasts, stomach, and hips only made the clothes appear more noble. Flowing black locks were crowned by a gleaming diadem, which signified herself as the fitting match of Marduk as the fellow ruler of the gods of Babylon.

Amidst their bustling court, a single form of a tall tanned being strode towards the two. Adorned in a helm of a sun-dipped gold, Nabu, god of knowledge, held out a scroll for his king.

Marduk received the scroll, reading a foreign script. The writing of another god was upon it. When Ṣarpānītu motioned her own curiosity, Marduk flashed the scroll to her.

She simply said, “Oh that will not do.”

Tammuz leaned on his shepherd’s staff, wondering what could have his king’s attention. Ishtar, simply marveled at everything. As the epitome of beauty, her very presence was a gift to the gathering.

The male gods stared at her voluptuous figure and cascading black, straight hair. Without so much as intending it, her form commanded attention wherever she went. By contrast, her sister, Inanna, exuded a darker allure with her curly tresses accompanied by a jealous look in her eyes.

Nergal, the brooding god of death and disease, watched silently in the background, barely tolerated at such a festivity.

Ṣarpānītu looked upon her husband. “Do you believe we shall go?”

“I do not,” Marduk remarked. “That this Zeus would send this our way shows a certain arrogance. I doubt his time will last.”

“Apparently, their kind comes and goes,” Nabu commented. “When I spoke to Hyperion, it was Cronos who ruled those lands.”

Ṣarpānītu rolled her eyes. “Nothing seems to last in Greece.”

“So it would seem, my Queen,” Nabu said, lowering his head. He slowly retreated and allowed the rulers to discuss the scroll that had come.”

In the heavenly realm of China, palaces floated amidst billowing clouds. The architecture was wonderfully made for each, but wholly unique. Many types of beings lived here. They were all gods in that they were immortal and could use magic, but beings on the lower realm could also do those things, but to be a god in this realm meant to be employed in the service of the mightiest being of all: The Jade Emperor.

He had once battled the Ox King and the denizens of the lower realm. These demons were cast out. He might have destroyed them with his command of the elements and his ethereal dragons, but for the love of his daughter, who had fallen in love with the Ox King. As such, the Jade Emperor simply banished those beings from Chinese Heaven, swearing that should a demon ever attempt to invade Heaven, he would smite them with his full fury and destroy them all, regardless if his daughter loved a demon or not.

As such, all of Chinese Heaven was for the Jade Emperor. Those floated structures were of his design, to allow any in his service to float from one place to the next, never feeling trapped in stagnation as in the realm below.

Guanyin was one such goddess in this emperor’s service. She was compassion and mercy personified. She had been given a great task with a scroll from the far away lands of Taixi, the Great West.

She approached Yuhuang, the esteemed Jade Emperor, in his most grand palace. It bore signs of beautiful splendor unlike any other. At his feet were many women, some of which were maidens he liked and some were not but whom he liked even more.

In her hand, she held the scroll with deliberate care.

Guanyin was draped in flowing robes of pure white when she presented the parchment to Yuhuang.

The Jade Emperor sat upon his throne curious as to what Guanyin brought to him. He was dressed in resplendent robes befitting his higher status. There was a dragon of emerald weaved onto his right shoulder and a dragon of sapphire on his left. The threads were that of gold, silver, and white.

His interest reached a crescendo when he looked upon the scroll.

He raised an eyebrow and asked Guanyin. “Do you believe this to be a good idea?”

Guanyin was often seen as an emissary of goodwill given her role as the goddess of mercy, but even she shook her head.

“With the demons below biting at the chance to hurt our realm, it might not be the wisest course.”

The Jade Emperor bristled on his chair before exhaling. “What should we do?”