Chapter 39：Resurrection

"It's amazing to think that in just four hours and eleven minutes I'll be back in the mortal realm." said James. He and the omni-god (now taking the form of a white cat) were laying on the floor of the hideout watching the clock on the wall tick and tock the hours away. They had decided not to train for the final day so James would be well rested when he returned home but it was proving to be much more boring that anticipated.

"How do you think your friends are doing on earth?" asked the omni-god. James sighed and sat up.

"I think it's probably going well. Jack may be far too powerful for any of them to go head to head with and with me dead the government won't have anything to fear. The whole reason they never attacked before is because they thought what I did to that government building was a repeatable thing. But they don't know who their up against. The timeline has been on our side for so long. It just wouldn't be right if it decided to suddenly switch sides." said James. Gaia sat down behind them and poked her head through the middle.

"You two get along to well. Almost like a married couple!" stated Gaia. Both James and the omni-god were caught by surprise. Gaia started to giggle but soon calmed herself. "It's nice though. We gods and goddesses don't have any family. By the end of our one hundredth cycle, our powers are depleted and we make our way to the mortal realm to live out the rest of our lives. Only then do we experience have a family."

"But if you go to the mortal realm then who takes over here?" asked James.

"We don't know to be honest. We're the first gods of this universe so we didn't have anyone or anything to explain what to do. Not even the omni-god knew." explained Rawley. She had just entered from the other room to see what the screams were about.

The four of them continued to talk about what they'd most like to do with the rest of their lives. Seeming as James would have immortality once he went back he decided to continue helping the asurians as well as expand his horizons to other races. Rawley said she'd love to be a law enforcer or stop intergalactic criminals but she quickly covered it up by asking Gaia what her plans were. Gaia wanted to find as many creatures that were endangered or on the verge of extinction and help their populations to increase. All eyes then fell on the omni-god. They said they didn't know what to do. They didn't fit in with any race so having a family wasn't really an option, they didn't have a special trait like the other gods and goddesses, and the only thing they were good at was fighting. The others encouraged them that they'd all find something to pursue in life but they still had a few more cycles left to find out.

James decided to go out for a walk around the realm for a while. He past the fountain and the door to purgatory, countless door to countless rooms, and gods and goddesses walking around as if nothing was going on. James had been walking for about an hour not but as he continued to walk, more and more gods and goddesses appeared with black, virus-like marks on their necks, arms, faces, and legs. That's when James reached it. They were exiting a single room with the black marks. James moved round to get a better view of inside the room. Suddenly, Jack exited the room and James dived behind a wall. Jack hadn't spotted him yet but if he walked this way James would surely be found. James looked through a small hole in the wall and saw Jack talking to a tall person wearing black leather.

"The final round of reconditioning is now complete. The war on the mortal realm can now begin." said Jack. The person grinned.

"Well done Jack. It seems picking you to be my disciple was a good choice after all. Has there been any sign of James? I'm surprised in five months he hasn't made a return!" exclaimed the person.

"Nothing has been reported. For all we know my attack could have wiped out his soul."

"Hmm, good ... I guess. That'll be all for now. Get the troops ready, we attack in twelve hours."

"Yes, Okubi."

Okubi?! That was his great-great-grandfather? This whole time he had only been an hour's walk away from the leader of the war against the omni-god! James needed to get the Gaia and the others to warn them about this but there was too many people about. He'd be spotted. He had to try. Putting his hood up, James walked back to the hideout keeping his head down and made sure not to look at anyone. Half way back, James bumped into someone and looked up. Two large guards had been placed in the way to probably stop anyone from finding the reconditioned gods and goddesses. The one James had bumped into looked down as James looked up and their eyes met. James froze as the guard pulled his hood back.

"Who're you? I've never seen you around here before?" said the guard. The second one joined in and together they blocked James in and prevented any escape.

"I-I'm the new god of fire. After the other one was banished I was selected to take their place." replied James. The guards looked at each other and then back to James.

"Prove it! If your the new god of fire then make a flame." demanded the other guard. James did as they asked a ignited a red flame in his hand. Just to put the cherry on top, he tossed it from hand to hand and finished by making the shape of a bird with the flame. The two guards were impressed and let him pass.

"Boss, he's here." whispered the guard as James hurriedly walked off putting his hood back up.

James burst into the hideout and collapsed onto the floor.

"What happened to you? Did you jog for the two hours you were gone?" asked the omni-god. They were playing what seemed to be a variation of 'go fish' on the floor. Rawley picked James up and put him in a chair.

"You've got just two hours until you can return to the mortal realm and already you're exhausting yourself!" complained Rawley.

The omni-god transformed into his white bird form and fluttered onto James' lap.

"Did anyone follow you?" asked the omni-god. James shook his head.

"I don't think so. There were two guards but I tricked them into thinking I was the new god of fire."

Suddenly, the door was kicked in a Jack stepped into the room.

"Found you." he said. Rawley and Gaia grabbed James and pulled him into the room with the ritual circle in it. The omni-god transformed into the form of a woman with two axes. One of which was thrown at Jack to get him off guard while the other was thrown and pinned him to the wall.

"We need to send him through the portal now!" yelled the omni-god.

"He hasn't completed his five months yet! It's illegal for us to send him back!" replied Rawley. Jack pulled the axe out of the wall and threw it back at the omni-god.

"For once Rawley, stop being so stiff and live a little!" yelled Gaia. She positioned James in the middle of the circle and bit her felt thumb. She drew a strange symbol in the air out of her blood and then chanted a peculiar verse. The circle began to glow and James was slowly drawn down through the floor. Jack and the omni-god continued to battle in the other room but Jack got a firm punch in and send the omni-god flying through the wall. Rawley stepped in and put on a pair of glasses. Circular symbols appeared around Jack and Rawley took out a hammer. She threw it at Jack and chains of all lengths and thicknesses seemed to consume Jack and prevent any movement. Beams of dark energy sliced out of gaps in the chains and Jack burst out. He kicked Rawley in the stomach and she collapsed to the floor. He burst into the ritual room but it was too late. Gaia had finished the ritual and James was on his way to the mortal realm.