Prologue
748 Words
The Trap
"Is everything ready?" asked Lord Life, keeping his gaze forewords, regarding the marvel which humans had built. A marvel to them, at least.
"Yes my Lord" came Ekur's reply. Lord life turned around sharply, his silk green cape flowing with his movements, allowing the full gleam of his bronze armor to hit the humans face.
Ekur covered his face.
"I hope you understand the magnitude of what you are about to help me do?" asked Lord Life, searching for any hesitation from the human's face.
"Yes my Lord." Ekur replied, without hesitation. Another human quality Lord Life was beginning to admire, loyalty.
"Well then!" he said clasping is hands and turning around in the desert sand, "just to confirm, the Shard of Eternity is intact and in place?"
"Yes My Lord"
"The labyrinth is fully operational? The traps the metal floors, the chamber where we're keeping the prisoner, the orb of light?"
"All are in place My Lord"
Lord Life eyed the town of Ur. On the streets he only just noticed, people bowed to him on the road sides, watching the ground, not daring to look up. Some of them had items in front of them, ranging from food to gold. Offerings. He smiled as he slowed his movement to a stop.
He looked down as a group of five approached, four hefting a stretcher above their shoulders, the fifth in front of them. They stopped and bowed for feet in front of him. The distance was close enough but too far for Life to pull his sword. Smart.
Life could've read their minds but saw this as a waste of his time. How ironic, a waste of his brother.
"The great Lord Life!" one of them shouted, "destroyer of his enemies. He who gave us existence! He who..."
"Get to the point." Life interrupted. A human quality he despised, praise so that you could get something. Arse licking, Ekur had called it. Lord Life very much preferred Ekur's term.
"My brother has been unwell with leprosy" the human said ashamed, he didn't look up as the other four men unveiled the sheet. "My Lord, it is my most humble request that you heal him."
Life smiled.
These pathetic humans. They give praise and expect favors in return, all they do is beg, beg and then die barely benefiting what they'd begged for in the first place. And to think what perfect vessels they made.
"You embarrass me" Lord Life said to the one man who hadn't been carrying the sick one.
The man looked up in bewilderment, right at Life's face. Big mistake.
"My Lord..." he stuttered, snapping his head downwards, or tried to. Life was faster. The Human's head fit entirely into the deity's hand. Life barely noticed the effort as the human's had splintered his hand.
Silence filled the streets. The men had abandoned the stretcher and run away.
"Ekur," Life began, letting the body fall from his grasp.
He observed as the energy left the Human's body. As the physical turned to the meta-physical in a magnificent blue. He reached to touch it, even though he knew he couldn't. The energy swirled in its unfathomable chaos.
A millimeter from his touch. The result, life honestly did not know. An explosion, perhaps?
He didn't get to find out. He never did with his sister around. Almost as fast as Light, Lady Death swooped in, gathering the chaos in a single sweep of her scythe so it formed a single stream of energy that poured into a larger unseen one. Her work done, she could've left immediately but she turned and eyed Life. The scythe was definitely a threat, but by the way she held it, no attack was coming any time soon.
She nodded.
The single gesture was a message enough to Life. An ally today, an enemy tomorrow.
Just as fast as she came, she disappeared.
"Yes, My Lord?" the human said. His voice shook as he spoke. "I have just made a most important agreement with my sister." Said lord life as he faced the human once more. All color had left his face.
"Ekur?" Life called after a moment longer without reply. "If I call your name a third time, human, a worse fate shall befall you."
"I'm sorry my Lord, it's just that the man whom you just killed..."
"...was your brother. I know. I have all your DNA stamps, or did you forget?"
"No my lord." Ekur replied quickly.
"Well then, distractions aside," Life said, stepping over the ill man as he walked away, "we have a Supreme Deity to capture. Gather the heralds.
- Writer
