God of Death

         











Il Plago



The Silver Plains spanned from infinity to eternity. It was a realm founded everywhere and nowhere. The crisp green grass held the sweet morning dew by its blades and as the sun crept slowly like the sleeping dragon of the greatest tales it burned away the morning mist its rays reflecting the span of infinity to eternity. The lush green forest lay to the north, mountains that reached to the heavens stood proudly to the south to the east and west span the great fields of Silver Plains and at the center of it all lay the beating heart, Castel di Eterna.
         Maleos tread his grounds carefully like every morning, it was a habit he had learned to enjoy. His long flowing black cloak with gold trimmings kept away the cold and held the warmth of his body, his leather kilt reached below his knees and smooth soft skin took in the cold. He wore his black knee length tunic today, a gift from Zeus, King of the Olympians.
         ‘My King.’ The man behind him spoke softly.
         His back tensed but he made no effort to tear his gaze from the rising sun, the beauty of the painting he lived in compelled him to give his due.
         ‘Hektor’ Maleos acknowledged. He looked at Hektor, the man held a grim and troubled look, he was the former Prince of Troy, son of King Priam, Husband of Andromache and was hailed to be the greatest warrior that ever lived. Until he met Achilles.
Maleos looked as young as he did during his birth, he looked back to the memory. When the Genesis, the powers that be, fused matter with life, all of Creation was born and the world as man knows it stepped from the void of immaterium to the light. It was aeons and epochs ago but what was Time to those who watched it be created? When the first man was forged, Maleos sprung forth. Death was in and of itself an idea of man, a grand idea to be sure but an idea nonetheless and it is Maleos that embodies that idea, Death in its form.
‘The Reapers have returned from Creation.’ Hektor said, crisply.
‘Their report?’ Maleos asked hopeful.
‘Is unsettling.’ Hektor interjected.
For the past few months in Creation, a plague has swept the world. Men, women and children who are not yet due for their passing have died. It was Maleos’ earnest hope that it had been purely a flaw in the fabric of the Creation, but it seemed unnatural, it consumed human lives with such vengeance and ferocity that it seemed as if it had a motive, a mind of its own to destroy all life. In the first days Maleos passed it on as another of humanity’s error in their evolution but soon as it spread across continents and spanned across the world he moved to the edge of his seat and watched with grim eyes.
It was unnatural. Common evolutionary diseases was born from humanity’s wastes often born out of their curiosity and excessiveness, it often killed four out of ten or at the very most seven out of the ten people infected, but this plague killed everything it touched even the land died it tread died from its wake, the pillars of the world of man trembled, so soon after they were born, were they truly already on the path to dissolution?
The Black Death. That is what it was called. Maleos raised his brow at the name, how lightly his name was thrown about, it killed people yes but it was not of his doing. Maleos did not take life, he simply ended it. Everything held balance, when a man dies another one is born, a seat must always be empty before it can sat upon again, is it not so?
‘The Gods will want answers.’ Hektor said.
‘As do I.’ Maleos whispered inaudibly as he turned back to the rising sun on the horizon. Someone, something, somewhere is killing mortals. Ending their stories before it has had a chance to begun but more importantly disrupting the flow of Creation. It will only be a matter of time before Genesis takes notice.
         He mounted his horse quickly and Hektor followed suit, the two rode quickly and the palace grew bigger and bigger on the horizon as they neared it, by the gates another prince stood waiting.
         Maleos smiled as Achilles stood to attention when he neared, the prince of Thessaly took his horses’ reins from him and nodded with an easy smile. Maleos had taken great interest in the two, between the two of them they ended the lives of almost a small city, they were Death dealers in their mortal lives it was only appropriate they walked with him now. In their last moments Maleos went to each prince and offered them a place at his side an offer never made before and will never be made again.
         ‘What news Achilles?’ Hektor asked as he leapt off his steed.
         ‘Nothing new.’ He shook his head and turned to the King as patted the horse. ‘The Reapers had brought back a sample of the pest that carried it, our chirurgeons are looking into it now.’
         ‘I do not understand.’ Maleos said as he walked swiftly to his throne, it was a simple black chair made from the purest of obsidian stone it had red velvet cushions and two lions adorned each arm-rest it sat at the far end of the Hall of Silence, Castel di Eterna throne room.
         ‘Are we certain it is not an evolutionary plague?’ The Prince of Thessaly asked.
         ‘No.’ Maleos hung his crown on his throne and walked to the Book of Death, it contained all the names of the people born, past present and future, when they die how. The book lay open on a pedestal on the eastern side of the hall, he flipped through the pages quickly and found the name he sought for.
‘The next evolutionary plague will be found by Alisto Grenia from France, 1421, one hudred and twenty one years from now. Il Plago Sangre, its what they will name it. The names of those who have died now haven’t even been written yet. The book is still writing names.’ Maleos watched as more names of the dead began to etch itself on the ageing brown parchment of his book, something it has never done before. ‘This plague was designed.’
‘The souls will be here soon.’ Achilles said, arms crossed leaning on a wall next to the King.
‘They will not all fit in the palace.’ Hektor said, melancholy in his tone.
‘No they will not.’ Said Maleos, his tone saddened. ‘We are expecting over two hundred million souls.’
Hektor gasped in disbelief. ‘My lord, that cannot be right. Are you certain? Has the book written that many names?’
‘The Book and I are one, Hektor. Bound by the same thread it is as much me as I am of it. Two hundred souls will arrive to our gates. Prepare tents in the field. It will take time to bring them to their new homes.’ Maleos ordered, Hektor nodded and responded by walking away swiftly to the task, his leather boots echoed in the Hall.
The order of things were simple. All men in the world held different religions and so different ideas of deities and Gods were believed upon and were consequently born but no matter what religion the world of man divides itself, the whole of Creation believes and fears the idea of Death even more so Gods and their faith is what makes Maleos much more and much stronger than a God. He is an Eternal, the oldest and strongest of the three, his brothers are Time and Destiny and because of his rank in the order of things he has long served as the mediator among all the deities, all the Gods and even his brothers.
The process of death is simpler still, when the mortal dies his soul first arrives on Maleos’ realm. Where the King himself will welcome his guest, the soul will stay for few nights as Maleos arranges passage for the soul to be brought to the realm of his own faith where he will be judged accordingly.
Maleos had seen wars and he was always prepared for the amount of souls it brought to his realm, those were predicted deaths and the souls were somehow calmed already, consciously they have accepted their fates. But these two hundred million souls that are about to arrive had all their lives stolen from them, they will be confused, angry, broken.

‘The Gods will want an audience, soon.’ Achilles said.
‘I know it.’ Maleos agreed, he nodded as he looked on to the book, it flipped its pages quickly as more names filled its leaves.
‘What do we tell them?’ Achilles asked, deeply concerned.
‘We tell them nothing.’ Maleos said.
‘Nothing?’ Achilled asked half-incredulous.
‘Nothing.’ Maleos answered.
‘Why?’ Achilles pressed.
‘Because we know nothing, young prince.’ Maleos said with a weak smile. ‘Assemble the army. There will be plentiful of angry souls about to arrive, make sure to calm them.’
‘Understood my lord.’ Achilles bowed lightly, turned on his heel and strode away.
It did not take more than a few hours, the souls arrived in scores and droves of thousands, Their sheen an unhealthy pale of white, their eyes wide in shock to have faced their own mortality so abruptly.
Maleos’ army stood by the palace gates. They gleamed in their golden armours, edges trimmed in black steel from the forges of the Aesir, horse hair plumes dyed red flowed from their helms. The Iridotois, The Immortals, they gleamed and glowed as the glaze of the bright white flame touched the beaming surface of their armours, each soldier stood on defense, their wide round shield forming a perfect wall, chrome swords pointed at the ready towards the tired angry souls.
The souls were angry, and they railed against the soldiers a few dozen along the snaking line of the Immortals pushed them back here and there, the pockets they left quickly filled like a pale of water full to the brim.
‘They are too many.’ Maleos noted, he could see the souls scramble against each other struggling to reach his palace gates, twice his soldiers were forced to strike and Maleos sighed a breath of relief that they used the pommel to subdue and not the blade.
‘They are too wild. Too angry.’ Hektor observed. They were in the millions now and Hektor raised his voice above the din to be heard.
‘Should I give the order to attack a few?’ Achilles asked.
‘Do you kill a confused frightened child?’ asked Maleos.
‘If there were twenty million, angry railing children.’ Achilles shot back sardonically. ‘I would consider it.’
Maleos snorted a laugh.
‘You should talk to them.’ Hektor offered.
Maleos nodded, the Prince was right. He crossed his arms and envisioned a grand ledge and quickly before their eyes a ledge built itself connecting to the battlements of the palace and hung uncomfortably over the massing souls.
‘Silence.’ Maleos boomed and his thundering voice echoed to every corner of his realm.
The clamour of the souls took more than a few seconds but they ceased eventually.
‘My name is Maleos. I am the monarch of this realm, the Silver Plains.’ He looked at the tired angry souls and watched them buckle in hesitation.
‘I am Death.’ He said, whispers were thrown here to there and Maleos raised hand to silence them. ‘There is only one true way to enter my realm and that is to abandon your mortal lives. Your mortal flesh cannot enter this place, and so if you are here then you have passed on to the afterlife.’
‘No! It cannot be! No!!’ The millions of souls shouted.
‘Most of you are not meant to be here so soon.’ Maleos raised a hand once more. ‘Some of you are angry and all of you are confused. I beg you to remain calm, you will be in a better place soon enough. But for now, please, I urge you, rest in the quarters I have provided.’
The souls of the men women and children all looked to Maleos with hopelessness in their faces and despain in their eyes, their cries were of sadness and their sobs echoed throughout the plains. It was not fair, they had said. Maleos agreed, so fragile was man they seemed more akin to a crystal glass yet their actions spoke volumes of their capacity.
A few hours had passed and finally Maleos felt it as the power of the beings filled in the space in his realm. A blinding flash of white and purity consumed the Silver Plains, it was not always that theatrical but the magnitude of power that entered his domain at a single point in time overwhelmed the fabric of the immaterium. Maleos strode from his throne to his balcony and saw them, figures of white in the distance at the end of the sea of souls far to the north.
Achilles and Hektor pushed the massive pure white ivory gates of the Palace and it swung open from its hinges.
‘Ferros.’ Hektor gestured to the Captain of the Immortals. ‘Make way for the Gods.’
‘Aye aye, my lord.’ Ferros nodded.
Ferros roared and his voice boomed, he spoke the unique language of the Iridotois and the men marched almost immediately forming two columns and making a corridor of open pathway from the palace gates to where the Gods stood. The souls were more pliable now, they moved easily without complaint, but their whimpers affected Hektor deeply. They were innocents. Would their Gods have places for souls who passed on when it was not their time yet?
The path finally opened to the Gods and it snaked all the way for miles across the sea of souls Hektor and Achilles blinked and in moments they stood in the company of the Order of the Divinities, the Gods.
Zeus among them stepped forward, his face plain and unmarred by emotion though his eyes betrayed a look of concern, the head of the Olympian Order dressed in full body armour, Hektor could not comprehend the make and material but intricate etchings were carved in the white armour, beside him stood Ares, his brother in full black armour, his helm tucked beneath his arm. Anubis, son of Ra, Keeper of the Dead of the Egyptiyans stood with a stoic expression, he was half naked except for the headgear that sported all kinds of rubies and gems that glowed of power, he leaned in as his brother Horus whispered in his ear. The Aesir stood as well, Odin and his son Thor both covered in black fur that shone like the midnight sky, their hands resting on their massive double axes. More were around and all looked at both Princes with mild curiosity.
The rest of the Gods were there but Hektor looked around and couldn’t find the one God who might be able to make sense of everything, Theos. That particular God was gaining momentum, more and more mortals from other religions were converting to his faith and more and more began to worship. The world of man liked the idea of having one God, it was less complicated and as more men and women worshipped Theos, the young God grew in power. it was his star that demanded attention, Maleos had once said have millennia ago. Christianity, it was called.
‘My lords. Kings and Princes, my King bids you welcome. He awaits for you within the Hall of Silence.’ Hektor bowed graciously.
‘I am your king.’ Zeus said coldly, still stung from the defiance of Hektor and Achilles for joining Maleos. ‘Greek.’
‘As you wish my lord.’ Hektor bowed once more, Achilles simply stood by his side with a raised brow.
‘Sodding boy-lover.’ Achilles whispered.
Hektor and Achilles led the entourage and watched. The Gods were kind and gracious, they stopped and touched the foreheads of those behind the soldiers, they struggled to get near but the Immortals of Maleos held their stand.
‘Bless you.’ Zeus said as he touched his people’s foreheads, Ares in tow.
‘May the Sun-God guide your path.’ Anubis said, his words were echoed by his brother.
All around the Gods reached for those who have worshipped them throughout their existence, they shook hands and touched foreheads. It took a three hours to finally get them to the gate. The Gods were arrogant at most times. Maleos had said that Hektor and Achilles will never understand this world, they were not limited by intellect but by faculties. You cannot explain politics to an ant, no matter how hard you try.
All Gods now sat in marble chairs before Maleos, they sipped their wine cups and finally nodded.
‘We are missing the good king Theos.’ Maleos said as he looked around, Hektor shook shrugged uncertain.
‘My father will not be attending.’ A voice came from the far end of the hall as the doors opened. The figure was clad in golden armour with platinum greaves and a pair of vambrace, his flawless white wings stretched to a span of more than two men and he quickly tucked it back behind him. The angel flapped his wings twice and he was immediately beside Maleos.
‘Greetings Lords of The Divinity. My father, the good king Theos sends his tidings.’ The angel said. ‘And his apology. As you all know, we have been wracked by civil war ever since Lucifer, my brother decided to…walk his own path. I am afraid my father is indisposed for matters outside of state. I am Michael, the current Crown Regent of the High Heavens. It is a pleasure to make all your acquaintance.’
The Olympians waited for the angel to finish speaking and impatiently turn their attention back to Maleos. The Egyptiyans nodded with a polite smile and the Aesirs as well.
‘Thank your father for father for sending a delegate, we have matters of great importance to discuss today.’ Maleos extended a hand and a white marble chair produced itself from the ground, Michael smiled and he sat down with a courteous nod of thanks.
‘Now that all of the Divinities are represented we can begin.’ Maleos extended a hand, and nodded thanks to Achilles as the Prince handed Michael a chalice of wine. ‘Three weeks ago, a plague had sprung in Creation.’
‘I heard of nothing.’ Odin offered.
‘Neither did I.’ Anubis seconded.
‘Because you were not supposed to.’ Maleos said. ‘This particular plague bore no signs of that it was part of the evolutionary phase in humanity.’
‘That is impossible, is it not?’ Michael asked rhetorically. ‘An evolutionary plague must be voted by a consensus of the Order of the Divinities to slow down the progression of Man.’
‘It is unnatural.’ Maleos offered.
‘Maleos King, if you could enlighten us with a description of this plague?’ Horus asked.
‘The viral infection affects the pulmonary system and spreads via the arterial pathways to all major organs forcing the human body to summary collapse. The infected dies three days or less.’ Achilles explained.
‘How virulent is it?’ Ares asked.
‘Completely.’ Hektor added.
‘Completely?’ Ares clarified.
‘It kills everything it touches. Man calls it the Black Plague, or the Black Death.’ Maleos offered.
Whispers and hushed tones echoed within the throne room.
‘In my records the next plague should have been born one hundred and twenty one years from now. This plague is unnatural, it was designed to kill man.’ Maleos explained.
‘Preposterous.’ Zeus shook his head. ‘Are you suggesting, that one of us in the Divinities created a plague outside of consensus and unleashed it upon the world?’
‘I am not saying anything.’ Maleos emphasized. ‘Are you? Lord Zeus?’
Zeus shifted his fierce gaze from Maleos.
‘Death is of my doing. It is a natural order in things that man’s existence ends at some point, that service is in my keeping. Someone is trying to disrupt the natural order of things and is directly meddling in my affairs and this I cannot allow.’ Maleos said menacingly.
‘Come come Maleos! What would the Divinities gain by the loss of millions of souls? If one particular sect of mortals were targeted, then you can begin questioning the rest but since all, no matter the religion is dying then this affects us all. Deaths of this magnitude weakens us all.’ Horus said and everyone nodded and tapped their armrests in support of the argument.
‘This plague has an intended purpose. It is to consume life, the knowledge to create diseases has not yet been unlocked by mortals. Prometheus, in one way or another was imparted with fire.’ Maleos argued with the analogy.
‘But to what effect Maleos? This plague…’ Zeus paused. ‘Is detrimental to all Gods. We might as well point fingers to you! All this death enhances the mortals’ idea of you, in the end it is you who become stronger. Not us.’
‘I am content Zeus with the order of Creation and the Immaterium. I have no cause nor reason to do this, nor will I.’ Maleos said, with a hint of melancholy.
Maleos had always been reknowned as a sympathist of humans, he hated the reign of the Olympians in the world of man. They cavorted with the mortals, twisted, poked and thrashed the threads of their sanity, they were sadists in power and then, they disappeared and begun reinventing themselves as the Roman Gods to renew their image on man.
‘Sooner or later.’ Maleos paused, almost shivered as he contemplated the next few words. ‘Genesis himself will take notice and he will begin asking questions about this incident in Creation. What are we to say? Whose fault is it?’
‘Lord Maleos, all this talk achieves nothing. If anyone of us knew the culprit the fact will not be divulged due to fear. The only thing for us to do as of now is to take the souls who have arrived in your realm to be summarily judged.’ Michael advised.
Maleos nodded.
‘Do you know who has the most souls to take?’ Anubis asked.
‘Western Europe has been hit the hardest, Michael, you will need to arrange transportation for your people. I offer my carriages as well.’ Maleos said gently.
Michael shook his head in sadness, the mortals worshipped them sought for protection, they prayed to his father so things like these would be avoided, he felt a gnawing pang of guilt.
‘I will send my carriages as well.’ Odin offered.
Michael looked to the Aesir King and nodded. ‘Thank you lords, you have the High Heaven’s gratitude.’
‘We will adjourn this meeting.’ Maleos commanded.
‘What do you plan to do?’ Thor asked.
‘I will visit creation. I want to see this thing, for myself.’ Maleos answered.
‘Then may the fates guide your path.’ Anubis offered.
The Gods nodded and spoke their good-byes, one by one they left the Death King’s realm now only Odin stood alone with his son.
‘Odin King, you have other concerns?’ Maleos asked.
Odin smiled pleasantly. ‘I am simply curious, what medium was used to distribute the plague?’
‘We do not know. At first we thought it was the rodents, rats and such, but analysis of their blood by our chirurgeons offered no evidence of infection in the blood.’ Maleos shrugged.
‘I am sorry to hear that. I thank you for the hospitality, Maleos King.’
‘You’re welcome Odin.’ Maleos nodded. With a blink Odin was no more.

***

         ‘What can be destroyed, must be destroyed.’ Bared Vern, whispered to himself. It had been days since he had last spoken to the voice in the dark. He stood in Temple Church in England and prayed earnestly to God, he sought reassurance that he was indeed doing the right thing.
         ‘You truly are a blessed soul.’ A voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere.
         ‘My lord, I have done as you have commanded.’ Vern whispered in solemn prayer.
         ‘I looked and there before me was a pale horse.’ The voice said. ‘My fourth horseman. You have done well and you will be judged accordingly.’
         Vern had just gotten back from Egypt, he had come a long way but now he has come back home.

         More and more souls flowed to the realm of Maleos and he watched with deepening concern.
         ‘Aaaargh….!’ Maleos grunted in utter pain as he fell to the floor writhing in pain. Someone beyond all measure of being and power has arrived and Maleos’ hairs stood on edge. In his whole existence he has never felt the trepidation of fear, until now.
         The pain faded quickly and Maleos felt a hand in his shoulder, he turned to see who it was but he was greeted simply by a bright white light in the form of a man. It looked like a living star and his voice echoed calmly with a sing-song tone.
         ‘Maleos.’ The figure smiled, the Death King could barely make it out in the darkness,
         ‘I do not know, who you are.’ Maleos said unable to tear his gaze away but consequently his eyes pained at the sheer brightness.
         ‘That is because we have never met.’ The voice said once more his tone touched by whimsy. ‘Names are for petty things, used to determine the differences of those who stand equal measure and because I am the only one of my kind, I simply am.’
         ‘I do not understand.’ Maleos said, being in the presence of the figure was excruciating and pleasing at the same time, he craved for it and hated it.
         ‘There are no words, no explanations you will understand as to how I can describe the relationship I share with my master. But there is a title he uses to address me, I suppose you can use it as well. You may call me Unius.’ The figure said.
         ‘Why are you here?’ Maleos asked, distressed.
         ‘I am here because I was commanded by my master. A being you call as Genesis. The Creator, the Light and the Darkness, The Void and The Star.’ Unius said.
         ‘You are a servant of Genesis?’ Maleos asked.
         ‘No.’ Unius chortled. ‘You are a servant of Genesis, I am to him as akin to a…’ Unius paused. ‘something akin to a son. I am his first creation. The First Born.’
         ‘My apologies lord.’ Maleos said.
         ‘What purpose would an apology serve to the sun? I do not need it nor require it.’ The First Born said in his usual tone.
         ‘How may I be of service to you?’ Maleos asked, he fell to one knee from the pain and pleasure.
         ‘Ahh. The Order of Things, The Natural Laws have been disturbed and broken. Genesis seeks to know why? For what reason do the Eternals meddle on the affairs of those far greater than they are?’ Unius asked.
‘The Eternals are not to blame, my lord. We have yet to find the source.’ Maleos pressed.
‘When an arrow kills a creature, do you blame the arrow or the archer?’ Unius asked. ‘Genesis does not tolerate rebellion Maleos, his rules are set overruling them is not an option. This is but one Creation, there are many more like it, intersecting and parallel to it. This Creation’s destruction will not affect my master any more or any less.’
‘He seeks to destroy all of Creation??’ Maleos asked, concerned.
‘No. Just the one.’ Unius replied.
‘When?’ Maleos asked.
‘The question is why not. I like this Creation, so many of you stray from what is expected. Your idea of freewill fascinates me. Your mortals believe that they live under the conception of freewill and yet it was my masters will that they believe they are so imparted with it, they do not understand how their destinies are already written and like spaces in between grains of sand they are simply too small to see it. For the shortness of their lives it intrigues me how thet make choices detrimental to their existence. I want this Creation to exist a little longer but Genesis cannot be swayed. In two days, this world will end until you find me the one responsible.’ Unius said.
‘But if you are the First Born, you already know.’ Maleos said, confused.
‘Yes. I do.’ Unius answered. ‘But you do not.’
‘I cannot decipher this. I have looked all over and still the evidence evades me.’ Maleos admitted.
Unius laughed. ‘Silly Maleos. The evidence has been in your possession this whole time. Your Reapers brought it back from the world to here.’
‘There are no signs in the rat that leads me to anywhere.’ Maleos said.
‘Maleos, you and your kind are but a speck of dust to me as I am to Genesis. Look beyond your senses.’ Unius said.
Maleos shook his head.
‘Two days Maleos.’ Unius reminded and then disappeared into the void.
Maleos ran. He arrived at the quarters of his Chirurgeons and they all bowed upon his entry. The brotherhood all wore the same cloak, their hoods covering their faces, only the red sash distinguished their leader.
‘My Lord?’ Grenio asked, as he bowed before his master.
‘What of the rodent?’ Maleos asked.
‘It leads nowhere my lord.’ Grenio said, disappointed.
‘What if it is too small. Unius said, that I am but a speck to him, what if the creature is but a speck to man?’ Maleos asked.
‘You are King my lord.’ Grenio reminded his liege.
‘Look at the rat again Grenio.’ Maleos said to his Chief Chirurgeon. ‘Closer this time. Look on it not inside it.’
‘I do not understand my lord.’ Grenio said as he turned to the rodent.
‘Look at what it on it, it may be small, smaller than your eyes could see.’ Maleos reiterated.
‘Hmm..’ Grenio though aloud. He put his spectacles on and added more and more lenses magnifying his vision and finally he saw it. They looked like small crabs, with a hard carapace and extremely long legs almost disproportional to their torso and they were tinier than a speck of dust.
‘Ahh….Siphonaptera.’ Grenio said. ‘I did not even think such a thing would create such a magnitude of destruction.’
‘Siphonaptera?’ Maleos asked.
‘A common flea my lord. Native to the Egypt. I believe this was found in the temple of Sekhmet. Curious, this contains an even smaller specimen of a virus I have never even heard nor seen before.’ Grenio said, without taking his eyes from the specimen.
Maleos disappeared quickly, he ran, Achilles and Hektor appeared beside him in full armour.
‘We are leaving.’ Maleos said.
‘To where?’ Achilles asked, but they already arrived upon his finishing of his question.
There was sand everywhere and the sun dawned high, the heat was overwhelming but the brown sand gave everything a golden hue. The palace of the Sun-God Ra stood before them, the massive double doors stood closed before Maleos, with a flick of his wrist the heavyset doors opened for him with ease.
He strode fast and he was before the Sun God in moments, Ra was wide eyed in surprise.
‘You lied to me!’ Maleos pointed to the God Ra and his son Anubis.
Ra pulled his sword and surged toward Maleos, Maleos swatted away the blade easily and it broke into a million pieces. ‘You insolent glorified whelp. I will not be called a liar in my own throne room!’
‘The medium that was used to distribute the plague! It is called a Siphoneptera, native to Egypt, the particular specimen I found was said to have come from the temple of your daughter in Creation, Sekhmet.’ Maleos roared.
‘I had no knowledge of this. My daughter would never dishonour me by doing so!’ Ra boomed, his voice echoing all around him.
‘I have no time for games, Genesis has taken notice of our plight and he gives two days before the destruction of all of Creation.’ Maleos threatened.
‘Genesis?’ Ra asked, suddenly in despair he plopped to his throne.
‘I will help you find the truth of this.’ Anubis stood quickly.
‘Then bring me to Sekhmet’s temple.’ Maleos said.
Anubis spread his hand and the four were consumed in a ball of light so fierce it blinded them all, a boom echoed as they entered creation and the heat of the dessert air washed over Maleos’ face. The four entered the temple, it was grand, the ceilings reached over fifty feet into the air massive statues adorned both sides of the massive corridor and bas-relief carved upon the floors.
The four could not believe what they saw, Odin sat on the steps of the temple, Sekhmet lay unconscious just beside him.
‘Odin.’ Maleos whispered in dumb realization.
‘Aesir, if you killed my sister-‘ Anubis was interrupted.
‘Your sister isn’t dead. She hit her head with the pommel of my axe.’ Odin said resigned.
‘This was your doing?’ Maleos said, drawing his sword, it hummed in his hand, the black blade gleamed in the torchlight as he neared the Aesir King.
‘To what end?’ Odin asked. ‘I did not. But perhaps my blood did.’
‘Who?’ Maleos asked.
‘You are not a father Maleos. You will never understand. No matter what your son does, you will never have enough strength to betray him.’ Odin said weakly.
‘You will doom us all Odin.’ Maleos said fiercely. ‘Tell me where I can find him.’
‘Never.’ Odin replied tersely.
‘Genesis will come! He will come and he will unmake all of this, you will be gone from here and so will your people, the whole world unless I bring your son or daughter to heel.’ Maleos said.
Thor came and revealed himself as he stepped out the crevice from a wall just behind the altar.
‘No Thor, this is a family matter you must not betray the Aesir.’ Odin commanded.
‘This is a matter beyond us now, father. Once Genesis comes forth none of this will matter.’ Thor argued. ‘The end of days will not  be for the humans alone but for the Gods as well, Loki must pay for his foolishness, so we do not.’
‘I will take you.’ Thor said as hefted his warhammer, Mjollnir. Once more, his brother had threatened the world because of his foolishness and once more, he would to clean up the mess no one was willing to do so.
Achilles, Hektor, Maleos and Thor all vanished leaving Anubis to care for his sister. They appeared in the catacombs of Farannar, it was where Loki was kept, his prison. Once more they were back to their world, a realm beyond creation. They were in Valhalla, the Aesir kingdom.
A thousand years ago Loki played a trick that almost destroyed the Aesir, he payed dearly for it. He was strapped to a bedrock and a Bassilisk Viper hung over his dripping acidic poison from its fangs to his face, eyes, skin. Every drop reminded him of his treachery, the snake was imbued with abilities and it burned away his skin exposing muscle, bone and sinew only for him to heal himself again quickly and the whole process repeats itself, his wife stood beside him catching the dripping poison with a golden chalice but everytime the chalice was filled she would run away leaving him to the acid, he screamed, his cries of pain tore through the skies and Thor seriously considered releasing him, but he was reminded of the Treachery and Loki remained.
‘Where?’ Maleos asked.
‘Just below here, follow me.’ Thor said as he led the way to the catacombs.
It was a maze inside mazes, they went around, almost in circles. The slick wet floor, moist from the cold of the air made it hard for them to grip the floor. All they could hear was the drip dropping of the water as it landed from the ceiling of the catacombs to the puddles below.
And then they heard it, the sobbing cries echoed around the halls of Farranar.
‘Eleir.’ Thor said. ‘Loki’s wife, the poor thing. We’re almost there.’
‘Can we not just Blink there?’ Achilles asked. Blinking was the rearranging of space and time so they could arrive to their destinations immediately.
         ‘If you can you should, but this is cursed grounds none of our powers work here. This is why we chose Farranar for my brother, here he is powerless.’ Thor explained.
         Finally they arrived  and they found Eleir, crouched by the rock bed of her husband, bawling. She was a beauty, Maleos thought. Long flowing blonde hair that curled as it went down, blue eyes that rivaled the skies above and lips the colour of strawberries.
         Thor’s his knees almost buckled in realization. He had hoped with a half a heart that Loki would still be in Farranar, screaming in pain, for once…his cries would be a comfort, for it would mean it was him who was at fault.
         ‘Eleir!’ Thor ran to his sister.
         ‘Thor.’ She looked up. ‘I am sorry, I am so sorry. He promised me, he would no longer do anything foolish. I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth, for thousands of years I have never believed him, all his pleading, I stand beside him because I love him but this time, when I looked into his eyes…Thor.’ She paused. ‘He was telling the truth.’
         Thor lifted his sister up. ‘Perhaps he meant it, at the time.’
         ‘Lady, where is Loki now?’ Maleos asked.
         ‘England Thor. He said the New Faith, the Christians would walk into the fires with him blindly.’ Eleir said, distressed.
         ‘To England then.’ Thor said.
         ‘Thor.’ Eleir grabbed Thor by the shoulders. ‘Please brother, bring him back to me, you must bring him back to me.’
         ‘I will sister.’ Thor nodded and the four once more left.
         London was beyond cold in December, snow covered everything like giant blanket would a small child. The four appeared in the middle of King’s Cross, they stood out among the crowd covered in their golden and silver armours, they were likened to kings in a world of mortal peasants.
         ‘My lord Maleos.’ Thor nodded. ‘Somewhere in this country is a man or a woman, that Loki has chosen to deliver the virus, he will be immune to it.’
         ‘How do we find him?’ Hektor asked.
         ‘You will feel a God’s presence when you see him, he is immune because Loki has imprinted a part of himself to that mortal.’ Thor explained.
         ‘A part of himself?’ Achilles asked in disbelief. ‘Your brother really is crazy.’
         ‘Yes, he is. Spend more than thousand years under a serpent dripping burning acid on your face and you might be too.’ Thor said almost apologetic, to who? Maleos did not know.
         Maleos searched, he summoned all his Reapers, his acolytes of immortals that watched and observed the mortal world for laws that were broken, they were the first to report the plague to him. They were also the beings that helped the mortal souls find their way to the Silver Plains upon their death.
         ‘Two days, Death King.’ Unius had said.
         Maleos had gone beyond the first and was now on the half of the second day. He stood with Achilles and Hektor just by the steps of Temple Church.
         ‘That man, right there, it felt familiar when I saw him last.’ Hektor said. ‘And he is not sick when everywhere he goes is riddled with plague.’
         Maleos waited as the came nearer and Maleos felt it, it was difficult to explain how it felt when one was near a God, there were simply no words but Maleos likened it to the mwortal concept of falling in love, you would know it if you are.
         ‘Good evening my lord.’ The man passed and nodded to him, proceeding into the church.
         Maleos and the two followed. ‘Achilles, leave and find Thor, bring him here.’
         The man knelt and prayed. Maleos appeared before him in full armour, his eyes glowed in the dark church.
         ‘Satan!’ The man yelled as he turned to run away, but he was too slow and Maleos gripped his neck tight.
         ‘Do not insult me mortal. You now have the attention of those infinitely your greater.’ Maleos spoke, his voice deep.
         ‘Devil. My God will punish you, I who he has chosen, he will protect.’ The man struggling in his grip said.
         ‘Chosen for what?’ Maleos asked.
         ‘I am the fourth, I sit upon the pale horse and death comes with me.’ The man said.
         Maleos threw him across the church and the man crashed to the pews snapping the oak wood, he groaned in pain, swiftly Maleos was once more upon him.
         ‘I am Death.’ Maleos put his hand to his chest.
         The man trembled, how it was said by the man with glowing eyes, it was said not with angst or an ounce of arrogance but of stating a very simple truth.
         ‘You are a foolish tool, used by a very vengeful God.’ Maleos said. ‘What is your name mortal?’
         ‘Bared, Bared Vern.’ The man said.
         ‘Do you know what you have done?’ Maleos asked.
         ‘My God, said it was time. It was time for renewing the faith. He said he needed my help to wash away the stains and the sins of this land. I went to Egypt to capture the fleas and unleashed it upon the rats I have collected aboard my ship and sailed for Constantinople. It was as my God commanded.’ Vern said, tears in his eyes.
         Achilles appeared quickly. ‘Lord!’
         Maleos turned.
         ‘We have found him, Loki.’ Achilles said.
            Maleos  nodded and returned his attention to Bared Vern.
         ‘I cannot kill him. He is a victim, just like the rest.’ Maleos whispered.
         ‘He is responsible for the death of over two hundred million people men, women and child. The man is a tool, who is to say he will not be used again? He must die, my lord.’ Hektor argued.
         Maleos was surprised by the Prince’s conviction, when he was a mortal Hektor was known as great warrior but what he was known for most of all was his detestation for bloodshed, now he argued for it, even called it right.
         ‘The laws forbid me, Hektor.’ Maleos said, Vern trembled.
         ‘But they do not me.’ The Prince said as he drew his sword.
         ‘May the Fates guide you and your God protect you.’ Maleos whispered, one of his Reapers came near and it hovered in the air looking at its master, the Death King nodded to it. Hektor raised the man from the floor and his sword pierced Bared Vern’s flesh, the man grasped and gurgled, blood streamed from his mouth. Hektor pushed his blade deeper and deeper the man’s belly until finally he saw the light of life, leave the man’s eyes. Hektor released him and he fell to the ground his eyes staring into the void.
         Maleos looked at him and the Reaper faded Vern’s soul in tow. The three were gone, leaving no trace they were ever there.
         The storm blew harder than anything had ever had, but when Maleos appeared, he waved his hand and all chaos ceased, Thor stood wary as Loki crossed his arms before him.
         Loki was the twin of Thor, he wore a simply black tunic with a crimson scarf wrapped around his neck, he was far from what looked like a God.
         ‘Death?’ Loki asked.
         ‘Aesir, why have you done this?’ Maleos asked.
         Loki smiled mischievously. ‘Why not Maleos? I have watched these pitiful mortals kill each other since before I was exiled. They have a but a few seconds of life and they spend it destroying themselves, I simply thought I would help them speed things to their extinction.’
         ‘Mortals have the capacity to do other things, your existence is proof of that.’ Maleos paced slowly.
         ‘For a thousand years I lay upon that slab of rock, dreaming of ways to exact my revenge. I would take it slow, these mortals, the beloved of all the Gods, the Gods who stood idly by as I suffered!! Then to all of you!!’ Loki gestured to them.
         ‘You have brought unbalance to the scale of things Loki, Genesis is not pleased.’ Maleos said. ‘He threatens to destroy all of Creation. To unmake it.’
         ‘Then good, I should kill more to fully gather his attention.’ Loki said with a smile.
         ‘Have you lost your mind??!?’ Thor boomed.
         ‘No but perhaps you have! Have you seen this world for what it is Thor? What is the point of man’s existence. You see you live through their faith in you, so do you Maleos, and if I kill every last human being…then all Divinities would fade into nothing, and so will you Death King.’ Loki smiled
         ‘Aaaargh….’ Maleos knelt in pain. The earth itself trembled and for a brief second the world of man was consumed by an overwhelming light that covered everything, there were no planets, no suns no created universe, only pure white light. All of them followed and lay down on the ground writhing in pain, the feeling was familiar.
         ‘Maleos.’ The sing song voice echoed, from everywhere and nowhere. The light faded and the bright white figure stood before all of them.
         Maleos felt the pain fade and Unius gestured for all of them to rise. Thor kept his knee to the ground, kneeling in humility, so did Hektor and Achilles, Loki stared in wide eyed horror and fear. Maleos squinted as he stood.
         ‘You found the culprit. I knew you would.’ Unius said, his voice whimsical once more. ‘It would have been less right, had I come to rectify this situation myself. The quarrels of brothers and sisters must be corrected by their parents yes?’
         ‘Who are you?’ Loki asked.
         ‘I simply am. I am one, I need no names for nothing else like me exist young one.’ Unius said to Loki. ‘You must remain silent now, you have caught the attention of beings so much more greater than what you are, it is quite an achievement how a speck of dust like you have caught the eyes of Genesis.
         ‘What do we do now Unius?’ Maleos asked.
         ‘He who is everything, wishes to meet this young upstart.’ Unius said.
         ‘No! My lord, our family wishes to cause no more harm, I beg you please to let us take him into exile.’ Thor pleaded.
         ‘Exile…I like that word.’ Unius smiled. ‘Not young Thor, the time for exile had come…’ Unius gestured his hand into a motion. ‘And gone. Genesis wishes to see the speck, his will be done.’
         Thor sighed as he looked at his brothers terrified face, they were still brothers.
         ‘What happens to him?’ Thor asked, his tone ladened with concern.
         ‘He will achieve what none of you has, he will meet the Creator of us all. The father and son.’ Unius said. ‘And he will be unmade, for no creature apart from me can witness the One Being in his purest form and survive. Genesis wishes to see if he has imparted and innate flaw in this created, this creature Loki.’ Unius explained.
         ‘I thank you Maleos for exerting the effort to preserving this Creation.’ Unius bowed graciously. ‘Know that something beyond you is in your debt. You have my gratitude and my thanks.’
         Maleos looked down and the light was gone.