Divine System: Land of the Abominations

Evil devours evil, they say...

Chaos is the hiding place of rot, for even in stagnancy, there exists malignance and demise.

The damned soul that sat on the throne. His crown is heavy, the weight of millenia slouches his back. His jaws no longer work as he spews forth his revolting breath.

He seems to cry into the void. A beast of suffering he is.

He has made the keep his temple. His final place of everlasting prayer.

And then before him, what was once human, is now also, a creature of darkness.

Its golden eyes convey a senseless rage.

But why has the darkness consumed the witful boy?

***

There once was a freak from the countryside.

He was born to poor parents. A poor family, in a poor kingdom.

His disfigured form often brought the mockery of others. A large eye as big as his head while his other eye was shrunken. His body a mangled mess and his speech impeded.

He was not the pride of his parents.

On a cold eve in the winter time, an official from the king's court catches sight of an abomination prodding through the snowy fields.

He says to himself,

"What a funny looking creature."

"The king needs entertainment. Fetch me the thing."

He says.

The freak is taken. Bought from his terrible parents for just a measure of grain andcured pig's meat.

He is taken to the king's retreat. A keep nestled in the quiet plains.

He is donned in a silly hat and even sillier garbs.

His sunken eye is sewn shut, and he is to entertain the king and his guests during opulent banquets.

He is given a mock title as a noble; the Eye of the King.

***

The Eye of the King sees all. The walls are his ears. He is the secret messenger.

He whispers the secrets of the keep into the ears of the King on the banquet nights, and sees to it that there are a few macabre ornaments hanging from the great tree in the courtyard once the morning comes.

That is his purpose.

That is his fate.

That he shall do, until the day his miserable existence is snuffed out.

Nero listened closely.

He say on the dirty cobblestone, the wind carrying his hair, surrounded only by ruins and nothing.

"Is that really the only way it could be?" Nero said softly.

The man seated opposite of him chuckled,

"Of course. That is the reality of fate. Destiny is a troublesome foe indeed for the unfortunate. Still, the story is not over yet."

Nero raised a brow and the man nods,

"The world is at a precarious time. The kings of the lands refuse to yield to the rule of the Church and its Templars."

"There is war."

"There is death."

"The Eye of the King watches the world crumble and the King go mad."

"In his desperation, the King solicits the advice of a mad witch that serves the god, Alpachatius..."

"On that day, the King throws the bodies of ten thousand women and children into a fiery pit in sacrifice to the great god for immense power to fight against the Church."

"The world is stained black by such a sacrifice."

"The heavens cry. The world screams under the fury of ash and smoke and fire."

Nero watched as the man seated across from him turned his gaze to face him,

"If it was you, what would you have done?"

Nero was silent.

Then he shook his head,

"I don't know."

The man nods,

"Indeed, a noble answer."

There was a long pause.

Then the man continued,

"The freak from the snowy fields was a wretched creature. Some called him a demon spawn, and children threw rocks at him on the streets. However, his heart was pure..."

"His heart was golden."

"The only act of violence he would ever commit, with his twisted fingers clutching a knife as he drove it into the heart of the mad king, would be his last..."

"The kingdom is destroyed. Turned to ash and rubble. The people are twisted by the evil left behind by the godless sacrifice.'

"The darkness is overbearing. The grave is lonely. When there is nothing but a biting chill, madness is the only escape."

"I raised my wretched eye to the heavens, looking for hope. Instead, the heavens look back down at me. They are silent. They do not speak. They have nothing to offer a pitiful bastard like me."

"But..."

The man smiles softly,

"By the heavens, it seems hope has finally arrived."

Nero is silent.

He stares at the disfigured wretch before him.

'You truly are pitiful.'

He sighed.

"I am not your hope." He finally says.

The man shakes his head,

"No. You are. You can finally put me out of my misery. It is you and only you, Heretic! You have the power!" He screams frantically with desperation.

Nero is silent.

The man smiles woefully,

"Please, kill me."

The Vile Eye of the Wicked King was the being in front of him.

An entity that had once been human, cursed by the heavens to live a sorrowful, wretched life.

After who knew how long, the madness and corruption of the world had devoured all but just a sliver of humanity.

That humanity was what say right before him.

And soon, even that would fade away.

It was a terrible thing to see. A truly dark and hopeless sight.

And yet, Nero was amazed.

The resilience of a man to fight the darkness for so long.

He stared down at his own hands.

Could he be this strong?

Did he have the power to suffer for an eternity and yet still, keep his soul?

He did not know.

Slowly, he arose.

The experience had felt like a journey through time and space. But he knew the reality was that this being had simply entered his mind. Still, he could feel the sincerity of its longing for a true death.

"I will kill you."