Your godhood burned to ashes / Cult of the Lamb

A curse to be broken

Despite Narinder’s best efforts, he still failed, like a puzzle missing its most crucial piece. And so, they returned to the hotel for the night. The bitterness of his unsuccessful mission lingered, leaving him with a sour aftertaste of failure on his tongue.

The exhaustion etched into The Lamb’s expression. It was a nightmare to even think about the cleaning process, thank God they had the twins on their side, or else, they would never actually return their village to its original shape. Hours upon hours of work took a toll on them all, a good sleep was required to replenish their energy.

And so, they let themselves feel the embrace of their delicate coverlet. Tomorrow was another day.

°   °   °

“Welcome back, my faithful partner.” They said to Helob. “Today is our last day at the hotel, shall you assist us on a crusade?” The deity greeted the arachnid. Helob seemed slightly disappointed to know it's the end of their trip to the hotel, in his mind their stay should last for an eternity, that's how much he loved their presence.

“I know a place full of pathetic sinners, and souls devoted to unworthy deities.” Narinder knew that this was going to be his last and only opportunity to return to the land. He spat out his words with pace of light, and no hesitation.

“Oh?” They seemed intrigued by his statement. Place full of pathetic sinners? How could they deny such a proposition? Perhaps the fallen God finally understood where his place was; that now his destiny was to serve them. What a nice surprise it was.

“That's just marvellous. Does that mean I'll get to be introduced to your village?” Helob joined the conversation. Hope in his voice shone like the brightest star in the whole galaxy. Despite his partner visiting, they have barely spent any time together. It was like thorns wrapped around his heart, wounding him deeply.

“...Yes, of course.” They hesitated, troubled by their previous shallow promise. They hated themselves for who they were - a liar. As much as they adored the spider, they weren't ready. Hours on end, they would ask themselves why they even agreed in the first place.

“Brilliant.” An excited smile painted upon his face. He hoped they would keep their promise, that's all he wished for.

“But first, you need to be able to defend yourself...” They would hate to see him hurt. Helob was a clumsy creature, he needed to be provided with a sharp, and easy to carry weapon. Preferably a dagger of some sorts. Something that doesn't require as much strength. They handed him a small, portable knife, with a crimson-hued pentacle engraved onto the blade. “This should do.“

In response, Helob just nodded. They were ready to leave.

They ventured deep into the forest of Silk Cradle. After all these hours spent in the realm, the atmosphere began boring them out. Perchance, it was the time to switch it up. Maybe a trip to Anura would be a nice change. They never bothered to discover the secrets hidden behind the acid and poison of that vile place.

Narinder confidently led the way. It was a tiring walk uphill, through a rocky path. His legs were getting weak, but that didn't stop him. He was on a mission, the most important one ever.

“I don't have amnesia, I remember where your shadows led us before, you know? ” The Lamb noticed Narinder repeating his steps.  They could have requested to go back, yet they were curious. What had to be there, to make the former God so determined to keep going? It was a question that desperately needed an answer. They craved a real, thrilling adventure, and that seemed like it.

“What spirits guided you towards my location before?” Narinder couldn't stop pondering about it. He knew the power of the divine crown was truly celestial, yet he couldn't recall it being able to trace souls. They must have had a trick up their sleeve, a very clever one. Or perhaps, there was something he didn't know. Either way, an answer had to be provided to calm his racing thoughts.

“You left a trail of torn out pages from your notebook. “ They replied with a mischievous expression on their face.

“...” Silence erupted. He felt like a fool, an idiot even. Narinder felt shame slowly rising in his body, he wanted to bury himself in the dirt, or hide under the sheets of his comfortable bed. He was a poet and that’s what kept getting him lost in the labyrinth of life. Such a tiny characteristic of him it was, yet it defined him whole. Abandoning the conversation, he kept going. He didn’t wish to engage in it anymore, not with the amount of embarrassment flowing in his body like a sickness.

Aym and Baal were confused, they trailed behind the deity and the fallen God like slugs; slowly and dubiously. They guided their backs, keeping an eye on any possibly creeping enemies that would do anything to inconvenience their group. The twins didn’t allow their exhaustion to take control over them in such a crucial moment, they tried to use their remaining energy to the fullest, even if there was nearly no left.

There she was.

Suddenly, the fallen God noticed a familiar figure on the horizon. The woman that kept reappearing in his dreams whenever he closed his eyes to rest. Despite her simple appearance, there was no possibility he’d omit her. He felt as if an angel transcended from heaven just to break his curse. This was the moment his chains would be broken, and he was freed from the prison he was trapped in, ever since his unavoidable fate manifested itself. A golden ray of sunshine emerged on his face. He could see vivid images of him regaining control over the divine crown, this was the day his powers would return. That’s what he believed. He ran towards the woman with all the strength that remained in his legs.

“Pathetic.” The Lamb hissed, convinced it was his attempt at escape; an extremely embarrassing one.