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Narinder sit upon his throne in the living world, bored.
It's a normal day in his immortality, one in which nothing is happening.
No particular divine duty.
No siblings coming to disturb him.
No followers with some absurd requests.
So the God of Death is very bored.
Narinder closes his eyes, scanning his land for anything that could entertain him.
He feels his followers around the realm, living their lives and doing their everyday stuff, but then he feels a new presence in the realm, someone he never felt before and they are not marked from any of his siblings Faith.
Normally he would pass over them, it's probably just a traveler that is passing through his land but he doesn't have anything better to do.
He changes his form, not wanting to attract the attention of the followers, appearing as a normal black cat.
He can't make his third eye disappear, but it's easy resolved by a hood.
He teleports at the village where he felt the presence.
The village in question is not one of the bigger ones, but it's big enough to have a market and there he finds the presence he was searching for, she is a merchant and a black cat as well.
She is sitting down on a blanket, in front of her there is handmade clothes (probably by herself), seeds and materials from other regions.
Narinder gets closer pretending to be browsing the objects:" Hello, dear customer!" She smiles, her voice is full of energy:" Hello, miss. I never seen clothes like this." He comments:" The craftsmanship is very good." He touches one inspecting the stitches:" Oh thank you sir. They are made by my own hands!" He places the shirt down:" Really impeccable miss...?" "I am Forneus. A humble traveling merchant."
Narinder smiles:" A traveling merchant?" He seats down on the other side of the blanket:" You must have seen a lot of interesting things." He plays around with a crystal that comes from Kallamar's realm:" I have seen a lot sir. But I never been in your Land." Narinder nods:" Would you tell me about your travels?" Forneus smile and starts a story.
With that they pass the time talking until the market starts to close up, as the night falls:" Thank you, Forneus for keeping me company." Narinder says, a rare sincere smile on his face, feeling genuinely joyous in her company.
There are few gems in mortals, sensible minds who actually say interesting things. Forneus is one of them, the way she describes and observes the world is fascinating.
"Thank you, Mi'Lord. I am honoured that the One of the Beyond decided to keep me company." Now Narinder is taken by surprise, another rare feat.
Mortals never recognised him in this form:" You recognized me from the start?" Forneus doesn't shy away:" Yes, Mi'lord. I didn't say anything before because you asked me to tell you about my travels, who am I to deny a request of a God?"
Forneus is even a rarer gem than he thought:" How did you know?" He asks curious;" I haven't met many Gods or deities in my travels but you are different in a way I cannot describe. Words aren't enough to describe the aura of divinity that you bring with you, Mi'lord."
Narinder is enchanted:" Would you come with me, Forneus?" He reaches over, caressing her cheeks with gentleness.
"Of course, Mi'lord." She is calm to his attentions:" You can call me by name: Narinder."
.........
Narinder is chained in the Beyond, with no possibility to leave his realm.
The rage he feels for his siblings is buring inside, but he needs to patient for the right moment to strike and they will not survive.
He passes most of his time meditating, preparing the plans for the day he will be released by his Vessel.
The silence is interrupted by something appearing in front of him, an Offering.
Narinder opens his eyes, he looks down curious: there is a black box with a letter.
"How curious..." His followers were all killed, the Faith of Death made a taboo, who would send him an Offering?
But when he takes the letter in hands, and he recognises the writing:" Shamura...." The rage is coming out.
They had chained him here and now they show "kindness" with an Offering:" Pathetic... Ridiculous!"
He was about to burn the letter and destroy the box.
"Meow..." A sound comes from the box, Narinder's ears goes up straight, be freeze in place:" Meow... Meow." His rages goes down.
He slowly turns to the box, with maximum delicacy he opens it.
Inside there are two small kittens, they can't have more than a few months:" Aym... Baal." He reads the names embroidered in their clothes.
The clothes are made by hand, and they are very familiar.
He opens the letter and starts to read:
Dear brother Narinder,
For you to not get lonely.
Shamura
He burns the letter anyway, he doesn't care for his brother pity.
"Meow!" The kittens have waken up and Aym has immediately tried to get out of the box, falling down.
"..." Narinder scoops both of them up.
Aym is dressed in black and red, he is more agitated than his twin, Baal is in white and red, he is calmer.
They both study him and the new place they found themselves in.
That gaze is very familiar, full of curiosity for what is around them.
He met only another cat that looked the world with those same eyes.
As if Narinder invoked her, a prayer is heard by his ears:" Mi'lord... Narinder, as you told me to call you all those nights ago. Please, protect my hearts. Now that our kittens are in your care, please keep them safe."
Narinder feels a new source of rage for his siblings.
Because they took his children from Forneus, their mother, imprisoning them with him down, dooming them.
"I hope you will reunite us soon."
In that moment Narinder makes a decision: Forneus will not be affected by him anymore, time will not pass for her.
So she will be reunited with her children and repaid for the time she lost, thanks to the cruelty of the Gods of the Old Faith.
........
Narinder was defeated three mortal years ago by the Lamb and is now part of their Cult.
He thought he would be more angry at the Lamb for the betrayal but, strangely, he find himself in relative peace.
There isn't anyone to fuel his anger, even if his siblings are a part of the Cult as well.
They are so pathetic in his eyes now, their new mortal bodies affected by the incurable injuries he himself had inflicted, that Narinder almost pity them. Almost.
(Still they are not on speaking terms)
(At their arrival, the Lamb tried to put them all in the same hut, against their collective will and they almost destroyed half of the huts of the Cult.)
There is only regret for the real important things that were in his life: his boys.
He hadn't seen Aym or Baal since their battle with the Lamb, his heart is silently mourning his missing children.
He never told the twins the truth about the bond that there was between them, and even if he feels love for them, be was blinded by his hate.
He made them his generals, there wasn't space for anything else in his imprisonment, there wasn't space for love.
Now that he is out, he will never tell them probably. And they are stuck on the Beyond like every other dead mortal.
Obviously he doesn't voice these concerns, the Lamb knows that there is something bothering him but be will not voice this to anyone.
This pain is his alone to have.
The shame to not honor Forneus request and his incompetence as a father are his alone to bare.
The bell of the Temple rings to call everyone over for today Sermon.
Narinder didn't intend to participate but as he walked back to his hut he heard two followers talking:" Today the Lamb is doing a strange ritual! A new one apparently for a special occasion." A fox says:" I wonder for what is it!" The Dog responds.
Now that picks Narinder's interest:" A special occasion...?" He changes direction and goes to the Temple.
When he arrives he takes his spot on the back of the Temple, far away from his siblings.
The Lamp is on the podium, looking around the room, searching for someone in particular, when their eyes land on Narinder they brightly smiles.
Narinder gets worried: 'What they are scheming now?'
"My beloved followers. Today the Sermon will be replaced by a special ritual, one made to reunite a family that was unjustly divided by a cruel fate. " They announces.
The cultist makes space in the center, only two remains there:" I thank Fiona and Alan for offering as sacrifices. Death will reward you in the Beyond." The two followers are both old, preferring to offer their bodies to their beloved leader rather than waiting for the natural course of events.
"Let's begin." The Lamb activates thier powers, starting to float in the air.
A portals opens under the two sacrifices and the black tentacles of the Beyond takes them under.
Narinder didn't understand what was so different about this ritual respect any other sacrifice, until he notices the portal remains open.
Two other tentacles emerges bringing with them to familiar furiously screaming cats: Aym and Baal.
They are dropped on the floor, angry and confused:" You damned Lamb! What have you done of our Master?!" Per usual Aym is more vocal than Baal: "So much colour...so many creatures..." He looks around confused but curious.
Narinder walks over them without hesitation, the twins turn around:" Master!" Aym exclaims:" Master...?" Baal searches for answer.
Narinder drops on his knees, hugging both of them:" Aym... Baal." The two freeze at the touch, emotions shakes inside them:" It's over, my boys. Don't worry." Sincere tears fall from his eyes.
The twins feel something break inside them, emotions that they have always felt now come to the surface, a few tears escape their eyes as they hug Narinder back.
.............
It has been a month since Aym and Baal have been brought in the living world.
They have passed most of their time to get adjusted to their new life, to how things work in the Cult and to be around people.
Narinder during this time told them that they aren't his Generals anymore and that they could do whatever they want, still the two stick around him constantly and he is their main reference point.
Narider would have preferred that the twins decided to distance themselves from him, to use more their newfound freedom.
Still he lets them stick around:" Master. What is this?" Baal asks, in his hands there is a bee:" That a bee, Baal. It's a type of insects that produces honey. Be careful with it, if it sting you it will die." Narinder explains, Ball immediately let the bee fly away, not wanting to hurt it.
"How does it die when it attacks you?" Aym asks looking at the bee who rest on a flower now:" Because..." Narinder explains them about bees biology.
They ask hundreds of questions per day about practically anything they see.
They are like children.
'They never had a real childhood...' Narinder bitterly thinks.
They haven't dropped the 'Master' for now, they cannot use Narinder's name, always too awkward.
And the ex-god hasn't told them the truth.
But all of this will change soon:" Have a safe trip. If anything happens to any of you run back here." The Lamb says worried as the three black cats leave the village.
They have offered to come with them, but Narinder insisted that it's a "family matters" and that "he needs to take care of this himself".
In the end the Lamb just let them go, but before he gave everyone a missionary talisman to be sure that all of them are safe.
.............
They began their journey yesterday.
Aym and Baal don't know why their Master is leading them around without a clear destination, or at least it seems like it.
"Master. Where are going?" Baal has the courage to ask:"We are searching for someone important to you." Narinder responds without stopping, the twins can't see his face since he is ahead of them.
Aym looks at Baal, both of them share a small hope in their heart on who this may be.
Fortunately they only have two wait only an hour to discover the truth.
A clearing is at the end of the path, when they enter it they see a wagon with a black cat seated by, on a blanket with many products on it, things from all the corners of the land and hand made clothes.
Narinder stops walking, the twins do the same as their hearts race.
She is looking in another direction when they arrive:" Hello dear costumer-" she turns to them, her voice is always energetic even after all this time but she stops talking as she sees the three cats.
"Oh." She looks in shock before smiling, big and warm:" A heart remembers. A mother shan't forget." Tears start to fall from her eyes.
Aym and Baal aren't sure if this is real, they look up to Narinder, silently asking:" Go on boys. Your mother has waited enough."
The two cat runs and jumps in Fernous arms:" Mama!" Aym cries loudly, Baal is sobbing:" My kits have returned to me." She kisses them on the head.
Narinder smiles at the scene, the only important promise he did during his imprisonment is fulfilled.
"My hearts. My babies, the day the God of War took you from me, I prayed every day to you father to take care of you as best as he could." Aym and Baal look at her with wide eyes:" And now he has brought you back to me." The twins slowly turn to their... Master? Father?
"Narinder, I knew you would reunite us but I didn't think like this." Forneus says:" I lost all hopes when I noticed time froze for me." She admits.
Narinder stands away from them but smile kindly:" Forneus, you are a gem between mortals. You didn't deserve to be punished for my siblings foolishness." He hesitate a moment:" When your.... Our kits were brought under my care and I heard your prayer I promised I would bring them back to you, that you will have your time with them back in the living world." Narinder never said it out loud:" Death always maintain their promises."
Forneus nods:" Narinder come to seat with us. Do you want to hear of my travels?" Narinder was about to refuse, he wanted to walk away from Aym and Baal's life because he knows he wasn't a good parent to them.
"Ma... Father. Please stay with us a little longer." Aym asks tears still pouring from his eyes:" Please father. We need you." Baal says, his voice trembling a little.
Narinder now is doing everything not to let a tear spill: 'Damn it... They know me too well.'
he decides to not fight it (not that he sorry about it).
Just like centuries ago, he seats down on the other side of the blanket:" So Forneus... Tell me and the boys about your travels."