The wedding was a beautiful sight to behold. The whole town had prioritized seeing the newlyweds off to the next stage in their lives, or at least that’s how it seemed to Pavel. Looking down from the stand where he and his soon-to-be wife were standing, he could make out the faces of his oldest friends, enemies, and family in the crowd. All gathered to celebrate him; the feeling was electric.

He was wearing the best his family could afford, a rich silk outfit with the family heirloom sword at his waist. Pavel was the best warrior that the village had produced since the time of his grandfather's grandfather. For this reason only, he could marry up and out of his status, off to a minor noble house in his kingdom, House Bahadir.

He turned and looked at his bride. She looked beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Standing on the platform, she looked even more striking than the first time he saw her. Her dress, the traditional wedding garb of their kingdom, looked amazing. Even the way the sun seemed to shine on her face mesmerized Pavel.

Pavel zoned out into his thoughts for what seemed like forever. “–and do you take this woman to be your wife?” the priest intoned, startling Pavel and shaking him from his thoughts.

“Yes,” he emphatically replied.

“And do you take this man as your husband?” the priest intoned.

“Yes,” she said, matching his enthusiasm and giving him a quick smile.

“If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the priest directed his voice out towards the crowd. There was no response from the audience. “Then, I proclaim you–”

A loud pop came from behind the altar. The wedding entourage all whipped around to face the direction of the sound. A figure was there, his face hidden by the cloak he was wearing. It was covered in symbols that Pavel noticed, bore a striking resemblance to those of the altar he was standing next to. The figure pulled back his hood, revealing a visage that everyone present recognized: the God of Life, Lenus.

“Now hold on,” the god spoke with a chuckle, “I think that I should have a say in this, given that you are on my altar.”

The priest prostrated himself to the god and asked, “What would you have us do, my lord?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Lenus responded, an unnatural grin slowly forming. The god pointed at someone, “Just her.”

Pavel looked at where he was pointing, straight at his bride. He immediately stepped in between her and this ‘god’ and unsheathed his sword. Assuming a defensive stance, holding the sword out in front of him he said, “I apologize, I cannot let you do that.”

“Ant,” the god replied, “And what are you going to do to stop me?”

Pavel did not reply, he only readied his sword and prepared to attack.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The god laughed, “Well, if it’s a fight you want, then it’s a fight you’ll get.”

Lenus then rushed straight at Pavel, a sword of light materializing in his hands as he lept forward for a devastating overhand blow. Pavel was barely able to raise his sword above his head in time to prevent himself from being cut in half by the strike. The force of the blow sent him to his knees as the god’s sword was deflected to the side and was buried in the stone platform. Pavel quickly rolled to his feet, bringing his sword around just in time to parry another slash. This time, however, the god lost his grip on the sword and it was sent careening into the crowd, striking someone. Lenus growled and the sword rapidly flew back to his hand. Unbeknownst to Lenus however, Pavel had recovered and taken a swipe at him. He was barely able to avoid the blow that would have taken his head off, but a line of golden ichor flowed from his face, where the sword had drawn a line across his eye.

“Foolish mortal,” the god said, voice dripping with rage, “You have no idea the mistake you just made.”

The god rose into the air, energy gathering at his fingertips. His aura slowly increased the pressure on everyone present. “You see,” he chuckled, “Once a mortal harms a god, I am no longer restricted in my actions. You have made your final mistake.” Lenus threw his hand into the air and a beam of light plunged from the sky, gathering an ever-increasingly blinding light in his open palm. Pavel and the crowd were forced to shield their eyes or be blinded by the now unbearably bright glow.

“But death isn’t a fitting enough fate for one so daring to strike at the gods,” Lenus mockingly said, “It’s too easy a fate. You will suffer.”

And with that declaration, he blasted Pavel with the gathered light. When the energy struck Pavel, it was as if a thousand suns had all been placed in contact with his body at once, infinitely worse than the time he had fallen into the fire pit as a child. As his vision darkened, he stumbled around, falling to one knee. He turned toward his wife, bride, whatever she was to him now. “I love you,” he choked out, “I love you —.”

As he said those words he succumbed to the pain, slumping to the floor. However, on the edge of his consciousness, he saw something strange:

System Connection Found…

Beginning Induction…

ERROR… ERROR… DIVINE CURSE DETECTED

. . .

Lenus shook his head. “What fun!” he thought to himself. “This was the perfect moment to acquire not one, but two new playthings! To think I would have this luck appearing in this backwater realm. The boy, I think I will send to my torturers in the hells. Yes, yes, that will do nicely, especially with the effects of his curse.”

Lenus gestured at Pavel’s unconscious body and it disappeared in motes of light. “Now you,” he turned to Pavel’s bride-to-be, “Your husband has failed you; you are now mine. Come, woman.”

The god grabbed her arm and pulled. She put up a token of resistance but was only able to annoy him slightly. “No,” she wept, “No, I won’t. And my name is —”

“Your name is whatever I wish it to be, girl,” the god interrupted, “And currently I have no wish for it.”

The girl seemed to deflate as he spoke. Though she put on a defiant front, the god was able to tell that she was faking it. “Good,” Lenus thought, “She already knows her place here. I won’t have too much more work to do to make her fully mine!”

With that thought, the god turned back to the spot where he originally appeared, and with a snap of his fingers, the god and his unwilling passenger disappeared.