The New Elemental God

The table was long enough for the Four Gods to sit side by side at the head. Still in ceremonial silence, after the Gods took their place on the floor, everyone sat down.

As if the clock had started ticking again, an ambience music echoed, filling the silence and allowing Adam to breathe out heavily. His respiration normalized as he looked up to check the table.

Everyone's eyes were on them. Admiration, joy, hope—Adam could see all these emotions on the guests' faces. It was so different from that night in the City of Spirits. These people saw them in a holy manner that made the Playboy uncomfortable.

Physically, they all resembled the people from the City. Adam saw a person with a face that reminded him of a snake, which made him wonder. That should have shocked him, but it didn't. Instead, he thought about how Marduk's presence had frightened him immediately. To Adam, he was monstrous regardless of how completely human he looked. 

The citizens of that dimension, they looked different from what he was used to, but in a better way. Adam didn't care to see their exterior, he saw those people's souls and it was beautiful.

"Good evening. I'm Agnis, and I thank you for your presence at the Fire Temple."

A feminine creature with the most incredible features knelt to stand a little higher than everyone, since they were sitting on the floor. She had a wide puma-like nose that connected to her honey feline eyes. On her head, short ears were almost imperceptible under her voluminous reddish hair.

"It's an honor to receive all the Elemental Gods at once in our hometown."

She clapped, and the whole table joined her. In the few faces Adam had the courage to look at, all he saw was the same emotion—Admiration. If only they knew why they were there. They would have a very different look on their faces.

"And we have a special gift for the New Earth God."

Startled, the Newbie's insides turned to ice as he was mentioned. No one had told him about that. Desperate, he looked at Hikari, who simply nodded—he assumed it was encouragement.

The woman stood up, and some quick fellas brought a long, ornamented wooden box and positioned themselves behind the speaker.

Lost, Adam didn't know if he was supposed to stay where he was or bow. Stressed, Adam looked for Shu to tell him what to do so they signaled for the dumb-ass to stand up.

Clueless on how to act godly in those situations, Adam waved at the guests with a silly smirk on his face. From above, he heard Shu muffle a giggle, making the God grind his teeth.

"From the moment we heard we would have a New Earth God, our best smiths began working on this gift." The feline speaker continued.

The two carriers stepped forward. Their skin was a vibrant shade of green, exactly like well nurtured leaves. Their hands were long, thin vines wrapped around the box. Looking closely at their faces, Adam could see veins, just like in a leaf. It was so fascinating that Adam smiled, and the carriers appeared embarrassed.

"It was a tradition to present the Earth God with a war hammer."

Caught off guard, Adam trembled at the image of such a weapon. He would never hold anything like it.

"But our Priest had a vision of the New God bearing a different kind of weapon."

Inside his chest, the God's heart stopped. That speech was touching feelings Adam didn't know he had.

"Something no other Earth God has ever used. He called it The Carmine Blade."

The carriers' vines unwrapped from around the box and opened it before Adam. Inside laid a red blade, so polished that he could see himself perfectly reflected in the metal. Feeling overwhelmed by such a gift, the young God just stood there, examining the sword from afar.

Beyond his reflection, Adam noticed notches in the metal depicting a creature with many snake heads and the body of a dragon attacking a man with a sword.

The hilt was another work of art—black as the walls of the volcano, decorated with gold threads and a ruby stone right in the middle.

"This is…" He mumbled under everyone's dense expectations. "SICK!"

Adam grabbed the sword and raised it above his head, feeling like an ancient, powerful warrior.

"By the power of Grayskull!" Overly excited, he shouted, shattering the holy silence as the 10-meter-long table filled with guests watched him with dropped jaws.

At the head, Shu and Calder were failing to hide their laughter, while Hikari was staring at him with the deadliest look ever. As he met her eyes, he suddenly calmed down and lowered the sword, placing it back in the box and closing it. She shook her head after the box closed and turned her torso back, but Adam could have sworn he saw the tip of a smile on her lips before she looked away.

The Earth God cleared his throat, then bowed respectfully to the speaker, the carriers, and the guests.

"I mean, thank you. It's a very distinct present. I appreciate it."

Agnis giggled and bowed before showing him back to his place at the table.

"Now, let's eat!"

As if to make everyone forget Adam's awkward moment, the speaker quickly changed the subject, and the food began to be served.

"Who's 'Grayskull'?" Calder, already looking better than ever, asked between smirks once Adam sat down.