Your godhood burned to ashes / Cult of the Lamb

A love confession

Narinder kept walking behind the lamb, embarrassed to the core. He still waited for the golden ray of shine from heaven to bless his soul, and ascend him to a higher being. Every minute with his wish unfulfilled, was a minute filled with humiliation. Perhaps the stars didn’t wish to listen to his prayers that day, because despite his hopes reaching the sky, nothing seemed to be happening. 

“Well, I hope whatever God you did it for, they are pleased.” They said, guiding the way. It was already dark outside, every shadow looked like puddles of ink. They used their crown as a torch, illuminating their way forward with its crimson light. 

They were more than reluctant to let Helob step into their cult. The reason for that wasn’t because they despised their cult, or didn’t appreciate it. The problem was that more than half of their devotees were firstly trapped in his spider web. It would be an awkward conversation, explaining to the arachnid that the morsels they bought weren't exactly treated that way. They tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to their mind. 

Their intense inside monologue was interrupted by the divine crown. The being was dripping with frustration to know their cult was in some way weakened.

“You just lost two of your loyal devotees.” It whispered like a venomous snake. Its vision flooded red. “Isn't that an inconvenience to you?“ 

The Lamb didn’t wish to talk to the thing in Helob’s presence, and so, they treated its words like silence. They wished they could respond, but couldn’t bring themselves to. They shushed the creature. What was true; it was an inconvenience. They didn't expect the twins to be reunited with their mother, and so, quitting their cult. They could have stopped them, or denied their leave, but they didn't.

There was very little they could do now. Even if they were capable of changing the course of events, they wouldn't push themselves to. Despite their morals being corrupted, guilt would still tear them to shreds. Aym and Baal weren't just devotees to them.

And so, they let these thoughts haunt them, ignoring the crown. They would address them later, at a different occasion, or much more preferably, never. 

“Oh my, I forgot to lock the hotel. Will you give me 10 minutes, love?” Helob suddenly noticed something felt odd. Throughout this whole walk, he had this unidentified thought on the back of his mind, yet it didn't reveal itself until now. 

He ran with all his might, not wasting any second. His steps were so swift, that The Lamb was worried they would push him onto the hard ground, leaving him hurt. They observed him cautiously, ready to use their tentacles to catch him if there was a need to. They sighed in relief, seeing him finally gone from their field of view. 

The sudden silence seemed to overwhelm both the fledgling, and the fallen God, and so, Narinder decided to speak his thoughts. 

“Why did you give me the book?” Narinder couldn’t bear to ponder any hour longer about the unexpected gift from the deity. It seemed abstract to know they would wish to give away their ‘favourite’ piece of literature to someone they despised so deeply. At least that’s what Narinder strongly believed - that they hated each other. 

“Oh, dear.” They laughed. He was a fool. The book was a message to him sent from the depths of their heart. They were certain its meaning was crystal clear, his unawareness amused them, how stupid did he have to be to omit it? 

In response, Narinder just stared at them, disoriented. Perhaps, there was a shade of suspicions, but he didn't wish to address them. It would be too awkward. 

“Did you read the book?” They asked. Maybe, he simply didn't pay enough attention to the object to understand their intentions. That would explain it. 

He nodded. 

“I thought you'd get the hint...” They tried their best not to let out a laugh, a wide grin was painted on their face. They could feel their heart pounding inside of their chest, like an alarm clock getting louder and louder with each second. They were about to make a confession that even they wouldn't have the power to undo. 

“What hint?” Narinder was rushing them to explain further. He needed to hear it said out loud.

The deity reached with their hand towards his paw, holding it gently. Their delicate touch felt as if he was caressed by a cloud. Narinder could have pushed them away, but if he did, he would be betraying himself. He didn't hate the fledgling God, despite all these days he spent expressing his hate towards them, the things aren't always what they seem. He accepted the affection he was given, to say the least. He could feel the blood being pumped into his veins, faster, and swifter. 

“...Foolish of me to admit it, but I love you, to the moon and back.” They looked away, embarrassed. They could feel their already red cheeks turning progressively more vibrant. 

“All this time I thought you hated me, so excuse me if I am a little suspicious of this love confession.” His gaze directed itself onto their crimson-hued eyes, reflecting the moonlight like selenite. It felt as if he was observing the night sky, losing himself in the twinkling stars. 

“May I?” They asked for his consent, before leaning in closer and giving him a soft kiss, as if straight from heaven. They both felt locked in a moment, it felt truly ethereal, as if they were blessed by otherworldly spirits. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity, bending the tapestry of time to match their wills. 

When they finally peeled off of eachother, Narinder used his hands to cover his face in embarrassment. He was red as a fresh tomato. 

The deity let out a muffled laugh, his reaction was absolutely hilarious, yet cute in its own way. For a moment the memory of who he really was, seemed to vanish.

The rest of the time they spent in silence, processing what had just happened. 

“I am back.” Helob with a smile on his face finally catched up. It was hard not to notice the chemistry between these two, he didn’t expect such a course of events, yet accepted it immediately. He was overwhelmed with joy to know his partner was happy. 

°   °   °

They marched towards their cult, each step guided by a mixture of both satisfaction and cheerfulness. They were glad to see their cult in one piece, for a moment, they were horrified by the thought of their followers turning the place once again into a garbage dump. Fortunately, everything was in place. Their faithful followers were either praying next to the statue, or working as they should. Perchance, there were some imperfections, but weren’t big enough to distract Helob’s eyes from the beauty of their village. 

“So this is your cult?” Helob watched from afar, adoring the countless decorations and pretty lamps hung onto each of the sleeping quarters. The soft glow of the golden ornaments sent him into an awe. 

“You don’t mind I lied?” The deity questioned the arachnid, wondering if his words were led with honesty. 

“Of course not, love.” It was a relief to hear this sentence escape his lips.