In the nightmarish world of the present, being human is a temporary phase of life. By the time they turn seven, they can turn into a type of demon depending on the amount and type of sins they commit. A human can turn into an imp, the most pathetic type of demon that’s nothing more than a slave to those above them and who wish to be in their place. The next type of demon from imp is a servant, a less pathetic type that actually has the chance to make something of themselves but is also just as disposable. Finally, there are archfiends, who are the higher ranking workers and guards of society that keep it going, and their bosses, the demiurges who are also known as idols or gods.
The demiurges fight among themselves to have the most power and influence over the world. Dagon was the mightiest among them, but for some reason at the summit of his reign over the world, he disappears. Concerned over his safety for their own sake, his family and allies search for him worldwide. At first, they find strange signs of his influence that they don’t attribute to him. A group of imps that previously served under him protected a series of keys to his location. They talked about Dagon being kind to them and introducing them to a being known as the Highest, a God worshipped by the few remaining humans.
Now filled with more concern than ever, Dagon’s people redouble their efforts to find him. Their next place of interest is a temple of light that burns them even when they are in the dark. Many slaves are sacrificed in this effort, but they eventually do obtain the next piece of the puzzle that points them in another direction. It’s at this point that some of Dagon’s allies give up the search and go back to their territories to grow their power. A fight then breaks out between the demons and those loyal to Dagon end up executing the traitors and continuing on their journey.
Next, they find themselves in the most challenging place yet as the guards they find bleed a kind of blood that burns even the most heavily armored of them. Those touched by the blood of these guards are turned into nothing more than a puddle of blood. It doesn’t help that the guards don’t fall even when their heads fall off. Even when they are reduced to a pile of limbs, their decapitated parts still do their best to impede the intruders. Despite this, Dagon’s children are able to make it to the next clue after sacrificing each other to get it.
This next location is the place Dagon’s remaining loyalists think he is, however, all they find is an empty underground church filled with humans all of which can’t be disturbed no matter what the loyalists do to them. These people are deep in prayer, are bleeding from the eyes, and are all kneeling. They are like statues and yet alive when they speak in a language that hurts the ears of the loyalists. Continuing on as fast as they can, they search the area, find the last hint, and try to leave the church as fast as they can, however, the chanting of the humans grows louder. The sounds of their loud prayers and groans of penance are enough to blow up the heads of the loyalists. In addition, the doors of the church start to close.
Dagon’s wife slides under the door before it closes and doesn’t bother to hold it open for her children despite having the chance to, which leads to their deaths. Unphased by what happened, she goes to her husband’s hiding location by herself as the last remaining loyalist. The place where Dagon is found is underneath an abandoned church behind a door that is unlocked with all the keys that were found. Inside the room, Dagon is seen to be kneeling before an altar to the Highest. His skin is falling apart and rapidly decaying, and because of this, his wife tries to help him, however, two gray hands come out of Dagon’s head that tears away his skin from the inside out. During this, his wife is too scared and confused to move even as she hears him screaming from within his own body.
Once the gray figure tears itself out from Dagon’s body, it turns around to reveal itself to be a human, and not just any human, but Dagon in human form. Even with her depraved eyes, Dagon’s wife recognizes the man to be him. His eyes are gold and black and his skin is all gray, and despite its gray color, Dagon’s skin seems to radiate a light similar to that of the light that turned demons into pools of blood.
“Da…Dagon? Is it really you?” his wife asks.
“Yes, it is I.,” Dagon confirms, “Vaermina, did you sacrifice our children to find me?”
“I’ve sacrificed our children for lesser reasons, so yes, I have. All of them died so I could find you and bring you back home, but…”
“But I’m human and a worshipper of the Highest.”
“Why? You had everything! We had everything!”
“I had riches that collected dust and was won by shedding the blood of my enemies and influencing people who either hated me or would betray me. It was worth giving it all away.”
“And what did you gain in return?”
“Salvation, and you can have it too.”
“I’d rather have the power and influence we once had. Here I was holding out the hope that you were held hostage by one of our competitors or this ‘Highest’ entity, but no, you’ve gone insane!”
“I’ve come to my senses! I’m no god. I’m human and the Highest is the only God. I refused to live in this world full of people betraying each other, butchering and sacrificing their own family and friends for power, and pretending that we’ll live forever as rulers of the world when we’re nothing but slaves to our passions and wants.”
“If that’s how you see things, then you’ve left me no choice.”
“Are you going to kill me? Go ahead. I’ve already died and now my soul lives with the Highest.”
“The ‘Highest’ is nothing more than a rival deity who can be taken down like the rest, and when I’m done with you, I’ll go after it next.”
Vaermina’s arms swell, catch fire, and grow spikes as she charges an attack. Once her arms are completely charged, she uses both arms to punch Dagon with everything she has, but her arms blow up as soon as she hits him. She screams out in pain at the complete destruction of her arms whereas Dagon has not even suffered a scratch. With Vaermina on her knees, Dagon touches where her arms once were and heals her of her pain. Part of his own arms begin to bleed as a result.
“What…what are you doing?” Vaermina asks.
“What does it look and feel like? I’m embracing your pain to take it away from you and offering it up to the Highest in reparation for your evil actions,” Dagon says.
“Why?”
“Because despite everything you’ve done, I still love you. You’re still my wife and it’s my responsibility to help you save your soul.”
In this humbled state with nothing to lose, Vaermina considers what Dagon says for a few moments before her arms are restored. Now, Dagon’s arms are bloodied as if they were cut by dozens of blades.
“Is it even possible for me to be saved? To change at all.”
“I’ve changed, which means so can you.”
Dagon holds out his hand that Vaermina takes a second to take. Once she does, part of her red skin falls off to reveal the human being within it as she begins to accept betraying everything that she once was to be loyal to something greater than herself.
Chapter
4 – Blessed are the Defeated
As Dante approaches the final wall,
the Forsaken sprout out from the ground in chains and the sun’s golden rays are
now mixed with a black light that somehow makes it more blinding.
“Blessed are the defeated,” the
choir of Forsaken says in unison, “Blessed are those who suffer defeat at the
hands of God for they will be humbled. God is glorified in the deaths of the wicked
and repentance of the penitent as both show His power and majesty and
contribute to His divine and mysterious plan for the good of all humanity.”
The people who live in this uppermost
area of the city are confused by the state of the sun and this sudden
appearance of penitents who are both mutated and not unnerved by their
message. It doesn’t help that the Forsaken start chanting in Latin a prayer of penance
and punishment for both the righteous and wicked alike. Dante slips through the
crowds thanks to the commotion and makes it to the last wall. At his slightest
touch, the wall crumbles revealing the farm that he once lived at. He doesn’t
consider the sight of it as any kind of trick or trap and instinctively walks to
it as his heart yearns for home. It’s only when the wall closes behind him that
he considers that this may be another obstacle to him.
Before he can consider what to do to
get out of this, his parents and fiancée see and go to him. They are shocked by
his appearance and call out his name. A chill runs down Dante's spine as the fear
of what to say to them fills him, and yet, he doesn’t run away and silently
prays that he is given the right words to say to them on the spot. A sharp
pain, sharper than any pain he’s felt before fills him instead to keep him in
place and still able to speak, but not scream like his body wants him to do. Both
his parents and fiancée recognize him as God’s grace allows them to know it to
be him.
“Dante?” his fiancée, Anselma, says
as he gets closer to him than his parents.
“I’m sorry that you have to see me like
this,” Dante says as he tries not to look at her, “But I was given this pain by
God and a task to remind the heads of the Church the value in suffering.”
“Look at you. We told you that
becoming a soldier wouldn’t lead to anything good,” Dante’s father says.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“We did,” his mother says, “But this
could not possibly be the will of God. You’ve made another foolish decision by
accepting whatever task a demon or something pretending to be God gave you.”
“I can hardly stand to even look at
you,” his father adds. “It’s as if just looking at you makes me share in your
curse.”
Three of the Forsaken pop out from
the ground, and say in unison, “That is because you’re family and a family should
bear each other’s crosses.”
These Forsaken are a father,
mother, and son all of which are tangled in thorny vines that are decorated
with various kinds of colorful flowers and wear similarly colorful vestments that are not too far off from something one would wear at mass, however, they are
all bleeding from various parts of their skin, eyes, and mouth and their faces
show how much pain they are in. Dante’s parents are frightened by their
appearance while Anselma and Dante are undisturbed.
“Who are you?!” Dante’s father asks.
“We are family and suffer for
the sake of all families in the world since we are all related in one way or
another. That is all you should know,” they say. “Dante, this next obstacle
will be a nearly impossible challenge for you to bear, unless your loved ones wish
to bear your pain with you.”
In an instant, a tidal wave of pain
overcomes Dante forcing him to his knees. He screams and bleeds so profusely that
he almost seems like he’s going to die because of it, and yet, he doesn’t much
to the surprise of his parents and himself. Anselma is the only one who isn’t
surprised as she has prayed to accept part of Dante’s pains, which have
relieved a bit of what he is going through. Because she’s done this, cuts form
on her limbs, body, and face, which she begins to bleed from.
“Anselma…you didn’t…have to…” Dante
says.
“No, I did,” Anselma says in a pained
voice, “I did because I love you.”
Tears of blood flow from Anselma’s
eyes, but despite this, she tries to smile and put on a comforting face.
Looking over to Dante’s parents, the two lovers eagerly await their decision
and are disheartened to see them run away into the house.
“I’m sorry, Dante,” Anselma says.
“No, it’s fine. I had a feeling
they would choose to not help,” Dante says, “I’ve always been a failure in
their eyes. I’ve never been good at helping on the farm, helping with the
business side of it, I’m not a good soldier, and I’m a failure of a fiancé.”
“No, don’t say that because it
doesn’t matter. God calls us to be faithful, not successful, after all.”
“Woe to you who are abandoned by
those whom God has placed in their hands, but do not despair, for your true
family is in Heaven,” the Forsaken say.
The Blessed Mother, caretaking
father of the Church, his guardian angel, and other saints that Dante prays to
appear in a ray of light around him and Anselma and help alleviate his and
Anselma’s pain as it continues to grow. As for Anselma, her pain grows until
she falls to the ground and starts to bleed rivers of blood. Dante is unable to
say or do anything because of the pain he’s in and can only hope to take some
of her pain away.
“O…okay…I accept,” Anselma manages
to say before looking and smiling at Dante one more time and exploding into a
torrent of blood that takes him away from his home and back to the top of the
City of the Seven Hills.
He now stands at the gates of the Most
Blessed Church where the heads of it meet and worship.
“Anselma…” Dante says as he puts
his head and arms of blood up against the door, “I’m sorry. I’ll make sure your
sacrifice for me wasn’t in vain.”
Dante begins to cry and as he does,
he can feel an invisible hand wipe away his tears and comfort him. In his
heart, he knows it to be Anselma so he throws away his sadness and continues
forward. The inside of the Most Blessed Church collects the best decorations,
works of art, and structural designs of the entire city as if every part of it
can be found here from the seemingly never-ending library to the feast hall and
to the sanctuary where mass is held and priests and nuns are in constant
adoration of God in the Blessed Sacrament. Despite the many rooms and places to
go, Dante knows where to go as he follows where he feels that Anselma is guiding
him. Eventually, the room that he finds himself in is the ever-expansive
meeting room where the cardinals and archbishops debate and create new laws for
the Church along with kings and queens. This room is either busy or completely
empty, but today, a singular inhabitant sits in the room at the head of it all,
the leader of the entire Church, the Bishop of the City of the Seven Hills, Januarius.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Dante,”
Januarius says.
To give him proper honor, Dante
kneels on one knee and bows his head. Januarius slowly descends from his throne
and the stairs at the head of the room with his holy robes flowing from him and
suspended in the air as if held by angels so that they wouldn’t be dirtied by the floor.
“I’ve seen you in a dream,” Januarius
continues, “You seek to remind me of the value of pain and suffering for others,
and as such, you are blessed, and at the same time, cursed and on a needless
journey. I already know the value of pain. I do my fair share every day along
with various priests, nuns, penitents, and the Forsaken.”
“I’m here to remind you to do
penance for the heathens and heretics as well.”
“Let those charged with that
penance take care of it. I have my own to take care of.”
“But everyone in the world both
faithful and unfaithful are under your care!”
“I care for them by getting the
right people to care for them. Think of the kingdoms and places that the Church
controls. They are crime-free for the most part. People live humble,
comfortable lives to the age of ninety on average. The only thing they need to
worry about is their own, keeping the state of their soul in check, and the
weather.”
“What about the cities in danger
because of the threats from heretical and heathen nations?”
“I have armies to protect them and penitents
and evangelists who will convert our enemies. There’s nothing more for me to do
because I am fulfilling my task to the letter. I am leading souls to Heaven and
giving others the same task. I have done nothing wrong.”
“Then explain your dream of me
coming here to remind you of the value of suffering for others. You are clearly
mistaken.”
“Then, by all means, show me the
error of my ways.”
Dante stands up and his arms of
blood change into crossbows that fire two bolts of blood into Januarius. The
bishop begins to transform as he sprouts withered wings made of faded gold with
black spikes at the end. One of his arms turns into a black wing while his
other hand turns into a claw. A broken halo like a set of demonic horns sprouts
from the sides of his head and the broken pieces come out from where his eyes
used to be. Parts of his chest decompose to reveal the black heart within him.
In addition, a black nail juts out from his remaining hand and his two bird-like
feet. All his holy vestments have withered into nothing leaving only a long purple
cloth to cover his loins. With the transformation complete, Januarius screams
out in the immense pain he is now in and reveals the sword-like tongue and
black dagger-like teeth in his mouth.
“So…so, this is it? True pain? You
would introduce this to the people of the Church who comfortably live in peace and
who have done nothing to deserve it?” Januarius asks.
“It’s as God wills. Who am I to disagree?
To do so and fight against His will is blasphemy and would damn my soul,” Dante
says.
“No, no! I won’t allow it! If it is
blasphemy to stop this suffering from infecting my flock, then it is a holy
blasphemy to commit!”
Januarius flies up into the air and
then charges at Dante, slashes at him with his new claws, and shoots at him
with beams of searing gold light. For some reason, Dante’s body feels as if it’s
unable to move. His arms don’t even change to accommodate the fight and just
stay as streams of blood coming from the stumps where his arms once were.
Still, he tries to fight, but the pain in his body keeps him mostly stationary
and susceptible to attacks that keep putting him on the ground. He gets up
repeatedly until he feels like he can no longer move. Januarius then
stands over him and plunges his claws into Dante’s exposed heart, and in the
blink of an eye, Dante finds himself back where he saw God and the two doors
that lead to two different lifepaths.
“What happened? Wasn’t I supposed
to fight him or was I supposed to die? Again?” Dante asks the Lord.
“You died again and were supposed
to. Pick a door.”
Dante looks at the two doors. One
door’s description reads, ‘die’ while the other reads ‘live’.
“At this point, is there really a
choice?”
“Yes. You have the free will to
make your own choice.”
Looking back at the descriptions on
the doors, Dante squints his eyes and the words ‘die’ change in a blur to the
words ‘be faithful’ while the words ‘live’ change to ‘damnation’.
“Whoever wishes to save his life…I
get it. I remember the scriptures and I choose to be faithful. I was never meant to win this battle. It was
always meant to be Your victory and Yours alone.”
Going through the ‘die’ door, Dante
sees himself back where he once was looking down on his body being stabbed by
Januarius. A flood of blood overwhelms the bishop and then washes over the
entire city from top to bottom touching even the hidden areas where the Forsaken
are.
“Januarius will now fall in the
footsteps of his faithful predecessors and be the foundation on which the
Church will be rebuilt. Even now, I speak and instruct him on how to faithfully
suffer and use it as penance for the souls of many,” the Lord says.
“I see. My task is over then,”
Dante says.
“Yes, and you can see the fruits
for yourself.”
Angels bring over a mirror for
Dante. He looks into it and sees that his once bloodied body is now shining
gold from where he was once injured. The mirror also reveals the image of God in
it as well. Ascending into Heaven, he sees Otello, Anselma, and many others
showing up that he doesn’t recognize. In his mind, God reveals to him that
these people were saved thanks to the new penances done for them that allowed
them to have a good final confession.
Everyone in Heaven gathers around,
their penitential wounds shining like medals won in a competition and their
hearts beating with joy. They take part in the endless celebration of the mass and are given a share of the Thorny Crown of True Love and a place that has been prepared for them since the beginning of time. Together they all sing God’s
praises and pray for those below who need it, especially those who are in pain,
for blessed are those who suffer for they are closest to God.
The End
Chapter
3 – Blessed are the Forsaken
No one stays mutated for long around
the City of the Seven Hills. Some say it’s because of the city's holiness or because the poor and weak are more visible to those who still pray and do
penance. Those who live for conspiracy and intrigue even guess it's because the
mutated are hidden away in the depths of the hills out of sight of the general
public. Regardless of the case, few people see those mutated and blessed with
pain and thus don’t worry about the suffering of others as much and just assume
that it’s a problem far removed from them, which should stay that way. Today,
that is about to change as Otello and Dante arrive and have their goal in
sight.
From a distance, Dante sees the
entire beauty of the holy city as the hills appear to lead to Heaven. Even from
here, he can see the beautiful white buildings and make out bits of their
gothic architecture that reach out to the sky as if they are reaching out to
God. This appreciation for the city’s beauty grows as they get closer and make
out more of the buildings’ features and the statues that decorate them.
“It’s been so long since I’ve last
been here. I’m glad that the city hasn’t lost any of her beauty,” Otello says.
“It’s my home,” Dante says, “My fiancée
and I would come out here and look at the entire city from afar on starry
nights.”
“Would you like to visit her and
your parents?”
“No, I’d rather not have them see
me this way.”
“I understand, but you’ll have to
see them again after completing your God-given task.”
“No, I won’t. I was told that I’ll
die after completing it.”
“Oh. Perhaps that is a blessing
then because I dread showing my loved ones my current appearance.”
“If you say so. I had so many plans
for my life such as marrying my fiancée and having a family with her on my
family’s farm…forget it. Talking about a closed-off future tempts me to hate
God for my current condition and makes me regret it.”
“That’s right. Keep your eyes
forward. We’ll get through this together, and soon after, Heaven will be yours.
Think about that instead.”
“I will.”
While approaching the city, the
ground beneath them begins to shake. After which, a swarm of bug men emerges from
the ground clothed in white and gold armor, wings of light, and halos above
their heads. They stop the two in their tracks with their praying mantis-like
claws out in front of them ready to attack.
One of them says, “We know who you are
and we cannot allow you to pass.”
“How do you know us and why not?
Can’t you tell that we are blessed?” Dante asks.
“We have been told to be an
obstacle to you by God. You will reintroduce unneeded suffering and pain to the
Church and her faithful. Is that not reason enough to stop you?”
“No, it’s not because we are commissioned
by God to do this. A Church built on the blood of God needs to remember the value
of pain,” Otello says.
“Then you leave us no choice, but
to silence you for your false piety.”
The swarm of insect men begins to
swarm and attack the two all at once. To counter them, Dante’s arms of blood change
into long blade-like whips that he uses to disperse the swarm and finish
them off in mere seconds.
“Good work. If you had the same
abilities that you do now during our first fight, I probably would’ve lost,”
Otello says.
“It’s only because of these
abilities that I can do these things. Like I said before, I don’t have full
control over these arms. I can’t choose what they change into nor do I put much
effort into what I can do with them, but never mind that. Those people said
that God made them to be an obstacle to us. What do you think it means?”
“A misunderstanding or, as they
said, they were an obstacle put by God. Perhaps as a test of faith.”
“Test is right. When I heard them
mention reintroducing unneeded suffering and pain and them being an obstacle
set in front of us by God, it made me reflect on what we’re doing. Were we
actually commissioned by God or a devil pretending to be Him?”
“It was God. I’m sure of it.”
“Are you just sure of it because what
we’re doing fits with what you want to do?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it and I’m not
blinded by my own view of reality. In fact, my eyes have never been more open. Remember
that the devil wants us to have an easy life whereas God allows us to be tested
and forges us like weapons in the fires of tribulations to become what we’re
supposed to be. As I said, perhaps this was a misunderstanding and they thought
they were supposed to protect the Church from what they perceived as evil, or
maybe it was they who were tricked by a devil. One thing is now clear to me and
that they were more of an obstacle to you than me because of what they said and
not by their strength.”
“Yeah, you’re right. You’re right
in everything that you said. Let’s continue on so I can keep the tempting
thoughts out of my head.”
“I will. Stay strong, Dante. Our
goal is in sight.”
Dante nods and keeps his eyes on
the top of the City of the Seven Hills where the head of the Church resides.
During his journey, his pain has been manageable, but now that he’s near its end,
the pain has inexplicably been intensified. The wind feels like small blades
that cut his skin, every breath hurts his chest, and the floating red crown
around his head feels as if it’s putting a heavy weight on his head while the
golden half of his face burns. All this pain he offers up for his previous sins
and the sins of others, which comforts him a bit, but not enough for him to completely
bear it. With no other option, he prays for help and wisdom, and before he
knows it, he can feel Otello pick up speed as they near the walls of the city.
“Hold on tight!” Otello says.
To protect him, Dante’s arms turn
into a giant red shield that protects him as Otello breaks through the walls of
the city. The citizens who witness this are startled and confused as to why
this is happening while the guards mobilize to kill these two intruders. They
get on their horses and try shooting at them. Dante’s arms switch form again
and change into tiny threads that deflect and crush the arrows they catch. Before he knows it, they have the next wall in sight, so Dante’s
arms change back into a shield, however, when Otello breaks through the wall,
both he and Dante find themselves in a grassy field.
“What happened? Where are we?”
Dante asks while not expecting an answer.
“I don’t know,” Otello says, “Perhaps
this is a trick, an illusion.”
Otello continues to run but finds
that he’s going nowhere as if the grassy field goes on forever. It’s then that
they hear a voice in the distance. When they get closer to it, they see a
preacher made of son and clothed in black searing chains.
“Blessed are the forsaken for they
shall realize the pleasures of this life are nothing and vain, and that only a
life focused on God is worth living even if it is devoid of happiness and
conventional joy,” the preacher of stone says.
“You’re a penitent who understands
the value and use of pain and suffering. Who are you?” Otello says.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. I am only
an obstacle to you given by the Lord. I am among other penitents called the
Forsaken who do penance in secret for the sake of the faithful and lost
members of the Church so that all who are close to salvation will be saved by
God at their deaths. You have met some of these penitents and fought through
them outside of the walls.”
“They too said they were obstacles
given to us by God. Are there more of you as we approach the walls?”
“Yes, but not all the Forsaken are.
They do penance in seemingly unreachable parts of the city, the world, and, in
my case, my own place in Purgatory. As for the obstacle I present, it is not trapping
you in this dimension, but a series of questions and concerns.”
“Then all I need to do to overcome
it is not listen.”
Otello begins to run away from the
preacher, however, he keeps encountering him in the fields as if teleporting in
this infinite plane of existence, so he stops running and instead, fortifies
his mind while Dante does much the same.
“You should know the value of pain
better than most, Otello,” the preacher says, “Your example of using it has
converted many heathens and heretics alike. Each of us has our own cross. Parents
must attend to their children and community while kings, queens, and priests must
shepherd hundreds if not millions of people. Your cross was to convert the lost
and searching and to defend the Church from her attackers. Are you sure that it
is now to make others share in that pain?”
“Tch,” Otello says while trying not
to listen.
“As for you, Dante. Your young life
is cut short through this quest already nearing its end. Are you satisfied
with the life you have lived? Have you gained wisdom beyond your years to know
that this is the right choice or have you figured out that wisdom in itself
is useless unless it can used to glorify God, who is truth itself? Is the
blessed pain that you carry too much to bear or are you able to carry it to
your Golgotha?”
Dante can’t help but listen to the
preacher as if his voice is resonating in his mind. In the blink of an eye,
the scene and preacher disappear and the two find themselves on the other side
of a wall that hasn’t been damaged. On the other side of the wall, they can
hear the guards on their horses come to the wall and be confused at what happened
as if they had disappeared for only a moment. Not wanting to waste any time,
Otello continues to run up the hill and to the next wall. While heading upwards,
Dante sees bits of red on Otello’s fur and even feels blood seeping out of his
armor.
“Are you okay?” Dante asks.
“Yes, I am,” Otello says in a slightly
pained voice.
“But you’re bleeding!”
“Am I now? I’ve silently prayed to
God so that I could share in your pain and help you bear your cross. I’m ashamed
to admit that it never occurred to me to do so despite priding myself on
bearing the pains of others.”
“Don’t be and thank you for helping
me.”
At this moment, Dante can feel his
pain lessen and become bearable. He lifts his head higher with renewed strength
and to ready himself for the next challenge ahead. Word from the guards on the
other side of the wall where they once were is too slow to reach the guards on
the side they are on now, which allows them to reach the next wall without any
resistance, however, the ground falls out from under them this time. They slide
down a hole that leads them to a tunnel decorated with hundreds of faces and
skulls on the side of it.
“Is this some sort of crypt?” Dante
asks.
“I don’t know. If it is a crypt,
then it’s a crypt for the Forsaken,” Otello says.
One of the faces suddenly springs
to life with wide eyes and then says, “If only it were a crypt and we dead, but
oh, what a curse and blessing of pain that would bring on our people.”
“We have helped carry the crosses
and endured the punishment of many in the Church ever since it abandoned
suffering for the sake of others outside of it,” another says.
“We have helped others in their
suffering during the early days of the Church,” yet another chimes in.
“When you accomplish your goal,
hardly anything will change.”
“We present to you the obstacle of inevitability.
Of the reality that humanity wants to avoid as much suffering as possible even
if it is their God-given duty.”
“Even if they know souls will be
lost because of it.”
“Even if they know they will not merit
a higher place in Heaven. They think to themselves, ‘What is the difference
between being at the lowest or highest point in Heaven anyway’? It’s still
Heaven after all.”
“There’s some virtue in their way
of living, and some danger of corruption at the same time.”
“They will not go beyond their
duties for the sake of their enemies in contrast to what the Lord does.”
“Who can blame their thinking when
they fulfill their duties as far as they are concerned?”
“Even if you convince most of the
Church to change, they may be corrupted in a different age or become self-centered
at another time.”
“Do you wish to continue despite
this reality?”
Dante and Otello look at each other
before nodding and saying that they will.
“We can see the honesty in your
hearts. You may continue.”
Part of the tunnel collapses and
the dirt that has fallen turns into a set of stairs that Otello uses to climb
and get out of the tunnel. The two now find themselves on the other side of the
wall and even closer to the summit of the city. Their goal feels as if it is
now in arms reach as they can see that only two walls remain in their path.
“We’re almost there, friend,”
Otello says before shuttering in pain.
“Are you okay? This is a result of
the pain you are sharing with me, isn’t it? I can feel it too. You don’t have
to bear this cross with me any longer,” Dante says.
“What are you talking about? We’re
on this journey together so your burdens are mine to share.”
After gritting his teeth and taking
a deep breath in, Otello continues to charge forward towards the top. Here, the
guards were given an advanced warning about their arrival and have archers
ready to fire at them and men on horses at the ready to give chase. Once the
trap is sprung, they waste little time in attacking the two, however, Dante’s
shields and Otello’s speed are too much for them to handle leading to some of
the Church’s best defenses being ruined and run through as if they were done by
amateurs, which in turn humbles the guards and causes them to argue among themselves
and debate whether or not Dante and Otello were sent by God for a greater
purpose that they are powerless to stop from happening. Their arguing and
infighting allow Dante and Otello to continue through the district without
much resistance. They reach the next wall ready for the next obstacle, but their
readiness is swept out from under them as they are instantly transported to a
battleground between soldiers with wings on their backs.
At first, Otello and Dante think
they are demons and angels, but they recognize some of the faces as famous
saints or people who were notable for their faith and works during their
lifetime. The two then look at each other and Dante is surprised to see that he’s
off Otello and that the man is no longer a bull.
“Otello! You’re back to normal!”
Dante points out.
After looking at himself and
feeling his hands, face, and chest, Otello says, “I am! I wonder why…”
One of the saints armored in black
and gold descends upon the two. She says, “Good day to you, honorable penitents.”
“What is this?” Otello asks.
“You are witnessing the never-ending
invisible battle between angels and demons for the souls of men, which will only
end when the Lord comes again at the end of time. What does it look like to
you?”
“Angels, saints, and demons in the
form of men fighting each other. The demons have blinding gold and white armor and
wings while the angels and saints have black and gold armor and wings,” Dante
says.
“I see. Your mortal minds might not
be able to comprehend this if it was shown bluntly to you so what you’re seeing
is an approximation of it.”
“Are you another of the Forsaken?
Are you going to present another obstacle to us?” Otello asks.
“Obstacle? No, not at all. Instead,
I present a goal for you in particular Otello.”
“What do you mean? Dante and I are
supposed to be correcting the Church together.”
“You have done your part. You were
only meant to be his key to get in.”
“But one more wall remains.”
“He’ll make it through that on his
own with the help of another and the wisdom you have given him so far. Your
place is to now here on the battlefield with us.”
“With the living dead?”
“Yes, with us. You are the same
after all.”
“…what? I’m dead?”
“Yes and no. You will be like the
saints and angels if you choose to fight with us, but you will be with the
demons if you refuse.”
“What about me? Am I alive and
dead?” Dante asks.
“You are in a similar state, but
not yet. Not until you accomplish your goal. So, Otello, will you be joining
us? God needs your efforts here.”
“I…I need a moment. It’s all so sudden.”
“What happened to that man who
bullishly jumped at the opportunity to do God’s will at a moment’s notice?”
“Got me there. Alright, alright. I’ll
join you.”
“Otello!” Dante says as his friend leaves his side.
“It’s okay, Dante. If my place is
meant to be here, then there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m sure that you’ll
accomplish your task. You have God with you after all.”
“Wait!”
Dante tries to reach out to Otello,
but he is suddenly transported back into reality and on the other side of the
previous wall. Looking behind him, he sees the final wall and the meeting place
of the Church’s leaders sitting at the summit of the highest hill. He notices
that his pain hasn’t increased much as if Otello is still bearing part of his
burden with him.
“I’ll succeed. For once in my life,
I’ll succeed at something, and this will be it,” Dante says to himself before walking
to the next wall.
Chapter
2 – Blessed are those with Nothing to Lose
“Blessed are those with nothing to
lose for they have nothing distracting them from loving only God,” a preacher
says as he and his congregation build up their church.
Otello’s trail has led Dante to
this town where he’s lost him. His wings were taken away from him, and in their
place, his arms of blood were transformed into swords, so he assumes Otello is
close by. This town, much like the surrounding area, is part desert, luscious forest,
and farmland. Its people are the same with some suffering afflictions and
mutations while others are completely human.
The preacher continues, “Blessed also
is the man who gives everything he has to God’s purposes. Blessed is the man
who has little to give away and does so anyway and blessed are those given
riches and who overcomes the desires to keep it all for their purposes. Keep
working and give all you have to our gracious Lord so that everything you do
will be a testimony to your faith.”
As Dante walks through the town, he
is told, “God bless you, child,” by some of its inhabitants who also kiss and
touch his bloodied skin and golden face. He simply nods, thanks them, and then
continues on. A small rotting farm then grabs his attention out of everything
and everyone in the town. One singular farmer is taking care of it with various
kinds of seeds that come out of small patches of his skin. Going over to it, Dante
kneels down and at a single touch of the ground, the grass grows from it along
with the vegetation and fruits that immediately grow to a full and healthy size
on the regrown trees and plants.
“God bless you, boy. I’ve been
trying for ages not knowing why my produce stopped growing, but now that you’ve
shed your blood on it, I’ll be able to help feed this starving town,” the
farmer says.
“Honestly, I didn’t know my blood
would do that. I was just curious about why the plants were dying since I used
to be a farmer myself,” Dante admits.
“You must be a great farmer then
and an even greater son to your parents.”
“I’m neither of those, actually. I
was never good at helping on the farm, selling our produce, or being what my
parents wanted.”
“Well, regardless of that, it’s
obvious to see that God needs you no matter how useless you think you may
be. Keep your head up because you are loved.”
The farmer’s seemingly unnaturally
happy tone and smile remind Dante of God’s voice and face as if glimmers of
the divine are shining through this humble man. After thanking the man, Dante walks
away, especially since his deed has further attracted attention to himself and
he’d rather not get distracted from his goal any longer. He eventually finds Otello’s
trail again and follows it back into the forest where he is met by the King
General not too far in. Dante readies himself for a fight but is surprised when
Otello raises the only human hand that he has.
“We don’t need to fight,” the bullish
man says, “God told me to go out here so that we may speak in private.”
“Then why allow my arms of blood to
turn into swords? These arms of mine turn into whatever God allows. I don’t
have full control of them. You’re a heretic that started this conflict between
your followers and the Church,” Dante says.
“I must admit that there’s some
truth to what you say and it shows on what I have become. I couldn’t bear to
deal with the heads and influencers of the Church teaching people to only look
out for their own and not suffer for one another, and even though I understand
the want to avoid pain, suffering, and penance is a required part of a faithful
man’s life. That is why I defected from the Church’s army and brought whoever
would follow me out to this part of the world. As soon as I felt the righteous
need to rebel, I took it.”
“And started a civil war within the
Church, as if we don’t have enough to worry about with the heathens.”
“Don’t lump me in with their degenerate
lot.”
“Heretics and heathens are different
sides of the same coin.”
“While I agree with you, you must
also understand my reasoning for wanting to rebel.”
“I do. In fact, God told me to go
to the City of the Seven Hills to remind the leaders of the Church what the
value of suffering for others is.”
“Then we are on the same side.”
“Regardless of that, I need you to help
me get into the City of the Seven Hills. God said you would be the key.”
“So, it appears there was another
reason why I became a bull. I quite literally am the key to getting you through
the city’s walls.”
“Are you sure that God would want
us to cause such havoc in the holy city?”
“It’s not like I have an actual key
on me and my new hammer that was once a sword certainly cannot conventionally
open a door or gate, so yes. Besides, it would drive home our reintroducing them
to suffering and humbling them as they watch their seemingly invincible city be
broken into so easily.”
“Hmmm. I guess there’s no other way
to look at it then.”
“So, are we partners?” Otello says
with a hand stretched out.
“For now, yes, we are,” Dante says
as he shakes Otello’s overly large hand.
“Wonderful! Let’s get a move on
then. My halo horns should guide us to our destination as I was told by God
that it would glow if I was headed in the right direction. Climb on my back.”
“You want me to ride you like a
horse?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but it’s not
like you can keep pace with me.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Dante climbs on Otello’s back and
they head off. Now that he’s paying attention to it, Dante sees that Otello’s
horns shift from faintly glowing gold to a darker yellow. Otello adjusts his
direction accordingly so that his horns are constantly glowing gold while trying
to pay attention to what’s in front of him. Occasionally, this makes Otello
crash into a tree, so Dante tells him that he’ll pay attention to the glow to
which Otello agrees. The two eventually find themselves near a town much like
the one Dante was previously in except this one has walls made from trees. The
glow from Otello’s horns and Dante’s instructions makes the two go around the
town as if informing them of some importance here. Otello is confused by his
constant running around and confirms what Dante says by watching his own
horns glow fainter when they move away from this settlement.
“Why would the Lord want us…”
Otello says to himself before his eyes widen at the sudden realization, “Unless
it’s-”
Before he can finish, a barrage of
arrows and fire come from the forest. A small force mixed with humans, both
normal and mutated, charge at the town. These people are dressed in the skin of
animals, broken armor from the Church’s army, and even human skin and have
weapons made of bones, stone, and scavenged, damaged weapons. The town’s
inhabitants arm themselves and meet their attackers in the field of battle.
They are aided by Dante and Otello who also join in the fight. Otello carves
his way through the attackers simply by running them down while Dante uses his
bloodied weapons to carve through them as if they were made of paper.
Because of their help, the attackers
are driven away and the town is saved and they are thankful for their saviors’
help. One of them recognizes Otello and he confirms that he is himself. It’s
then that the other townspeople finally recognize him, question what happened
to him, why he’s here, and why a young man dressed in the armor of the Church
is with him.
“My good people, I don’t have time
to completely explain everything, especially since I don’t have all the answers
myself. All I know is that God turned me into this to aid this young man, Dante,
in reminding the Church of the value of suffering,” Otello answers.
Hearing this immediately satisfies
the curiosities of the townspeople who tell Otello and Dante to go off on their
journey so that they can teach the Church a lesson on what they should be doing
and so the two do after saying goodbye.
As he rides on Otello’s back, Dante
asks him, “Who were those attackers? Were they the heathens that I’ve heard about?”
“They were. My forces would’ve been
making their rounds right around the time they attacked, but since they were at
my capital, they couldn’t help,” Otello says.
“You would’ve had more soldiers to
aid you if you hadn’t started your rebellion too. More people would’ve been
alive too.”
“There’s some truth in what you are
saying, however, the Church hasn’t been doing much to convert the pagans. They have
been treating them like business partners rather than lost souls that need to
come home. Before being baptized, I was a pagan like the people we fought. I
fought to spill blood, to gain strength, and to obtain the most beautiful women,
however, during one battle, one man didn’t die no matter how many times he was
stabbed, burned, and beaten. The man didn’t fight back and only prayed to God
and offered his pain in reparation for our sins, and on that day, every pagan
who attacked that city including me was converted. It was only after that did
the man die in peace.”
“I’ve heard of the legend of your repentance
and the saint who caused it before.”
“Then you understand why I emphasize penance, the embracing of pain, and rebelled against the
Church, which isn’t the same one I joined so many years ago. It’s different now
with different leadership. Despite claiming to have the same goals as before,
the fact that they’ve done away with suffering in a faith that transforms
suffering into penance and joy is enough to tell me that they’ve changed for
the worse. If we won’t suffer like the man who offered up his pain for my repentance,
then more souls will be lost such as the ones we’ve killed today.”
“Hmm. I see your point.”
“Then it’s official. We are friends
to the bitter end of our journey.”
Otello begins to speed up as his
resolve to finish his God-given task gives him strength. In order to not fall
off, Dante’s arms of blood turn into large hands that he uses to hold on
tightly while silently praying and offering up his pain as penance for those he
has to face and those he loves.
Chapter 1 – Blessed are Those Who Suffer
“Blessed are those who suffer for
love for they are closest to God,” a deformed preacher says outside of a church
to a crowd of both normal and deformed people some of whom know they deserve
their deformities while others don’t.
These deformities range from simple cuts and parts of diseased skin to having extra limbs, missing limbs and skin, and mutations that make them look like monsters rather than men with some having split heads, the appendages of bugs, and the bodies of vermin just to name a few.
“As you can see,” the preacher
continues, “I suffer along with you all. My face, body, arms, and legs are
burned and feel as if they are constantly on fire. This is not a curse from
God, but a blessing. Much like stigmata, this suffering allows me to join my suffering to the Lord’s and so do penance for not only my sins but the
sins of the world. This pain that we share is proof of God’s favor, and
unlike our so-called leaders in the City of the Seven Hills, we know how to
appreciate and use it. Do not lose faith even as their armies lay siege to our
city and our pain worsens because, in this darkness, we will become the light of
the world.”
As the preacher speaks, the five
hundred soldiers that he is talking about are now starting their charge to
bring down its gates. The general of the army rallies his wavering soldiers
together.
“Stand strong, faithful men of the
Church! Today is a grand offering to God whether in victory or defeat, life or
death. Give thanks to God if you win Heaven today through your deeds and give
thanks to God for the suffering you’ll endure for they’ll make you stronger in
body and soul. Follow me into the glorious furnace of war and obtain your just rewards!”
the general says before leading his troops from the front and charging towards
the city.
Behind the general, his troops
filled with renewed vigor follow their leader even as they are pelted by arrows
from the walls. They make it to the walls and join their fellow soldiers who
are battering down the gates and using ladders to scale the walls. The general
continues to lead his troops as he goes up the ladder and confronts his enemies
on top of it. Despite his skill in battle, he is overwhelmed by numbers and
arrows and then tossed over the walls as a warning to his troops. This works
for a few moments until the general suddenly springs to life as a large
skeleton larger than the walls.
The general’s armor and sword have enlarged
with his skeletal body and even bits of his skin still remain. With his newfound
strength and a second chance at life, the general resumes his attack by smashing
through the walls with his new tree-sized sword and continuing to lead his men
who now praise God for this miracle. On the other side, they pray for a miracle
from God to aid them as they perceive the general’s transformation as an act of
the devil. Their prayers are soon answered as the ones who pray are combined
into a single towering warrior with multiple heads and limbs, and who is just as
tall and strong as the general. Both warriors clash along with the soldiers
they are leading. It’s then that both sides start praying more and begging God
for help so that their side can win this stalemate as many more people become
monstrous.
During all this chaos, a small unit
of Church’s army sneaks into the main castle. They fight their way in and get
to where King General Otello is waiting for them. He doesn’t turn to look at
the intruders even as his guards ready themselves for a last stand. Instead, he
looks out at the battle of monsters that is happening in his city.
“It’s a wondrous sight to see, isn’t
it? The will of God in action before our mortal eyes. This is a battle that
would be told in legend,” Otello says. “The question remains as to who victory
will be given to. Let us find out. My soldiers will surrender if you can defeat
me. Who will be the first challenger?”
The Church’s soldiers look at each
other until one of them steps up.
“I will,” the young man says with
his sword and shield at the ready.
“What is your name, boy?”
“Dante.”
“I applaud your bravery and will
honor it by facing you, Dante. In death, I hope you find Heaven despite your
heresy.”
“You’ll be the one who’ll have to
answer for your heresy in death.”
Otello and Dante face off and it’s immediately
obvious who will win as Otello beats down Dante with little effort while Dante can hardly land a hit on the King General and even when he does, the
king’s armor is too strong to easily pierce. As the fight continues, Dante’s
arms are cut off. He screams and then falls to his knees. Even in his defeated
state, he tries to stand in vain and just ends up with his face on the floor.
His fellow soldiers behind him are frightened by his defeat with them backing
off and whispering to each other as to what to do and if they should try
fighting Otello.
“You fought well enough, but you
are still a child. Even so, your will to continue is admirable and I will pray
for your salvation,” Otello says before picking Dante up and finishing him off
by shoving his sword through his chest.
In the blink of an eye, Dante sees
himself in a strange, enclosed building following someone. He sees this person
look at two different doors with blurry writing on them before deciding to go
through one of them. By these doors are two windows with a blinding white light
emanating from them, and more importantly, Dante sees the Lord God sitting on a
bench by the doors with a familiar child in His arms. Dante remembers seeing
this child during the battle, the arrow in his head, and his crying mother. He wishes
he didn’t remember how he died and tried to forget seeing it while he was
living. It wasn’t his fault that the child died. The child’s death was an accident
of an arrow barrage during the battle.
Looking up, the Lord says, “Pick a
door. Where do you want your life to go next?”
At this moment, Dante experiences
the legends of God’s voice and face for himself. God’s voice and face are said
to be calming and reassuring to the repentant and terrifying and condemnatory to
the wicked. As for Dante, he sees and hears the calming side and feels as if he
could fall into a deep, peaceful sleep while listening to the voice of God and
looking at Him. Nevertheless, he does as he is told and looks at both of the
doors and the blurry descriptions are now legible to him. One door’s description
reads “continue living” and the other says “die and be judged”. Dante instinctively
puts his hand on the “living” door, but then a realization about the situation
enters his mind. This is a test.
“Which one do You think I should
pick?” Dante asks.
The Lord doesn’t say anything so
Dante stands by Him and waits for a response. He then does say something, but
Dante is too distracted by the child. It’s as if he’s jealous that the child is
peacefully resting in His arms while he isn’t.
“You can rest in my arms as well,”
the Lord says.
Dante sits on the Lord’s lap, rests his head on His shoulder, and immediately closes his eyes because of the
feeling of peace that is greater than being happy. The feeling is like being in
adoration, a taste of Heaven on Earth, an otherworldly, but somehow familiar peace.
“What do you want to know?” the
Lord asks.
“Whatever you want me to know,”
Dante answers.
It’s then that Dante sees a new,
singular option before him with God holding out His hand.
“Will you accept the path I have
for you?”
“I do.”
“You will experience pain for the
remainder of your days that you will offer as a sacrifice for the sins of the
world. My Church has forgotten what it means to suffer for the sake of others. You
will teach them the truth and value of love through pain. Do you accept this?”
“I do.”
“Will you forgive Otello who has
killed you? You will not have the opportunity to prove your family wrong as you
wish nor marry your fiancé, Anselma. Instead, you will serve your purpose and
die soon after. Do you accept this?”
A flash of memories and plans for
his life stops Dante from immediately saying anything at first until he thinks
for a second about what denying God would mean.
“I do.”
“Then, I bless you with your cross.”
The black void around Dante becomes
red, black, and gold in an instant. God approaches Dante and touches him with
His gold and black hands. A sharp pain like small blades running through his
body strikes his mind like a poisoned arrow from an assassin and continuously
hurts him. He sees streams of blood coming out and forming pseudo arms in their
place and looks at his chest to see his heart bursting with sparks of flame. His
head feels heavy as he begins to sweat blood that comes out of his head and
forms a red crown that is suspended over his head. In addition, part of his
face is covered in gold. With the blessing given, the Lord lets go of Dante who
falls to the ground as he tries to deal with the pain.
“You now have the blessing of pain
and share in My suffering for the sake of the world. Go now. Bring My flock
back home,” the Lord says.
A tide of red blood comes out from
the ground and overwhelms Dante. He then wakes up back where he was and the
flood of blood bursts from him. Everyone in the room and in the city is caught
up in the tide. During it all, some of the people who became monsters and those
afflicted by similarly blessed deformities turn back into normal humans while
others suffer the opposite fate. Seeing this all from the top of the castle,
Dante considers what to do next and prays for an answer. A solitary black hand
that only Dante can see appears in front of him from the light.
“Find Otello. He will be your key for
getting into the City of the Seven Hills where the leads of the Church reside,”
the familiar voice of God says.
“Yes, lord,” Dante says while
scanning his eyes through the city.
Once he sees Otello carried on the
waves of blood, he jumps into the river, which is now beginning to subside. Not
wanting to lose him, Dante prays for guidance and is soon given it as his arms
of blood turn into wings and allow him to fly into the sky. Dante searches
where he thinks Otello is and eventually finds him, however, he sees that Otello
has transformed into a large bull that is three times the size of a normal man,
wearing armor, and has horns in the shape of a halo. Otello uses his newfound
strength to burst through the walls of the city and escape into the forest.
“You won’t escape me,” Dante says
as he pursues his target and starts his journey of blessed suffering.
