Jonunji*, known to his friends as Jon, is a god. He's one of the lesser-known gods, and in the present day, an almost entirely un-worshipped god. this presents a problem, as gods survive on the worship of mortals and despite being the god of fire, who bestowed the aforementioned element upon mankind, Jon hasn't received any worship for quite some time. Those who aren't worshipped for a period of several hundred years or so (it depends on the god), lose conciousness. God, sat up in heaven with his angels is alright, but in the polytheistic camp, times are not so good. Small Breezes, for example, lost consciousness centuries ago. It was for this reason, to decide how to restore themselves to their former glory, that the Council of Gods was held, chaired (controversially) by Concern, (logically) Logic and (rationally) Rationality.
The Council began, Punctuality keeping everyone to schedule. Concern launched immediately into worrying, anxiety ringing loudly in his voice,
"We all know why we have been summoned here today. We are wasting away; losing consciousness. Without the mortals' worship, or belief, none of us will last long. Not even you, Luck." He had an unnerving ability to make the circumstances seem desperate and hopeless, no matter what the situation, with nothing more than the sound of his voice. Rationality brought things back into perspective, calming Panic,
"Now there is no reason to lose our heads here. We still have options. But firstly, why in all of our Names was Concern chosen to Chair this Council!?" he queried, incredulous.
"We all know what happens when he starts talking!" at this point, the Council erupted into argument, gods (not known for their placid natures) arguing against gods, insulting and retorting. Down on earth, an earthquake destroyed a small island in the Pacific, and a long-dormant volcano killed fifteen sightseers. Arguments in the heavenly realms can have unfortunate consequences.
"Now please, please!"Roared Control, "Let's keep this civil, can we? Please?"
"You're right" agreed Logic, the hall now quiet and attentive once more, "as Rationality so sensibly pointed out, we do still have options. There are several cards up our sleeves that we can still play. An Act of Wonder or two is always good for renewing belief" - Doubt interrupted -
"Yes, but that never works for us! God separates some water and suddenly everyone believes. Whenever we try similar gigs, all the credit goes to God, or Allah, or somebody else. The fact of the matter is that nobody really believes in us poly-deities any more." The Council was silent. They all knew it was true. The gods hadn't felt so hopeless since Despair had his embarrassingly public emotional breakdown.
*Jonunji means 'fire' in an ancient Polynesian language, which is now extinct. The ancient Polynesian tribe had worshipped Jonunji, and named him so. Ironically, the entire Polynesian tribe was wiped out when a nearby volcano erupted during their annual Fire Ritual. The event was something Jon always felt somewhat guilty for.
~J.L.
