Of Gods and Monsters

Nothing But Shadows

"After a battle lasting many ages,

The Devil won,

And said to God(who had been his Maker):

Lord,

We are about to witness the unmaking of Creation

By my hand.

I would not wish you to think me cruel,

So I beg you, take three thingsFrom this world before I destroy it.

Three things, and then the rest will bewiped away.

God thought for a little time.

And at last 

He said:

'No, there is nothing.'

The Devil was surprised.

'Not even you, Lord?' he said.

And God said:

No. 

Not even me."

-Clive Barker

Ambrus and Elek, by me.

Elek could tell Ambrus was suffering. A tiny bit of him felt pity for him, but he largely felt like it was deserved. After all, if he was to repent, he had to be suffering didn't he? Suffering was the pinnacle of repentance. God himself wasn't happy until the sinner was burnt and bloodied, kissing his feet and begging on his knees. Only then, and just at the point of breaking, would he bless him with his forgiveness. And hadn't Ambrus said before they were Gods?

Not a single damned soul in the entire theatre so much as sneezed at their dramatic entrance. There was no obstacle in sight to keep Ambrus from having to follow out Elek's orders, no grandiose and righteous fight. They simply slept, unaware, unable to protest, unable to defend themselves. He swallowed hard, feeling already the immense and endless damage of what he was about to do, before he even completed it. There was no going back now, though. He'd taken away something from Elek forever, he was just returning the favor, Ambrus guessed. And perhaps some sort of warped, naïve sense of justice. Was there such a thing as justice from the likes of devils? Ambrus wasn't quite sure. No, he was certain that couldn't be the case. But It didn't matter now. He was here. And they were all going to burn.

He felt the weight of the oil he held in both hands as he and Elek dosed the entire place with it, saturating it completely. Ambrus gave one last weary look to Elek, who nodded his assent. And with that, he lit a match, and let it go. The entire thing was up in flames within seconds, it was a frightening sight. He looked at Elek, who stood beside him in the streets watching, knowing the lives he was taking inside. Yet, he smiled with that gleam in his eyes. The gleam that Ambrus would forever relay to anyone willing to listen was his true point of damnation. From the moment he saw them, in the window all those months before, he knew that they'd be the eyes that'd watch his own demise.

--

Elek watched the fire with a satisfaction that he hadn't anticipated. He expected to feel a tinge of guilt, perhaps feel any sort of regret. However, it simply wasn't there. He knew his partner wasn't sharing his sentiment. Ambrus's face held thinly veiled horror. Elek knew it was only because Ambrus lacked the perspective, held onto some falsehood from days past. Years before Elek had taken his first breathe. He'd said himself they were the Gods of the world, the top of the food chain, so to speak. They were judge, jury, and executioner. And nobody could say otherwise. There was no moral ambiguity that was applicable to them. No debacle he could fathom, no logical hindrance.

Elek knew now that they weren't damned. No, not at all. Never had been. Not in the biblical sense, at least. And he'd no longer cower from this life, from anyone, anything, ever again. This life was possibility, time in ever-lasting abundance. It elated him to think of all the things he could see, he could learn. He couldn't understand Ambrus, why he stayed here, continuing in the footsteps of a master who'd thrown his gift down the drain. He'd teach him, pull him into the new centuries ideals. Push him to something better.

Ambrus stood beside him still, unable to tear his eyes away from the bright flames flicking to and fro in monstrous fury. Elek, who now stood in front of him, slid his hands down the front of Ambrus's tailcoat, taking a fist full of it and yanking hard. Stunned, and caught completly off guard, Ambrus flung forward barely keeping his balance. Elek's mouth made contact with his violently, his head being forced to compensate for the distance between his own massive height and the lack of Elek's own. It seemed unreal. To be doing this, together, in front of the burning and desecration of his only friend's home. Yet, God help him, he didn't care. His hands reached out, grabbing a fist full of Elek's own shirt, attempting to regain power. After a few seconds, the moment between them passed, and they simply stood there. Finally, Elek broke the silence.

"Let's go home."