I took who knows how long wandering the halls of my afterlife. It was a lovely place; homey and ready to entertain my followers for eternity.
But it was missing something…
...you know, other than the dead people.
So as to properly contemplate all this, I entered the great hall, where...the inside looked magnificent, yet...empty. Probably something to do with me...
Sighing, I walked up to the throne. It was an exceptional high-backed affair, with a gilded gold and red satin seat. Imperious and resolute, I somehow knew that once I sat upon it…
Everything would change. But was I ready for that? Were my followers ready for...whatever the change would be? I didn't know. Sighing again, I tapped the arm as I paced around my throne.
"Are you ready, milord?"
I spun to find…
...Cato Sicarius?!
He stood there, clad in the rather ostentatious armor of the fucktard Ward had…
"NO! You are not fucking looking like that! Change to another form! I forbid ever appearing as that fucktard! EVER!"
The whole castle...no, afterlife shook with my rage. But my...this entity that appeared as Cato Fucking Sicarius nodded solemnly.
"And how would you wish for me to appear, Lord Kadmon? I am bound to your will, as is everything within this domain."
I thought for a brief moment and knew who I wanted as my right hand man, my fucking majordomo.
"Adeptus Custodes; golden armor and halberds. Not the fabulous abs Rogue Trader version."
He nodded and his form shimmered with golden light; briefly appearing as a miniature star. There was a flash and he reformed, kneeling before me. I circled him slowly, making sure every detail was either right or as close to perfect as possible.
"Might I have a name, Lord Kadmon?"
His request was made in a very familiar voice, one I'd heard in another life...a mortal life. I knew exactly what to call him.
"Your name is Angelos; Gabriel Angelos. You are the first of my Custodes, the Guardians of my domain and the Iron Fist of my will. In time, you will be joined by those who you will call brothers-in-arms. But for now, tell me what you meant by 'Are you ready?'."
He rose and took up position by the throne's right side.
"Lord Kadmon, when you sit upon this throne, your power will...grow exponentially. Your various powers, the miracles you may call upon and your omniscience will become more absolute. So long as you sit here, there is little that may prevent you from viewing or aiding your worshippers in the mortal realm."
I nodded. That made some sense. The throne was my seat of power; if it had no advantages, then what was the point of such a thing.
"And the price for such power?"
He suddenly felt very...depressed.
"Once you sit upon your throne, you will be unable to leave it. Taking your place here will render you unable to physically enter the mortal realm as you have in the past. You can only take action through intermediaries and your avatar can only be summoned by your worshippers. You cannot manifest it yourself. And similar to greater deities, your power would...well, to put it bluntly, you'd become entirely reliant on the worship of your followers. As you are now, you could survive for millennia without worship and prayer, so long as those within your sphere exist, such as humanity."
Ah...there's the catch. I could either remain as I was; an active, yet minor deity that would slowly grow in power. My worshippers would have the benefit of my direct presence and I could intervene when I wished and continue to exist even if all of my followers died or stopped believing. But if I took the throne, I'd ascend to the heights of a major deity, though I'd operate under similar restrictions and once my followers are gone, I'd be gone for good.
"Let me…"
There was a sudden tug at my being; as if a hook was jammed into my chest and yanked as hard as possible. I groaned in pain, extending my awareness to the source of this...thing.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Lord Kadmon protect us!"
The five knights and lone woman stood in horror as the wizard and a group of similarly robed men finished some profane ritual. They stood around a runic circle of some kind where a bloody body lay in the middle; the entire thing glowed with dark power, pulsing like a beating heart.
"What have these heretics done?!"
Ser Jaune reeled as the pulsing got stronger, sending his brothers to their knees. They and Lady Faith were knocked back as the circle flashed with painful light, leaving Jaune the only one to witness the rise of whatever the wizards had summoned. Their leader, the wizard holding a metal staff, cackled with glee.
"You fools! You've not only come too late to stop the ritual, but you've brought the sacrifice here!"
He jabbed his hand forward, sending a blast of red at Jaune. It sent him flying against the chamber wall. The impact winded him and he was helpless as the wizards dragged the unconscious Lady Faith to the circle.
"Barnabas, Lord of Greed! Master of Shadow! We have the sacrifice! A maiden pure, sworn to the fallen god, Lobos! Your enemy has been struck down! His worshippers put to the sword and their blood sacrificed in your name!"
The mad mages chanted and danced about the circle as a dark form took shape.
A demon in the form of a decaying man appeared; its eyes glowing a malevolent red. Its spoke, sending terror through Jaune's veins.
"Well done, loyal Bodan. Your service will be rewarded; great wealth shall be yours, just as promised."
The madman danced and tossed Lady Faith into the circle. Her limp form rolled to a stop right before the shadow. Jaune knew that even if his brothers were awake and rested, they'd not stand a chance against such a beast. They could do nothing in the face of the avatar of a deity. But they were not alone; their god was with them.
"Lord Kadmon, please. Your followers are imperiled by the shadow. A dark god has arisen and with him shall come a darkness so black, that the very earth shall be as night itself. Lord Kadmon, hear my prayer. Lend us your strength. Grant us salvation from this foe…"
His fervent pleas were drowned out by the chanting of the mages and the whispering of the dark god. Jaune knew Lord Kadmon would come…
...but would it be enough in the face of such evil?
---------------------------------
Fuck.
I stared at the god those dark mages had called forth from the ether. It was dark. It was strong.
And it was hungry.
Its very presence was draining the energy of everything around it; minus my Hands, who were guarded by my blessings. And even those were going to fade soon. I pounded at the barrier and it did nothing against the dark powers giving it strength. I could send energy and blessings through, but manifesting in there?
It was impossible.
"My lord, even if you took your place upon your throne, your powers would still be too limited by the power of this dark barrier. Only your Champion may enter and receive the full strength of your blessings."
Altria!
Stepping slightly out of sync with the world, I moved to where Altria was still hacking away at random trees and fluffy animals.
"Altria, my Champion. You have...amused yourself, it seems."
I didn't mean to sound so disappointed, but damn, she damn near deforested two full acres! At least she had the decency to look contrite about it all, though seeing a young girl shuffle guiltily in the midst of a decimated wood was rather adorable.
"L-lord Kadmon! I...I was just…"
I patted her on the shoulder and kneeled, looking her right in the eye. If I was going to send her into a fight, I would have the fucking decency to look her in the eyes.
"I...I have need of you, my Champion."
She immediately brightened, her sword now sheathed.
"I am ready, milord!"
I shook my head in response.
"Perhaps you are, but this task may be one too great for you alone. In a place many leagues from here, Ser Jaune has led a small group into a place where I may not enter. A dark power has risen and if it completes a profane ritual, the god these fools have summoned will become a blight upon the land and its people. Should you take this burden, I shall transport you to temple. There, you will find My Hands imperiled and the dark god in its infancy."
And fuck, that's fear right there on her face...and there it goes, out into the distance, because resolve just tossed it on its ass. She gripped The Sword and nodded firmly.
"I am your Champion, though young I may be. With your blessings and watchful gaze, I will defeat this...monstrosity, my lord."
And here comes the fucking guilt, because I'm sending a little girl to kill a god. Smiling sadly in return, I lay on the strongest blessings I could on her, making her glow like a newborn star.
"Then take my blessings, young Altria of Carth. Take them and with your sword, strike down the dark god, Barnabas in My Name."
I teleported her to the entrance of the temple while I could do nothing more than watch.
"Good luck, little Champion."
------------------------------------
Altria, daughter of Madline, descended of the line of Altia of Parth and Champion of Lord Kadmon…
...squealed quietly as she took in the dark temple before her.
Today!
Today was her moment. Today was when she would no longer be just a girl under the watchful gaze of her god, but the Champion he chose.
Today was the day she would meet her destiny with a warcry on her lips, courage in her heart and her amazing sword in her hands.
With a carefully practiced movement, Altria drew forth The Sword and charged into the temple.
"For Lord Kadmon!"
------------------------------------
"Lord Kadmon, hear us now!"
Jaune struggled against the invisible bonds of the dark god's power. His brothers were in similar states with Lady Faith hovering unconscious above the runic circle. The dark god Barnabas has just devoured his worshippers, having eaten the one called Bodan first.
"You call upon a powerless god, paladin! He has abandoned you rather than face me, the lord of shadows!"
Jaune spat at the glowing eyes.
"Lord Kadmon protects us from your power, fiend! Your own powers cannot pierce the blessings of my god!"
And it was true. The lord of shadows could not harm them so long as Lord Kadmon's blessings held. But soon, they would fade. Jaune just hoped his lord was indeed…
"For Lord Kadmon!"
He turned his head to see a young girl in a woolen dress and apron charge into the chamber with a gleaming sword held aloft.
"Wha-what?! Blessed Altria, run! This is a-...!"
Whatever he was going to say died on his lips as the girl to a flying leap and slammed the blade point first into the face of the shocked god.
"Graagh! You impudent wretch! H-how dare you!"
Laughing out loud as Jaune and his brothers were let loose from their bonds, young Altria yanked the sword out. She landed before them and held the shining blade ready.
"I dare, for I am the Champion of Lord Kadmon, Master of Mankind and Lord of the Stars! His blessings and power are with me! Now die!"
With a fierce warcry, young Altria charged forward, glowing with bright golden light. Swinging the sword in a wide arc, she cleaved right through the dark god and disrupted the runic circle.
"No! Noooo! You little witch! I will not-!"
"Just shut up and die already!"
Altria cried out and sank the blade into Barnabas' head, silencing him completely. His body was engulfed in golden light and…
...dissipated.
Ser Jaune and his brothers looked on in awe as the girl cheekily sheathed her sword and addressed the silent Hands.
"Let's get out of here, shall we?"
The silence was deafening...at least until Lady Faith began gasping and coughing on the ground where she lay.
------------------------------------------------------
And thus, I answered a rather important question:
How many little girls armed with magic swords does it take to kill a god.
I smirked.
"One at Sufficient Velocity."
Will we get those parts one day?
