While the new props were placed on the stage, all the lights were out, and the people were chattering with each other. From the center of the tent, it seemed like many normal conversations but if someone stood by the stands they could hear the same two conversations on repeat.
“The last play was amazing. The director needs to be praised for his astonishing work. I couldn’t move my eyes away from the stage.”
“If I could, I would watch the play all day and all night. I don’t need to sleep or eat. Theater is all I need.”
The lights were lit, and all of them were turned toward the stage, leaving the stands in complete darkness. On the stage were trees and bushes made of painted planks. A man with a black wolf mask, wearing a white robe and black pants, stood over the body of a dying man, a knife in his chest, blood slowly pouring out of the wound. The dying man tried to grasp the air, but his efforts were in vain.
“Poor mortal… Your time on a mortal plain has come to an end. I, Karos, God Of Death, will bring your soul to a place where it will rest for an eternity. Those are the rules of this world…” Said loudly the actor with a wolf mask as he kneeled down to close the eyes of a dead man. He reached for something hidden under the man’s coat.
He raised a blue ball for everyone to see and faced each side of the crowd as he said “This soul shall rest in a better place for eternity. This is a reward that all humans get for experiencing death.”
“Stop!” A soft voice shouted and to the stage ran up a skinny man wearing a robe over his left shoulder and around his waist, showing his pale skin as white as the robe. His mask had a sad expression with a single tear painted under the right eye.
“Who are you?” Asked the God Of Death, lowering the blue ball and keeping it close to his chest.
“I am Hanis! God Of Humans! Creator of what you just killed!” The man shouted as he pointed his finger aggressively at Karos.
“I didn’t kill that man. I came here for his soul to bring it to a better place.” Answered Karos, turning his torso away to cover the ball with it so the Human God couldn’t see it.
Hanis slowly approached the dead man and kneeled by him, placing one hand near his heart and grabbing the man by the arm with the other. “His body is cold… And his heart isn’t beating… That’s not how he should be! He should be warm, with a beating heart, walking around and breathing. HE SHOULD BE LIVING!” Hanis shouted as he took the dead man’s body and raised it, bringing it closer to the god of death. He then hugged the body, painting his mask red with the still-warm blood.
Hanis then dropped the body, and the loud thud echoed through the whole tent, a new wound appeared on the back of his head, more blood leaving the dead body. The Human God then jumped at Karos, pushing him down to the ground and sitting on him. He then relentlessly punched him in the face, breaking the mask, then the nose, and leaving the actor’s face in a mess.
Tears came down from under the mask of the actor who played the human god but he continued punching the now dead man. The crowd gasped and went silent, continuing to watch the play.
Three more people appeared on the stage: two men wearing dark robes and dark masks and a woman in a dark dress and a crow mask. “He killed Karos!” The woman with a crow mask shouted in disbelief as she pointed her finger at Hanis.
The two men with dark masks jumped at the Human God and pinned him down to the ground. Hanis tried to get those two off him, but he stopped once he noticed his resistance was futile. They then took the man away, and the lights slowly faded.
***
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Once the stage had been cleaned and the scenery changed, the lights came back, revealing a row of benches, a circular fence, and a platform in front of them with another desk towering over everything on the stage.
Inside the circular fence was the Human God, behind him on the benches sat many people wearing plain white masks. The one who stood out from the crowd was the woman with a crow mask who sat in the front row. On the desk on the platform sat a man with a white mask with an angry expression.
As the play started, the angry man struck the desk with a wooden hammer three times. “I am Jarian, God Of Justice. And today, I will punish those who committed a crime. Something that hadn’t happened for three thousand years. Murder of a god.” Said the angry man with a strong tone that vibrated in everyone's ears.
At first, the actors on the benches let out gasps of disbelief, and then the watching crowd followed. “Hanis, God Of Humans. You’re accused of killing a fellow god. Do you have anything for your defense?” Asked Jarian, the God Of Justice.
Hanis looked at the gods sitting on the benches behind him, looking for anyone who would stand by his side and put a good word. His gaze long stayed on an empty seat, and then lastly, he looked at the woman in a crow mask.
“No, your honor…” Said the Human God with disappointment as he lowered his head in shame.
“Does any witness want to speak up and tell us what they saw?” Asked the God Of Justice as he looked at the crowd, waiting for a response. One hand rose from the crowd of gods. “Sienna. You may speak.” Said the man with a nod of approval toward the woman in a crow mask.
The woman stood up and faced the judge. “I didn’t see how it began, but once we arrived, Hanis was on top of Karos, pummeling what remained of Karos’s face. It was a horrible sight, the blood on his hands…” Sienna explained and turned to the crowd of gods with trembling hands in front of her as if they were covered in blood.
The gods began to whisper aggressively between each other, even raising their voices from time to time. The sound of a hammer hitting the desk made them stop and all of the gods turned toward the judge.
“Hanis. I declare you guilty of murder. As your punishment, you’ll replace Karos as the god of death. You’ll be responsible for killing your creation.” Announced Jarian as he hit the desk with his hammer.
“No… No. No.” Whispered the God Of Humans, placing both hands on his head out of frustration.
“That’s not enough!” Shouted one god from the crowd.
“You want more?” Asked the God Of Justice, not surprised, order from a fellow god. The crowd agreed, and the hammer hit the desk once more. “Humanity will be punished as well. We’ll drown the world and slowly kill off all the humans.”
The crowd of gods lets out their joy to be heard by everyone, clapping their hands, jumping in place, and celebrating the decision made by Jarian, God Of Justice.
“And to ensure you’ll do your job. A seal will be placed on you.” As the judge said that, all the gods turned around to face a man in grey robes and an empty grey mask. In his hand, he had a branding iron used for marking cows. The tip of it was still red and hot.
Two men took Hanis to his knees and revealed his back. The man with the branding iron lifted it for everyone to see, the crowd let out a shocked gasp and went silent to continue watching the thrilling scene. The man then pressed the hot iron against the man’s back. Hanis let out a painful scream before he collapsed from the pain.
The lights went out except for a single one pointed at one person on the stage. Sive stood there as the rest of the staff took the props away. “Hanis replaced the God Of Death and continued to kill his own creation. Humans. The beings he created and loved. His younger brother couldn’t watch his brother any longer. The punishment was taking a toll on his mind. Young Vetra disappeared from the pantheon, and when he disappeared, new humans began to surface into the battle. Blessed with unusual powers and strength. The gods decided to call them Stranded, as they didn’t belong in this world. The pantheon accepted the challenge and answered by creating something they called Drowned. Monsters with the purpose of drowning those poor lost souls. But the gods noticed humans that could very well do the same job as the monsters, blessing them with unimaginable power, making them Drowned as well.”
“Ladies and gentlemen. I have something to tell you today. I kept it for a moment like this. At this stage, they are both Stranded and Drowned. THE GODS THEMSELVES CHOSE ME TO BRING THE GREATEST TRAGEDY ON EARTH! I AM DROWNED!” Announced Sive, looking up toward the gods with open hands, and the audience clapped. He bowed in both directions to thank them.