This is a gift, it comes with a price, who is the lamb and who is the knife?
I wiped the blood of the last guardian of my sword. When it was clean I sheaved it, and turned to look at the young man. He barely had a beard, I thought about the life he could have had, while the priests dragged his body away to join the others. Like the rest of us he had given everything for the ritual. The Bishop came over to congratulate me, his words felt empty.
“Why do so many of them have to die?” The question slipped out, I knew the answer though.
“My Lord, the ritual is clear. Your soul must be branded by the blood of the innocent, while you remain innocent. They are all sacrifices.” I thought about the young men, I had been them a decade ago. Now I was the sword, and they were the lambs of god.
I followed the Bishop away from the arena. My body ached from constant battles. I had proved my strength, all the pain was worth it. The Bishop led me into the song chamber. The monks were already chanting, their voices beautiful in their harmony. The chant was old, few remembered the true meaning of the words. The emotion was real, everyone here had seen me fight each guardian. Their sorrow and hope was woven into their chant as I was led by the Bishop up the central aisle.
There was a momentary quake, the room shaking and the lights flickering. No one batted an eye. The bombardment was closer everyday as the Enemy closed on the capital. The Bishop reached the pedestal adjacent to the Pit. I walked to the base of the steps that led to the Pit. I kneeled down and began my silent prayers as the Bishop began his recitation.
“Since the time the Great ones walked the earth, our civilisation has stood as Guardians against the Stars. We fought the angels of the other side. We sacrificed so that others may live, today we have done it again, today we give our greatest!” The Bishop turned to look at me, his hands gripping the pedestal.
“He who remained innocent, while he killed the innocents. His soul is marked with their blood, so the beast may feed. His body is strong so he can fight. His heart is pure so he can resist.” The Bishop was translating the old words. The poetry of the scripts was beautiful, the symbolism deep, meaning obscure.
“Do you renounce the love of God for the love of Man?” Every eye was on me. I rose from my prayers and took the Bishop’s hand.
“I do.”
“Do you understand what you are undertaking?
“I will never be forgiven.” Not forgiven by god, though everyone else was counting on me.
“My life will be hours.” Even the strongest couldn’t survive the beast for long.
“My name will be forgotten.” Not that I had ever been known.
“We honour this man!” The Bishop roared, and the monks roared with him. I walked up the steps and carefully descended into the Pit. The walls had been painted with the blood of the boys/men I had killed. Eldritch symbols in the language of the Great Ones, carefully repeated from scripture for eons. I was the latest in the long line of the Sword against the Stars, our one weapon against them. I began my prayers, calling on the Beast that slept in this Pit. Once it touched my soul I could never enter heaven, my soul damned to sit at its doors for eternity. I was innocent, and could not be sent to hell. My soul was barred entry above and below.
I felt the darkness of the Pit reach up for me, my blood cooling in its presence. I had been warned and maintained my prayers of embrace. Without sin the Beast could not banish my soul to hell to ride my body. We would be partners until my body failed. The Beast could not bind with me unless I had blood on my hands, I had killed innocents. It was a loophole god had not thought off, and I would never be forgiven for abusing it. I would join the ranks of the other Swords, who sat at the gates of heaven.
The darkness could taste the stains on my soul. It enveloped me, sliding into my flesh. My blood froze in my veins as the Beast tried to usurp my soul. The Guardians against the Stars had prepared me since birth. I took hold of the Beast in my mind, bound it, mastered it. The Beast’s power flowed through me, my heart quieting until it stopped. I opened my frozen eyes and spoke my last words.
“It is done.” The monks and the Bishop ceremonially turned their backs on me, so they would remember me as the man I had been. I rose out of the Pit and began the long walk to the surface.
The city around me was quiet, the civilians hidden in bunkers beneath the surface. Rockets flew overheard, while the automated defences shot down as many as it could. Enough got through to start fires all over the city. I needed to get out of here quick so they could tend to the damage. I took a deep breath, for a moment forgetting I didn’t need to breathe. My limbs were no longer tired from battle. I was decaying, but I had never felt so alive. I began to run towards the enemy. My feet had known these streets since I was a child. Now the ground felt soft on my cold feet. Suddenly I was at the edge of the city, the main gates open to allow me egress. I sped through towards the enemy.
The sun was starting to set as I reached the enemy. Their equivalent to radar must have seen me while I was miles away. Rockets were flying at me, I brushed past them. Floating tanks turned to face me. I could feel the fear from the enemy, they had their own stories about the Swords against the Stars. Merciless monsters faster than a rocket, deadlier than the plague. None of them wanted to die on an alien world so far from home. They were only here because a noble safe in a castle far away wanted our world for its collection. It didn’t matter if the soldiers were innocent, I was the killer of the innocent. They would be more stains to feed my beast while our body decayed.
“Why do so many of them have to die?” The question slipped out, I knew the answer though.
“My Lord, the ritual is clear. Your soul must be branded by the blood of the innocent, while you remain innocent. They are all sacrifices.” I thought about the young men, I had been them a decade ago. Now I was the sword, and they were the lambs of god.
I followed the Bishop away from the arena. My body ached from constant battles. I had proved my strength, all the pain was worth it. The Bishop led me into the song chamber. The monks were already chanting, their voices beautiful in their harmony. The chant was old, few remembered the true meaning of the words. The emotion was real, everyone here had seen me fight each guardian. Their sorrow and hope was woven into their chant as I was led by the Bishop up the central aisle.
There was a momentary quake, the room shaking and the lights flickering. No one batted an eye. The bombardment was closer everyday as the Enemy closed on the capital. The Bishop reached the pedestal adjacent to the Pit. I walked to the base of the steps that led to the Pit. I kneeled down and began my silent prayers as the Bishop began his recitation.
“Since the time the Great ones walked the earth, our civilisation has stood as Guardians against the Stars. We fought the angels of the other side. We sacrificed so that others may live, today we have done it again, today we give our greatest!” The Bishop turned to look at me, his hands gripping the pedestal.
“He who remained innocent, while he killed the innocents. His soul is marked with their blood, so the beast may feed. His body is strong so he can fight. His heart is pure so he can resist.” The Bishop was translating the old words. The poetry of the scripts was beautiful, the symbolism deep, meaning obscure.
“Do you renounce the love of God for the love of Man?” Every eye was on me. I rose from my prayers and took the Bishop’s hand.
“I do.”
“Do you understand what you are undertaking?
“I will never be forgiven.” Not forgiven by god, though everyone else was counting on me.
“My life will be hours.” Even the strongest couldn’t survive the beast for long.
“My name will be forgotten.” Not that I had ever been known.
“We honour this man!” The Bishop roared, and the monks roared with him. I walked up the steps and carefully descended into the Pit. The walls had been painted with the blood of the boys/men I had killed. Eldritch symbols in the language of the Great Ones, carefully repeated from scripture for eons. I was the latest in the long line of the Sword against the Stars, our one weapon against them. I began my prayers, calling on the Beast that slept in this Pit. Once it touched my soul I could never enter heaven, my soul damned to sit at its doors for eternity. I was innocent, and could not be sent to hell. My soul was barred entry above and below.
I felt the darkness of the Pit reach up for me, my blood cooling in its presence. I had been warned and maintained my prayers of embrace. Without sin the Beast could not banish my soul to hell to ride my body. We would be partners until my body failed. The Beast could not bind with me unless I had blood on my hands, I had killed innocents. It was a loophole god had not thought off, and I would never be forgiven for abusing it. I would join the ranks of the other Swords, who sat at the gates of heaven.
The darkness could taste the stains on my soul. It enveloped me, sliding into my flesh. My blood froze in my veins as the Beast tried to usurp my soul. The Guardians against the Stars had prepared me since birth. I took hold of the Beast in my mind, bound it, mastered it. The Beast’s power flowed through me, my heart quieting until it stopped. I opened my frozen eyes and spoke my last words.
“It is done.” The monks and the Bishop ceremonially turned their backs on me, so they would remember me as the man I had been. I rose out of the Pit and began the long walk to the surface.
The city around me was quiet, the civilians hidden in bunkers beneath the surface. Rockets flew overheard, while the automated defences shot down as many as it could. Enough got through to start fires all over the city. I needed to get out of here quick so they could tend to the damage. I took a deep breath, for a moment forgetting I didn’t need to breathe. My limbs were no longer tired from battle. I was decaying, but I had never felt so alive. I began to run towards the enemy. My feet had known these streets since I was a child. Now the ground felt soft on my cold feet. Suddenly I was at the edge of the city, the main gates open to allow me egress. I sped through towards the enemy.
The sun was starting to set as I reached the enemy. Their equivalent to radar must have seen me while I was miles away. Rockets were flying at me, I brushed past them. Floating tanks turned to face me. I could feel the fear from the enemy, they had their own stories about the Swords against the Stars. Merciless monsters faster than a rocket, deadlier than the plague. None of them wanted to die on an alien world so far from home. They were only here because a noble safe in a castle far away wanted our world for its collection. It didn’t matter if the soldiers were innocent, I was the killer of the innocent. They would be more stains to feed my beast while our body decayed.