Music of the heretics (Cult of the lamb x Slipknot)

#1

While the god’s senses were dazed by the noise around him, he tried to make sense of what his three eyes were seeing: beings or creatures who, to him, were confusing sounds that jarred his ears, making his claws contract within the long sleeves of his robe. Until his gaze fell upon one of those individuals at the center, almost a temple, given the vast number of people in that place. He himself didn’t know what he had done to end up there, or even how he had somehow arrived in a place so different from the lands of The Old Faith.

A being with eyes so sunken that they seemed full of sadness—or perhaps it was just hard to tell, with all the noise and lights around. The three-eyed feline quickly slipped away, hiding in what looked to him like cabins, which were clearly the dressing rooms of the members of that group.

When the shouts and deafening sounds ceased, the god looked around him. It was a considerable space with a fresh atmosphere and a floor that was slightly slippery compared to the stone ground in his temple. He struggled to get used to the light. But as he was barely able to stand on his own feet, footsteps and what seemed to be voices drew closer until the door was opened by a masked figure with sunken eyes and a long nose. He unzipped his mask to let his companions know the place was empty, but when he saw the feline hiding beneath a small table, he could only push one of his friends aside and quickly shut the door. -This isn’t the one,- he said, somewhat nervously, until the other masked figures headed to the van they had come in, chatting. The man who had witnessed the multi-eyed feline decided to enter the dressing room and confront what he assumed was a weirdo in disguise trying to scare them. He already wanted security to get rid of him, and he hadn’t even dealt with the intruder yet.

-Who are you?- You can’t be here when we’ve just finished a concert. Do you even know how much I want to sleep right now?- The masked man stood there, puzzled, watching as the intruder unnaturally moved his eyes, dazed by the sound they had produced. -It’s not necessary to apologize to you. Why would I respect a place like this?-  the feline said as his claws retracted, scratching the mattress nearby while the masked man looked at him in utter bewilderment.

-What do you mean? Just leave before I call the others—I’m not in the mood. But I’m telling you, this is the worst place we’ve been…- The masked man’s tone was a mix of annoyance and understanding as he decided simply to talk with the intruder to avoid escalating the situation. -Just tell me why you’re here, and then, forgive me, but I’ll have to get you out of here.- The feline took a breath before explaining things as clearly as possible. -Look, I was just walking, and… my siblings will tear the crown off my head if I don’t get back to the Lands of The Old Faith. How do I get out of here?! Out there is a hell of noise, and those… creatures are the ones making all those screams and...! -

The masked man could only glance around while his expression remained rigid, staring intently at the intruder. The feline, on the other hand, simply tried to rephrase his words as he noticed the expressionless face of his counterpart.

-Listen, I know you’re not the right being to explain my problem to, much less help me after hearing that noise… how can you even hear me after exposing yourself to such infernal sounds?- The masked man simply stared, squinting his eyes as he tried to make sense of what the intruder was saying—first, the crimson eyes with cat-like pupils, sharp and alert, his claws looking as organic as the way his curved legs stood like those of an animal on two feet. His robe was somewhere between white and beige, with a chaotic contrast—a fresh blood-red line that ran from his neck down to his feet. It really was an unusual costume, or maybe something the masked man didn’t really want to know about. -What crown are you talking about? Just leave before I call security,- he said impatiently. But as he watched, the intruder pulled from his long robe a sword, with an eye as red as his own on the hilt, and a blade resembling obsidian. -No need to get violent! For heaven’s sake, could you try to make sense of all the incoherent things you’ve just said?- the masked man replied, while the feline simply held his stance for a few seconds until he, with patience, dropped the sharp weapon, allowing it to become a black mass that moved from his shoulder to his head, forming a crown of pointed curves with a bright, crimson eye. -I am Narinder, Bishop and God of Death, and I would like to know how to leave these lands. Could you now tell me your name and your purpose for bursting so many people’s eardrums?- The three-eyed feline spoke in a deep, dry voice that characterized him. The masked man looked at the ground for a long moment before answering, -Look, if you’re sensitive to noise, you shouldn’t go to a metal concert. I’m just one more member here; you can’t just complain about it.- The masked man said in a monotone, remembering complaints he had heard about the band he was part of. He didn’t believe it was satanic, but seeing an unnatural being with a feline appearance right after their concert, he was reconsidering those complaints.

-Wait, did you say ‘member’? Are there more like you? What sin did I commit to end up here?- the feline said, with a completely despairing mindset, curling up on the sofa he had previously been scratching. The masked man, feeling pity for the disoriented creature’s behavior, guessed he must have just lost his way and ended up at the concert. -Look, I’m Chris, and take off your mask; there’s no need to hide—I’ll help you get out of here.- The feline looked at the man, puzzled by his attempt to console him. +Mask? What are you talking about?- When the masked man heard the words from the (now) not-so-strange being, he could only swallow hard as his eyes widened. Was that… his face? -What are you?- the masked man asked, although the answer probably wouldn’t satisfy him. -I am a god.-

Greetings to all who read this! I came up with this story because one of my friends likes the American band Slipknot. I don’t intend to write a story with explicit content, but simply to write. Thank you for reading this first chapter.