The Watcher

Chapter 10: Tryanny of Choice

     At the start of it all, the first entities to fight God were planet-sized. None of them escaped, except for The Gleaver, a horrible monster with grey leathery skin, and a face made up of only a mouth. He could summon hands out of his body and drain the power out of anything he touched. Out of all the monsters, this one was the only one who seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on God, even before he did anything.
     I walked over to the corner desk area and opened the drawers. Papers tightly stacked to the top of the drawer left a little isle in the drawer of loose items: this included a small pen, pocket watch, a red stone, and four viles of bright-colored liquids. I grabbed a ream of paper labeled "Discovery of Magic"- and began reading.
     "I have found magic as the perfect trick-up-the-sleeve in our contemporary times. My journey began with my mentor supplying me with potions to help gain the upper hand in combat, so my main focus in this book is combat magic for disillusionment.-"
     I flipped the page, and then another, until I saw a masterpiece illustration of a potion. It was a Kjeldahl flask filled at the bulb with a yellow bubbling liquid.

"King Potion".
"Known effects: Grants unwavering courage and the ability to flash an aura of holy energy."
"Side effects: Lapse in judgment, selfishness. Also made my body itchy all over for a couple of hours."

     Then it proceeded to give step-by-step directions on how to make it. Huh. I stepped back and looked around at the desk and lab table, silently admiring his creativity. I kind of assumed God made him a mindless soldier and trained him with things necessary to kill me, but no. God had given Azazel tools—it seemed anything he could ask for—for discovery and learning new skills. God gave Azazel free will. In exchange for what? For what purpose, I wondered, as I pondered the implications of Azazel's newfound knowledge and freedom. Then I remembered the note—he had said he was bringing back more watchers and creating super soldiers. Still, I didn't take God for someone who would do a good thing for any reason. It was like seeing a notoriously racist man release his most hated slave for no reason at all; it made me wonder "Maybe there is something good in this man." I continued to read the book.
     Some potions did many sideways tasks, but most of them were ridiculously powerful. I flipped the page. This silvery potion is one I've encountered. Azazel used it against me.

"Reflection Potion"
"Known effects: fills the surrounding area with reflections of oneself"
"Side effects: heavy disorientation"

     All of the potions had side effects; he wrote like an open book, almost as if he was hoping someone with more experience would be able to critique his work and give him pointers, yet I don't believe anyone ever read them. He really had nobody, hell I would've saved the kid too.
     The last section of the book was dedicated to ideas for potions, and it was no wonder that they all stayed ideas. Impractical one-use-esk potions that would surely end in suicide.

     "Blight Potion"
"Known effects: You die. Your power rapidly multiplies as you explode."
"Side effects: death."

     He wrote about this potion up and down. I was mistaken about something though, he had tested this potion, just not on himself. An ingredient was the blood of a god, which means God helped him out with this potion. If I drank this I could kill God instantly, maybe even an Overgod. If I did that then I could get what I want without any consequences, then again I would be dead, and I need to live to win this fight.
  
     "Monster Potion"
"Known effects: a purple beastly monster..."
"Side effects: maybe you'll find him."
 
     "What the fuck." I read the ingredients and quickly searched the drawers. This potion would lead me to Joel. Azazel trapped Joel this whole time. I thought he had escaped. I was missing some type of asteroid rock. The same asteroid rock that Azazel must've been collecting when Death sent me to fight him. I knew exactly where to get it but I'm not sure if I could safely make it there. The vast complexion of the decisions in front of me crippled my actions. I had to make a move if I ever wanted to get anywhere, and I needed to find Joel.