
Sonderous
In the summer of 1877, Intiak—a godling calling himself Tak—wanders the American Southwest, hiding among mortals and indulging in fleeting pleasures. His existence, ageless and unrooted, is disrupted when he meets Henry McCarty, the boy destined to become Billy the Kid. In Silver City, a single night of stories and laughter sparks a connection that neither immortal nor mortal can ignore.
Over the span of several weeks, Tak and Henry ride together, sleep under open skies, and exchange dreams. What begins as a dalliance deepens into something sacred. Tak, for the first time in his endless life, feels tethered. But he knows the truth: Henry is mortal. And Tak can never be fully honest about what he is—not without risking everything.
Fearing that the love he offers might one day destroy Henry, Tak chooses to leave without goodbye. Years later, after learning of Henry’s death, Tak collapses in grief and tries to unmake himself—scattering his essence into the cosmos. His divine siblings save him, but it is the ancient goddess Asherah who pleads with Yahweh for one act of mercy: a final night.
Tak and Henry reunite under starlight, beyond the grip of time, and are granted a single night to love again. Moved by their bond, Tak’s siblings build a sanctuary in Tir na nÓg: a house of dreams and memory. And on every Christmas Eve in the mortal realm, the veil thins—just long enough for Tak to find Henry again. For one night. Or always. The difference, even the gods sometimes forget.
Over the span of several weeks, Tak and Henry ride together, sleep under open skies, and exchange dreams. What begins as a dalliance deepens into something sacred. Tak, for the first time in his endless life, feels tethered. But he knows the truth: Henry is mortal. And Tak can never be fully honest about what he is—not without risking everything.
Fearing that the love he offers might one day destroy Henry, Tak chooses to leave without goodbye. Years later, after learning of Henry’s death, Tak collapses in grief and tries to unmake himself—scattering his essence into the cosmos. His divine siblings save him, but it is the ancient goddess Asherah who pleads with Yahweh for one act of mercy: a final night.
Tak and Henry reunite under starlight, beyond the grip of time, and are granted a single night to love again. Moved by their bond, Tak’s siblings build a sanctuary in Tir na nÓg: a house of dreams and memory. And on every Christmas Eve in the mortal realm, the veil thins—just long enough for Tak to find Henry again. For one night. Or always. The difference, even the gods sometimes forget.
The story
Chapters
- JUNE 1, 1877 — Silver City
- JUNE 2, 1877 — Outside Silver City
- JUNE 3, 1877 — Camping
- JUNE 4, 1877 — The Hidden Oasis
- JUNE 5, 1877 — Campfire Confessions
- JUNE 6, 1877 — Blueprint Dreams
- JUNE 7, 1877 — Course Correction
- JUNE 8, 1877 — Ridgeline Shenanigans
- JUNE 9, 1877 — The Silence Between
- JUNE 10, 1877 — Fear Guides
- JUNE 11, 1877 — The Stillness Before
- JUNE 12, 1877 — Dust and Distance
- JUNE 13, 1877 — Starless Sky
- JUNE 14, 1877 — The Edges of Things
- JUNE 15, 1877 — Flint and Flint
- JUNE 16, 1877 — Sparks
- JUNE 17, 1877 — Ember and Ash
- JUNE 18, 1877 — Friction
- JUNE 19, 1877 — The Fire Itself
- JUNE 20, 1877 — Morning
- DEPARTURE
- Henry is Gone
- Even a God can Fade
- A Plea to Heaven
- The House that Love Built.
- Lá Teaghlaigh
- Appendix I: Folded in the Boot (Henry’s Letter)
- Appendix II: Assorted Sketches
- Appendix III: The House that Love Built