The End of gods: Chapter 4 – Hunted by the Light

“Watch behind you.

Be on your best behavior.

The gods know what is true.

They know your sins.

So hurry and confess,

Or you will not be missed.”

-          From the Psalms of Righteousness

Chapter 4 – Hunted by the Light

While entering back into the Land of Bliss, Killian and Eliza are blinded by the light and must take some time for their eyes to become readjusted to it. Though this doesn’t affect Eliza because she hasn’t been in direct contact with the gods in a while, Killian’s memories of the past become a bit hazy and he has to stay vigilant about remembering what he’s supposed to do. The vine of black thorns aids in this by giving him a slight tug in the direction he’s supposed to be traveling and a silent voice in his head helps him to correct his thoughts though he doesn’t know what it says.

“This is a beautiful place, isn’t it? Would you like to settle down here when we get a chance?” Killian asks.

“I’m more used to farmland than the forest,” Eliza answers.

“We could do that too. I’ve heard it’s honest work that purifies your soul.”

“Why are we talking about this now? Shouldn’t you be focused on where we’re going?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get to know each other better along the way.”

“What do you want to know about me that you don’t know already?”

“What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite color? What do you like to do to relax? Stuff like that.”

“I haven’t thought about those things since I began my penance and I hardly remember them at all.”

“When you remember them, tell me.”

“Sure.”

Killian and Eliza continue to travel until they come across Scintilla who runs to Killian without yet realizing Eliza on his back. At first, Killian is excited to see Scintilla, but then feels afraid because of all the blood on her and then begins to feel even more afraid because of what he has to explain.

“Killian! Where have you been?! I’ve been looking all over for you for gods know how long!” she screams while waving and smiling at him.

“Scintilla…” Killian softly says.

“Friend of yours? She looks like what I used to,” Eliza says.

“You could say she’s a friend.”

Once Scintilla reaches Killian, she sees Eliza on his back.

She asks, “Who is that? Did you capture one of the enemies?”

“No, this is St. Eliza.”

“St. Eliza? You found her?! That’s amazing though where are her six arms and why are you carrying her on your back?”

Killian tries to explain as best he can what he knows while Scintilla looks at him in disbelief ready to argue against him, however, she doesn’t know what to say especially when he says that he’s supposed to marry Eliza. A silence fills the air as Killian anxiously awaits Scintilla’s response as she tries to begin one.

“Scintilla, I-”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear anymore.”

“I know I can’t convince you to believe me, but you have to trust me-”

“I said shut up! First, what does the God behind reality have to do with all this why would He care when all He does is keep reality in existence?”

“He’s behind all of creation and truth so of course He cares about what happens to us.”

“But isn’t that why He gave the gods their powers?”

“That’s a lie by the gods.”

“The gods can’t lie. There is a literal god of truth who can’t lie.”

“That’s what they want you to think.”

“What makes you think that I’ll believe you especially with that vine of black thorns? It’s probably from the Age of the Black Thorn that caused so much suffering in the world.”

“It’s not it’s a blessed relic.”

“A relic that causes you pain and one that made you marry that limbless woman on your back?”

Eliza is frustrated by what Scintilla is saying since she sounds like what she did.

“I know it sounds crazy but-”

“But nothing. You were always blind, Killian. Still are. While you were learning how to fight, I studied and learned from the gods. What do you do? Learn from silent whispers and a vine? I’m giving you one chance to save your life. Toss this woman aside along with that vine and give me the ring that you were going to give her. It’s not like she has any fingers for the ring to go on.”

Eliza keeps what she wants to say to herself as she knows that it won’t help them.

“No, Scintilla. I won’t. Leave us alone, go into the Void, and find out the truth for yourself. Please, don’t make me do this.”

“You’ve killed me several times in a fight already, but this time you won’t have the gods’ blessing so you won’t be surviving if you lose.”

Killian quickly lays down Eliza and blocks a stab from Scintilla that almost hits Eliza.

“How dare you try to take him away from me!” Scintilla says before she continues to attack Killian.

In their fight, Killian tries to end it quickly and misses a direct stab through Scintilla's chest, but still manages to cut her. The sight of her own blood shocks both of them.

“What…why am I bleeding? Am I not blessed?” Scintilla asks herself.

“Your gods are more human than you think, girl. Give up and save yourself the regret of serving them,” Eliza says.

Scintilla again tries to kill Eliza, but Killian stops her and continues to fight her though he is more hesitant than he was before.

“It’s either me or her, Killian!” Scintilla says, “Who’s loved you all these years? Who hasn’t abandoned you? You know the answer.”

The two keep fighting and Killian almost stabs Scintilla. He stops himself and suffers for it when she counters and slices his eyes.

“Killian!” Eliza cries out.

“Now, you’re literally blind! How fitting,” Scintilla says as she kicks Killian down as he tries not to scream in pain. “I’m giving you one last chance. Repent of your sins and leave this woman behind.”

Killian can feel the vine of black thorns give him strength as the silent whispers give him strength.

“I have to do what’s right. I have to fulfill my purpose,” Killian says as he manages to stand up straight and hold his sword against Scintilla.

“How can you fight me without being able to see?”

“I’ve always been blind, right? I think I can manage.”

Spurred on by the silent whispers, Killian fights Scintilla without being hit and manages to kill her by cutting off her head, which is a sight he thanks God that he wasn’t able to see. He rips off a piece of cloth from his outfit and uses it to wrap the wound around his eyes.

As Killian goes to pick up Eliza, she asks, “She was close to you, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Killian says as he ties Eliza to his back.

“What made you give her up for me?”

“Because it’s what I’m supposed to do, and I have feelings for you.”

“We barely know each other and you’re willing to lose your sight for me?”

“Yes.”

“Heh, you don’t need a lot of convincing to do something, do you? A feeling, a voice, and some influences convince you so easily it seems.”

“You’re right. Call me gullible, but I know enough about what’s right and wrong to make a decision on who I should trust.”

“It’s no wonder why God chose you to do whatever is that you’re going to be doing.”

Noises within the forest catch Killian’s attention.

“Do you see anything?” he asks Eliza.

“Something’s moving in the forest.”

“It’s probably the Blades of the gods. They’re slaves who make sure the law of the gods is followed. We have to move.”

“Then get moving for us! I can’t do anything!”

Killian starts to run where the vine of black thorns guides him and comes across hollowed out humans with blades in all parts of their body that act as swords and spears. One slave fires arrows from a distance. Killian manages to cut apart and deflect the arrows until he reaches the slave and cuts them in half revealing the person’s insides to be nothing but mechanical parts and hundreds of arrows.

“They hollow out people’s bodies and use them like puppets? Those people have really gone to new extremes,” Eliza says in disgust.

“That’s not all. They use the bodies of children and infants as their eyes,” Killian adds.

“Sick freaks.”

“As long as they see us, the rest of the slaves will continue to find us. You’re going to have to find them so I can get rid of them. Don’t worry about what they look like since they’re already dead.”

“Right.”

Eliza looks out for slaves who could be watching them and sees small figures in the trees with a large eye in their head. She, along with the vine, directs Killian’s movements so he can get rid of them. The slaves with blades in their bodies become berserk without anything to direct their movements and Killian begins to struggle against them until the top of his sword is broken. Backed into a corner again, he calms himself and cuts at the legs of the slaves so they can’t chase after them. He then finds a cave for them to rest in where the light of the gods doesn’t touch.

“Another cave, huh?” Eliza asks.

“We’ll only be here for the night,” Killian says as he takes Eliza off his back and sits her down beside him.

“It looks like morning outside with all that light. I’m surprised that we made it through all that. You’re amazing.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you…”

“Killian?” Eliza rests her head on his chest and makes sure that he’s still alive. She then rests next to him while laying her head on his shoulders. “You’re something else, Killian. I wish I was like you at your age.”

Killian and Eliza rest next to one another after an exhausting day of battle and travel. Meanwhile, after seeing what Killian did, the gods are not sure whether or not they should be concerned about him and leave it up to the god of justice to take care of this.

“He shouldn’t be much of a problem. He doesn’t even know where he’s going or what his purpose is,” the god of justice says to the pantheon, “We have plenty of husks to take care of him anyways. I have this under control.”