The Kingdom Come

2

I always recall my father was seldom in my life in the earlier years of my time. He studied the art of beastology, study of the beasts and monsters. Though they didn't exist until my father willed it. He slew many animals to harvest for what he called the building blocks.

His theory was living creatures held building blocks which made them unique, what gave lions their mane and massive fangs. Or what gave the oxen their horns and stature. My mother died giving birth to me, hence why I believe my father tried avoiding me. It was I who killed my mother.

When I found that book some long ago and began reading it so quickly at such a young age, my father only then saw what I held was a gift of knowledge. I was enrolled in the most prestigious school money could pay for at the time. I graduated at age 13 to soon join my father and the Black Science Society. Formerly the Golden Church of Minvera, we changed our name due to Catholics slowly entering our politics, they protested us and our God. We fought back with no good results. We now work in the dark so as not to get on anyone's bad sides. They were Emporer Koor's number 1 source of Income and wealth.  So he submits to please the church, it's saddening, to be honest.

As I read this book I heard a panicked knock at our door. "THE OLD EMPORER NERO IS BEING EXECUTED IN THE NEXT HOUR!" an unknown voice yelled. What? Nero being executed, what for? There were too many possibilities as to why this was occurring. As I ran to the blood hall panting like a dog so many thoughts for reason flooded me, his negligence of helping Rome as homes burned, murdering countless of his loved ones, his deplorable actions towards anyone who crossed his path

As I mingled with the locals I spotted an old lady, around 74. I tapped her shoulder.  "Madame, might you know what Nero was found guilty upon to bring him here?" I asked, she stared in silence for a second before replying in an eerily raspy voice "Ahh, Emporer Koor and Pope Charles the 3rd have elected he die for the killing of many Christians and Catholics" Of course the church had a hand in this, the pope was meant to handle his catholic city of Vancacticum. How dare they enter our politics and shame us for attempting to intervene with theirs.

Many religious men and women flooded the town soon after the news broke of Nero's execution. The fanfare played as mysterious figures entered, 3 women and 3 men. The women were all nuns, Mother Lilly, Sister Annabel, and Sister Fausta. Aging from 57,23,22 respectively in order. The men were Cardinal Dante, Cardinal Leonidas, and their mighty Emporer and the man tasked with executing Nero; Belial the cardinals were aged 34 each but no one truly knows Belial's age

He stood tallest and mightiest among anyone we'd ever seen. He stood 6 feet and 3 inches high, and he was a hefty man, his silver long hair and stubble across his face, he wore a bandage across his left eye as it's said he lost it in battle at a young age

As Nero knelt, his ankles cuffed and his torso and head entrapped in the pillory, he stared into the crowd, cold, truly disassociated from life and death. The Cardinals and younger nuns kneeled and prayed in Latin as Emporer Belial and Mother Lilly walked, immense ego flashing in their step as the crowd applauded them as if they saw the gods themselves. Truly pitiful. As the crowds died down, Emporer Belial spoke with a bellowing yell. "MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" he yelled. "THE LORD OUR GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST HATH BRANG US HERE UNTO THESE LANDS TODAY TO WITNESS THE EXECUTION OF NERO!" He'd said so proud of himself, and the crowd went nuts considering he'd had so many Christians and Catholics persecuted.

The nuns stood and released him from the pillory. The Cardinals cuffed him and began whipping his back, "AGH!" whined Nero, with each crack of the bullwhip tearing into his flesh, wuh-PSSSSH the whip kept crackling into his skin, the blood dripping down onto the ground. That dammed wuh-PSSSSH had rung nearly 60-80 times; I lost count, honestly. They laid a cross and had Nero hoist it up on his shoulders and had him drag it to the highest hills, which oversaw Vancacticum,  our city of Rome, the forest of funerals, the city of Herculaneum, and the great city of Pompei, I, where the volcano stood idly, waiting to inevitably erupt.

The cross was laid down so that when it was hoisted, Nero would face the sunrise. "Have you chosen your last words sorry fool?" Asked Belial mockingly. Nero gave a light chuckle. "What's so funny? You're going to die, and you laugh?" Asked belial in shock and yet quite offended. "If I have to be honest, to die as your quote on quote Savoir did, is quite the honor. To crucify me, are you saying all who die upon this cross are good men, men who can be redeemed and forgiven? You claim me a monster yet you give me the honor to die as Christ did. So was Christ a monster or was I truly just human?" Nero said with a light chuckle

Belial went silent. "AHA, your silence is all but a mask of a confession. I have read your fallacies, so my final words to thee are my new lord and savior is Jesus Christ the messiah who died upon the cross for MY sins." He yelled maniacally. Belial stood in horror, with seemingly no motive but blood lust; he cracked open Nero's skull with a swift blow to the head, each punch growing more and more visceral as he fell on the cross Belial atop him. Nero, still breathing lay bloody on the cross. The Cardinals spread his arms to hammer his hands deep into the wood. His ankles were bound by barbed wire and his feet nailed together.

The cross was soon hoisted by the nuns and cardinals, Nero facing the sun directly. Blinding his eyes, he was immobilized in absolute misery. "May I see you in heaven with the good lord" Nero said gleefully, with the first genuine smile he'd given to anyone. "And may your name be forgotten as you die," Belial said with a sadistic whisper

Nero died upon the cross after everyone but I had left. I was studying decompusure and hoping to explore why we as humans can use our corpses as mulch but an hour before he died we had a conversation

"What be of  your name strange fellow?" Nero asked me. "I'm Loukios, dear sir," I told him, still focusing on his anatomy. "You're one of that studious fellow I take?" He'd beckoned me. "Well, I am observing the body, making a diagram so I can learn more about the science of medicine." I'd told him

"My father was a uniquely minded fellow; I never knew him, only his works; he spoke highly of the gods and a potential to harness their power temporarily," Nero said, reminiscing on life. I remember reading this... something of the manner "the inner god?" I asked. "So you know of it? He called it God's gift, but gods aren't kind enough to give us any free mercy." I think I went blank, looking back into my memory for a moment too long. "Don't die before I do now; you might lose the knowledge I possess."

"The inner god can be made?" I'd asked, shocked and in awe. "It can be. Though it's not permanent. My father's many lab rodents spread the virus that causes it... although it's only able to infect animals, not us humans." I looked in amazement, forgetting I was speaking to a dead man.

"So, to clarify, the virus makes it forever, but the man-made one is temporary?" I asked for note-taking. "Correct. And I can teach you the recipe under the condition I request"

"Free me whe i die so I may give one more blow to the Catholic scum" he'd commanded. "You have my word" I'd told him

To think it was always possible, what power now can we as man hold... should we hold it now is the question...