Chapter 3 of GOB!

Chapter 3 is here and it's going to be a fun one! The original manga stopped a few pages into this chapter so most of what your about to read is brand new GOB content that I've never shared online before! :)

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it

(FYI - I'll be taking a short break to work on some new artwork for GOB this week as well as a few other side projects. So I'll be back with chapter 4 soonish!) 

Chapter 3 - A Dream and a Destiny

I opened my eyes to a black abyss, the feeling of waves passing over my body. Disoriented, I sat up, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Most of what I could see was darkness, but beneath me, a sea of lukewarm water stretched endlessly. Where am I? The thought echoed in my head as I tried to focus through the haze.

As I looked to the sky, I saw strange swirling clouds and multicolored stars, merging with the atmosphere. The horizon had blurred where the water met the sky. It seemed endless and empty. I blinked, trying to absorb the vastness of it all. The only sign of life—if you could call it that—was that voice that spoke to me. A chill crept up my spine, as the oppressive silence weighed in on me. I forced myself to speak, my voice barely steady as it reverberated into the deep. “Hello?” 

Nothing. At least, at first. I stood up and tried again. "Who's there? Who spoke?"

I turned to scan the water again. Maybe something was in there. As I tried to peer through it, a flicker of light caught my eye on its surface.

“Yeah, that’d be me! Right behind ya’!” The voice rang out suddenly. I flinched; the reply came much quicker than I expected, with a strange accent I’d never heard of before. Slowly, I turned my head, my body following the motion.

What I saw wasn’t remotely close to what I imagined.

Floating before me was a giant yellow banana, glowing in a radiant light. It boomed, “I am the all-powerful Sun God, Tonatiuh!” The deep voice echoed from the fruit. “At your service, little lady~!”

My jaw must have dropped. Is this for real? I thought in disbelief. “It’s… it’s a talking banana!”

The fruit, or rather the Sun God as it claimed, seemed to sense my delay and spoke again. “Huh... maybe my grand entrance needs some work.” A whoosh of magic spun the banana around, and now it had a human-like face on its surface. “Ahem! I am the all-powerful— Wait a minute, did you just say ‘banana’?”

I fell back into the water at the sight. After seeing a face like that I couldn’t help but scream "C-Creepy banana!!" I shouted as I pointed at it, trembling.

The Sun God froze. “...Ha?”

Then it bellowed, “HAAAAAAAA-?!”

Flustered, his voice became indignant as he zipped over to me. A mere few inches away from my face. “Now hold up! Just who do you think you’re talkin’ to, huh? I’m a god! A god! Can’t ya see that? This is just my fruit form!”

I raised my hands in defense, trying to create space between us. “U-Uhh…”

"Why, I’m so benevolent, I actually spared your eyes from blindness! Because my real form would have done just that! Yeah…yeah that’s right! Hehe…” He muttered to himself. I stared at him in silence. It sounded like it was trying to convince itself more than me. 

“I mean, doncha think I’m intimidatin’ enough as it is?” He asked proudly has he closed his eyes and crossed his peels in front of him like he had human arms

Tonatiuh’s glowing body did seem to radiate with an intensity that made the surrounding air shimmer. His light cut through the abyss like a miniature sun. But no amount of brilliance could mask the absurdity of a banana speaking with authority. 

He must have noticed the awkward silence between us because his eyes immediately popped back open

"HEY HEY HEY! This is the part where you’re supposed to agree with me! ” He exclaimed 

“Oh, uh… sorry?” I replied, utterly lost.

“S-SORRY?! Why, I oughta—” The god was fuming but he paused when he saw me tense up again. He sighed deeply. “You know what? This is stupid. This is all so stupid! My plan’s never gonna work out at this rate.”

His once booming voice became deflated as he slouched, turning away. “Why should I, a mighty god, have to come all the way down here from heaven to talk to these mortals who never take me seriously to begin with?”

In his frustration, he suddenly seemed more human than divine. Despite how strange he was, I could relate to that feeling of being ignored. But what was this warrior plan he was talking about? I wondered. Was that the reason he’d called out to me? 

"I mean, you're probably not even listening to me right now," he grumbled as he sunk his face deep into his banana peel

“What plan?” I asked, genuinely curious.

He froze, blinking in surprise. “Y-You mean… you’re actually interested?” It was as if it was the first time someone had ever taken the time to actually hear what he was saying. 

I nodded, and his eyes widened further. He began to stammer as he regained his confidence "...Ah! Er, yes! I mean why wouldn’t you be interested in a god’s plan after all right?” 

“Right,” I nodded again like I was trying to reassure a little kid. 

The Sun God brightened. “Well, you're right to be impressed little missy!" “See, I’ve got a plan here that could help us both out! I call it… Operation Champion!” A giant glowing text appeared in the sky, spelling out the words dramatically.

There was another awkward pause.

“Or, uh... Project Secret Warrior? I’m still working on the names…” He said bashfully as the giant text poofed away. “The point is, it’s simple. You just gotta do as I say from here on out, kapeesh?”

My curiosity had deepened. “Do what, exactly?”

The space nearby us had flickered. An image was beginning to form in the clouds on the water, "See those weirdly designed clouds over there?" the sun god asked as he placed a banana peel around me and pointed to the area with another. 

“Y-Yeah…?” I replied hesitantly.

I squinted and saw an image of a temple—the same one my family and I often visit to make offerings to the gods.

“All you have to do,” Tonatiuh explained, “is sneak into the temple without the guards catching ya, drink the Sun God Offering at the altar, and—voila! You’re a hero! And I’m the god with the bragging rights!”

The Sun God Offering? I’ve heard of it before— I knew that the priests had used it for a sacred ritual but because I never paid attention to that stuff in school that was the only thing I remembered about it. 

 “...So that’s it? I just gotta sneak in and drink it?” I blinked, taking in the words.

“Exactly! There's not that many guards on duty tonight, so it'll be a cinch to get around em’!” He said confidently. 

"What happens to me after I do that?" I asked curiously

Tonatiuh paused, his glowing banana face tilting just slightly. "Eh? Isn't it obvious? It grants you divine strength, kid! A small portion of power straight from the Sun God himself! That's the key to becoming a great warrior ya know" He puffed out his chest—or rather, his yellow body. 

I frowned and my brow furrowed. Divine strength... That sounded incredible, but it almost sounded like it was cheating or something. I mean don’t get me wrong - a part of me was thrilled at the idea. I’d been training and dreaming for this for so long, and now a god—a god—was handing me the opportunity I had always wanted.

But another part of me hesitated. Is this really how I want to become a warrior? By doing it this way? All those hours practicing with my makeshift spear, trying to prove myself… Would it mean anything if I simply relied on divine intervention? Still, the temptation was undeniable.

I think he was beginning to sense my concerns because he added “You know, If you're worried about your laws - then don’t be. I have more authority than they do on these things.” He said as he examined his own peel.

“You do?” I asked, ignoring my own doubts. 

The banana god smiled almost mischievously as he placed his peels behind his head and kicked back on a hammock that appeared out of thin air “Yup! Though I won’t be making this offer to ya again in the future! This here is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you should take advantage of it while I’m willing!” 

“If you do decide to team up with me, then I can promise you that you won't regret it!” He claimed

I couldn’t help but wonder… could he really change everything? Could I finally become the warrior I’ve always wanted to be?

He looked at me once more as the hammock poofed away. 

“So, do we have a deal?” He asked as he extended his peel toward me.

***

I woke up with a jolt, and I gasped as my body reconnected with my mind. When I glanced around, I saw that Mom and Chalchi were still fast asleep - their soft breaths filling the room. Outside, the dream catcher chimed faintly, mingling in with the sounds of crickets. Was all of that just a dream? I couldn’t tell. I’ve dreamt of strange things like this before - but this one felt different. Does the Sun God actually want to team up with someone like me?

My gaze drifted to the small window. In the distance, the temple stood, bathed in torchlight beneath the stars. Quiet. Unassuming.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... Tonatiuh’s words echoed in my head.

But a dark thought crept in—If a god had to step in to help me become a warrior, does that mean that I could have never done it on my own, no matter how hard I tried?

"You know that's impossible Chima," Chalchi’s voice suddenly rang in my mind. “You’d be better off finding something else to pursue and letting go of this… obsession you have with fighting.”

Then my mother’s words followed right after. "We want you to pursue more realistic things.”

And finally, Tupoc’s cruel jokes: "Shouldn’t you be helping your mom in the kitchen? You don’t belong on the battlefield." I could almost hear them laughing at me. 

I could feel my fists tightening in my lap as I recounted all the times that people have told me to give up on my dream. No, the sun god is right, I finally determined. This is my only chance! My eyes fell on the corner of the room where my makeshift spear and shield leaned against the wall. With newfound determination, I pushed back my fear and made my decision. I was going to leave and pursue this new path. 

Without a sound, I got up and threw on some clothes and put on my black warpaint with my fingers. As I applied it, the cold sensation on my cheeks felt realer than ever before - it only served to reinforce how I felt. Last of all, my weapons of choice. I didn’t think I needed my shield. It would only make it harder to get past the patrol I thought. But I did choose to bring my trusty spear with me as I made my way to the door. Its familiar weight in my hand reminded me that I was ready for any battle.

With one last glance back at my sleeping family, I murmured, “I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon” 

“I have to become a warrior no matter what it takes!,” I echoed Eloy’s advice in my head as I stepped out into the night. Leaving the safety of the hut behind me. 

END