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Chapter Thirty-Nine
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ishaq couldn't air a scream as the beast crawled onto the stone tablet towards him. His voice had fled. His eyes riveted on the crude dagger held in the hirsute fist.
"You reek of purity," Babi leered, droplets of salvia dripping from his chin in anticipation. "And you have the added delight of being favoured and adored. It makes for a delicacy like no other."
He leapt with ease, landing akimbo over Ishaq's form. The light from the failing lamp casting a ghastly flicker over his grotesque features and distorting them all the more.
Ishaq could barely breathe, knowing it was soon to cease altogether. His head fell back, compelled by some unseen force, making his neck as weak as the stems that held the floral crowns in the fields.
He stared at the darkness swelling above him, hoping beyond hope that this was a cruel dream he could suddenly awaken from.
"I yield my wrath against He that destro
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Zuberi kept a low profile when he returned, working quietly with only an iota of acid spat at anyone who dared push a conversation.It lessened any suspicion that would have occurred had he simply gone about duties with no complaint. He knew his reputation.The butler had decided to play a safer game, rather than questioning directly. There was scant chance of finding truth under interrogation and even though his method took more time, it was safer than running the risk of warning and rumour spreading.Those who served the Gods were not always pious, and the worst was easy to bring out.Despondency had begun to settle on him as the days passed and nothing had been discovered. In fact, he had just started to admit defeat. The palace had taken on the feeling of a tomb of the living, the occupations moving uneasily and mindlessly about their duties whilst their master bore out his hours in fits of dejection or wicked ire.T
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The sky yawned wide across the gardens, unlimited in its blackness, both comforting and menacing. Once, it had held some solace to Zuberi, able to lose himself in its infinity as he counted and admired the winking stars.This evening the purple patchwork did little to quell his rising anxiety, it simply reminded him of bruised skin, beaten and blackened for grievous sin.The emerald grass was soft under his feet, giving the feel of walking on crafted velvet. Tiny blooms peeked out from the blades, attracting strange insects that went on to pollinate the food of the Gods.Around him, grand trees curved, forming a bower over the gravel path he was ignoring. Between them, exotic plants stood proud, emitting a perfume like no other.Even in his haven of beauty, he felt the unsettling sensation of someone watching him from nearby by. Turning around he was only slightly relieved to see Mandisa, her canny eyes watching from the hood o
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Like the sky above in the mortal realm, the atmosphere within the palace walls was thunderous. A brewing storm raging in the silence.Sitting alone in her prayer corner, Mandisa trembled. There was a coldness circulating and every person she had come across that day had retreated to their quarters.No work had been accomplished that day, all hands had been idle or clasping in their laps. None could place the discontent that gained ground every second, but all were waiting for it to flourish and ignite.She wrapped her haik about her shoulders, whispering prayers under her breath but couldn't shake the fear of the rising tempest that she knew was about to strike.At one minute past midnight, it broke. A monsoon of blood and terror.The walls became stained with scarlet, flesh clung to every surface, torn from the bones of even the most innocent. Not one living being was spared the wrath.
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"Here, your first taste of reward."Harrison held his hand out, staring as a shimmering coin was dropped into it. The engraving sang of age, even if the surface was pristine.He turned it over slowly, feeling his henchmen lean over to get a better look.The warehouse echoed with back word, enhancing the aura of power, and one almost feared the heavy iron girders that supported the ramshackle roof would give if disturbed even more.In the corner Aiden sat, watching silently and shrinkingly. His only move was to stoke a small, controlled fire he had kindled to give some light to the dark and some consolation to his own soul. It offered little warmth but much smoke that he watched curl up and twist out the gaps above.His leg still smarted if he moved too much and he couldn't help but wonder why he was even being kept alive, except to suffer.The glimmer of gold caught his attention, wanin
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A thin mist trickled from the sickly scented fluid that burned in vial. Its odour was a merge of death and life, crafting sensations of unease and uncertainty.It was a wise smell. Knowing more than it would ever give away, even when created by the great God himself.Atum watched with baited breath, knitting his fingers together as it wisped about the old map, dipping and tripping as it searched.Slowly and surely, it began to settle over an area, on closer inspection Atum saw it was an old churchyard just outside the outskirts of the city."I should have known," he muttered irritably "blasted grave robbers never had any care or respect. The curses that befell them were fitting, albeit perhaps rather too lenient when one considers the damage they did." He unconsciously ground his teeth, stopping only when his jaw began to ache. "Have they no respect for the dead or their resting place?"He gave a sigh and s
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Am-Heh's presence was being felt all over the globe, and none felt it more than Isaac who watched the earth below in the strange reflection of the mirrored panel and waited with baited breath for the God's return.It was with both fear and eagerness that he waited to see that bright doorway appear and open, all those memories awake and illuminated in his mind. He needed to speak, open the others soul and tear free the memories that were linked with his own.Only then, he truly believed, would the air be cleared and perhaps, with every God's blessing, the world could be restored to what passed as normal.He clutched the amulet hanging about his neck, feeling the warmth throb from within. It was disconcerting to think that his own blood and flesh had been responsible for its creation."The key to the past and the future," he muttered as he got to his feet to catch a soft breeze that had started to flow through the w
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Aiden looked on in repulsion as the black dog lunged forward and seized the ungainly corpse in its maws. Thick blood spilled over the ground and all life was shaken from it. Hurling the limp remains to the ground, the beast tore what meat it could, rejecting much of it, too rancid even for his stomach. The smell of rotten meat filled the near vicinity, making Aiden heave, bile burning his already dry throat and making the nausea worse. He couldn't deny the attack worked. The approaching dead stopped in their tracks, looking hungrily at Aiden but making no further movement. Their eyes, if indeed they had them, flitted to the scattered flesh, ready to clear it up once the pair had passed. "Thanks," Aiden muttered, keeping close as he limped along. "Dunno if you can understand, but seems like I should thank you." The dog cast a sideways look at him but made no sign of hearing the gratitude in his voice
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Isaac managed to stop himself diving for cover as a brilliant flash illuminated the room. A spinning vortex tore open the air and Am-Heh emerged.Gone were the modern articles of clothing, the constricting garments piquing his heightened irritation, replaced by the freedom of the old attire.Looking at him, Isaac felt the old feeling of awe and adoration kindle inside, a sense of nostalgia for the days of old and could almost feel the stifling desert heat."I sense disturbance," Am-Heh said, his eyes dark. "The scent of another God. What a surprise, they never do learn to mind their own business." His hawkish gaze fell of Isaac. "I hope you had common sense enough to bite your tongue, careless talk could mean losing it.""It was Shu," Isaac's stomach sank. "And no, I didn't say anything he didn't already know. How can I? It's not like you've really opened up to me." His looked up, his soft eyes feeling like needle
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The Forgotten God Epilogue
Several Months LaterIt's strange how people react after disaster. You see the best of people and the worst. Thankfully, it's mostly been the former. Things are being repaired, getting back to normal with the help of big companies and small. Not to mention the dedicated do-it-yourself people.Scientists have been wracking their brains to find the cause of such a global phenomenon. The best they have come up with so far is an imbalance in the eco-system and perhaps in the space around. And, of course, religious nut-jobs have been having a field day preaching about how sin and immorality is the cause. They haven't pinpointed a particular sin this time, they can't, it's too wide. So, the whole world has been tarnished. Except for themselves of course.Funny. They're actually closer than the scientists when it comes down to it. Except that it isn't the doing of the God who watches now.Mysteries come out daily. Strange creatures spotted in the sea, too rapid for anyone to get hold of, a
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The dogs ran rampant through the living dead. Limbs flew, congealed blood oozed and the smell of rotting flesh permeated the air even more.Those who tried to fight back, biting and clawing were soon defeated, their blackened teeth unable to even scratch the thick skin.Blood and foam frothed at the mouths, neither willing to allow the rancid meat to drop down their gullets. They still remembered the luscious fresh meat that had been given in their best. Tender and prepared with care. What they caught now, on those rare occasions they needed to feed, was not a patch on it.And these beings were not fit for rats.They ignored the humans, save for knocking some over. None seemed injured, even if they hit the concrete hard enough to break a bone. They simply sat up, or lay there. Dazed and in a world of their own. With no voices ringing in their heads, their addled minds forged on to return to normal.They had long since given up on trying to understand anything.When they finished here,
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Six
You have changed me by your love.Thus say I in my heart,In my soul, at my prayers:"I lack my commander tonight,I am as one dwelling in a tomb."Be you but in health and strength,Then the nearness of your countenanceSheds delight, by reason of your well-being,Over a heart, which seeks you with longing.Time felt as if it were slowing down as Isaac made his way over the debris and towards where the horrors had occurred. Everything frozen in eerie stillness under the decrepit skyline.Dust puffed up with each step he took, his heart beating harder as the shell of the main room opened up to greet him.Immediately he saw Atum, shifting from one foot to another as if he had a cramp he couldn't release. The look in the older God's eyes immediately heightened his anxiety and he hastened forward, only to be stopped when Atum lifted his hand.What is written on the brow would inevitably be seen by the eye and his silence said more than his words."Do not allow yourself to weaken. Your st
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The door shook with the force of the crowd outside, throwing themselves against it blindly. Three had moved to the window and already, their palms were bleeding as the glass cracked and pierced their skin, staining the shards red. Mr Montford and Ash hauled a small book case across the room. The carpet and their haste making it all the more difficult. If there was something for it to snag on or get caught on, then it did. Penalty, perhaps, for dumping its contents into an unsightly pile as if they were logs for the fire. "Is there an attic?" Marie called as she leaned against the sideboard they'd positioned at the door. The drawers already flung from their cubby with the force from outside. "A basement is no good, we'd be completely trapped. But an attic...that seems safer." "I didn't see," Mr Montford answered, sweat pouring from his brow and impeding his grip. "I doubt it. I remember these houses being built. People exchanged attics for garages, easier to access." "And they didn
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Four
Shu beckoned the mortals down one of the alleyways that cut through the buildings to the once bustling streets. People had emerged, loitering hopelessly about the abandoned cars, their eyes glazed and their ears deaf to anything but the words of an unseen being."I cannot guide you to safety," Shu said, his voice full of remorse. "I must find Atum. This battle will ricochet about the world, and you humans do enough damage without the added help. Please," he looked at the four imploring. "These humans are bedevilled. If you can avoid harming them, I would be grateful.""We won't," Isaac spoke up, still struggling with the tight ropes about him. Try and they might, the bonds refused to give. "But you must tell Atum that Am-Heh is not behind all of this. There has to be mercy in him." Tears stung his eyes. Glistening droplets he swiftly blinked back. His voice becoming soft. "I don't want to lose him."Shu gazed at him. Lost for words. No reassurance could be uttered, he couldn't read At
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Three
A shrill shriek shattered the atmosphere as Babi tore towards Am-Heh, the sword raised high. It swung down, shattering through the arm of the reaching demon.One bite from the blade meant agony. And the wail that left the putrid mouth told of it.The eyes glazed with bubbling anger, and it swung, showering the area in burning blood. All the while trying to rise further, stopped only by the undigested meal in its stomach.Mr Montford grimaced as the warm blood descended, trickling in thick droplets like the vilest of rain. It wouldn't stop him. One dig he was on, many moons ago, never stopped even when they hit a sewage pipe.Although it delayed them when trying to clean. And when the local authorities got involved to remedy it.He slipped on the gore, trying his best to avoid it as he made his way over to where Ash indicated. As he neared, the air seemed to become thicker, as if he was walking through tar or against a high wind.His breath became harsh as the pressure became stronger.
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-Two
Am-Heh didn't baulk at the chaotic sight that met him. Instead, he looked with disdain at the gangly beast that was struggling to free itself and the summoned spirits that hissed at it.It seemed humans were not the only beings that refused to work in tandem.He offered a curt nod as the injured Templar. His use, and that of the others, were over. The last thing was to strengthen the rising forces, and his blood would suffice.It would give the might to break the chains but keep him tethered until, and if, he was required.He didn't watch as the broken body struggled to its feet, stumbling over the remains of his shattered horse, wielding his sword. He heard the clang of steel, the swing striking tough, leathery skin that refused to break under the blade. In the corner of his vision, he saw sparks as the steel chipped, flakes of flesh flying amongst them. He could picture the defeat from the violent, wet noises that sounded beh
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty-One
In Egypt; Anubis watched as the city smouldered. The cyclone sliding back down from the bubbling skies like a reverse volcano, sweeping away the crumbled remains of homes and business.He hung his head, feeling powerless for once in his long existence. The help he could give was like sharing a grain of rice among a starving village.Worthless.In London; the Thames bubbled. Strange beasts rose and fell in the boiling water that threatened to burst the banks and roast alive anyone who fell in its path.People sheltered in basements, in attics and had even pried the covers off manholes, only to find the threat beneath just as great.In Africa; the rich were crushed by the opulence they had hoarded, money unable to save them from the rage of nature. And the poor cowered, finding dents in the ground or concealed hidey-holes in desperate attempts to shield the most needy of them all.All over the world, s
The Forgotten God Chapter Sixty
Kyle had no idea on how to approach the gathered dead. It seemed, rather stereotypically, a blow to their skulls finished them, but there were more than ten of them. Not to mention the mounted templar who, eyeless as he was, looked thirsty for more blood to stain his hands."Why are you listening to him?" Marie whispered, lifting her voice enough to be heard over the grunts and groans. She wasn't sure why she was showing him any pity, not after what he'd done. She assumed it was just her social conscious, and the strict teaching of her mother, never to turn ones' back. "You could do so much better.""Shut your mouth," Kyle snapped, feeling Babi's icy gaze on him. "You don't know anything! This is my only chance in life to get anywhere, to get anything. Life doesn't care about people like me.""I thought that. Once."Kyle wrinkled with nose and picked up a fallen plank. It would do. With enou
