Challenge #01643-D182: High-level Negotiations
Do you ever get the feeling that (God/the Gods) (has/have) a plan? And you're the only one who can stop it? -- RecklessPrudence
Of all the forces of the multiverse, none is more terrifying than a being with the Gods on their side. They are unstoppable, indomitable, and irrevocable. And of all the beings in the multiverse, none are more pitiable than the ones the Gods merely use as a tool.
And when one comes against the other...
Shayde faced the Archdivine of Q'kexx'l across the remains of the battlefield. Thanks to the alleged gods who were using her, she was an equal to him in power and strength. He could call down lightning, she could absorb it and turn it against him. After an hour of lightning ping-pong, the shot went wild and blasted some poor peasant's crops into an inferno.
She was loath to attack. He was eager to. And why not? His God was on his side. And since he was catching his breath, she used hers. "This will nae end well, ye ken," she panted. "Look around. We're destroyin' th' world ye said yer fightin' for."
"It is the greater good," roared the Archdivine. "For the glory of Q'kexx'l!"
"What's glorious aboot starvin' peasants?" she asked. "What's glorious about th' millions o' refugees swarmin' awa' from this fight of ours? What's glorious about th' diseases they're spreadin' like plagues? It's no' glorious. It's a fookain disaster."
This time, he summoned a sword of flame. She made a shield of water and fended him off until his arm tired.
"Look at this place. A thousand miles o' scorched earth. All yuirs an' Q'kexx'l's. What're ye goin' tae do with it?"
"I shall raise a glorious temple to the might of Q'kexx'l, that all might behold the glory of my God."
"Aye. That's fabulous, I grant ye... but... who's goin' tae visit. There's nowt here for nobody, now."
The shadow of Q'kexx'l, always present behind the Archdivine, baulked. It appeared shocked, for all that it didn't have a face. It rumbled, I need worshippers. I need more than one.
"Aye," panted Shayde. "Tha' ye do... Best tae bring fruitfulness t' th' land, ye ken. Make it a paradise wi' yer mighty powers. Draw th' people in wi yer benevolent largesse." The fact that those last two words were sarcastic was completely lost on Q'kexx'l, the terrifying Squid God of Blood.
I... could... but I need sacrifices.
"The ten thousand as shed their blood here ain't enough for ye?"
Oh, said Q'kexx'l. Oh, that's right... And tentacles of green exploded outwards from their ground zero and blanketed the blasted plain. Fruit trees sprang up, blossomed and fruited in seconds. An eden sprang forth from hell. Even the peasant's field sprang back into life.
Personally, Shayde could have done without being in a tree, but this was definitely better than fields of ruin. "Well done," she cheered. "Na let's have a talk about those blood sacrifices o' yours. Ye ken tha' a drop of blood from one worshipper is another drop ye get the next day from the same worshipper."
Belief and blood at the same time? Q'Kexx'l, Dread Squid God seemed perplexed.
"Aye. Just spread out the quota ye ken. Instead of one body's worth o' blood, ye get a drop each from yer whole body o' worship. And thanks tae this lot, there might be millions."
The Archdivine looked to his God. The God looked back. "For the greater your glory, the greater your works," he said.
Yes... cooed Q'kexx'l. A God not made for cooing. More and better...
"An' each worshipper should have their own pin. For purity an' all." And to prevent blood-borne diseases getting about. "Clean 'em regularly, ye ken, so the sacrifice isnae spoiled by the impurity of th' mortal world."
There was more than one way to stop a God's reign of terror. And one of them was appealing to their ego.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / davidgn]
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