Prologue
Another god-forsaken prophecy!
If you could only believe
My deep burden would be relieved
A petty, shallow God has already doomed all
False allies they have chosen
Forcing the world to come to blows
A bright-eyed blunder
Will rip utopia a thunder
No one can stop the heroes' fall
-Cass
Chapter 001
Why would my beginnings ever be humble?
The ambition necessary to claw your way to the top is a double-edged sword all the greats wielded, for when they reached the summit, all that was left for them was a yearning for more.
Diogenes had worked incredibly hard, at least he thought, as a politician, in order to meet the gods and the president face to face. And now that he had finally made it, he could hardly claim he even saw the president's face as it was shrouded in shadows. What he could see, though, was Mitases' hand as he petted a black sheep with a little wooden nametag marked "Goat".
"Let the Goat sniff you so we can find out if you're worthy of moving up in our government," Mitas stated stone-faced.
Diogenes was overcome with confusion; however, unwilling to lose out on the fruits of his labors, he obeyed Mitas. As somehow blindly obeying Mitas fulfilled his sense of ego.
"Absolutely, Mr. President, but first I have to ask, where are the gods?"
"They are watching, but for now, you can just let the goat sniff you and let it decide if you're worthy of a gift."
"Okay, are you sure you don't want to hear more of my politics before I get my boon?" Stew started to reach for the Goat's head.
"Oh, gods no, there's no need, we'll be preparing all your statements from now on.
Diogenes halted in his tracks before he could pet Goat.
"Why did you even bring me here then?"
"The goat said your face would be a great addition to our news stations and you'd bring in a whole new demographic."
What the fuck is he talking about how did a sheep pick me? Is he just trying to insult me? It doesn't matter, I should just take the boon and leave. The infinitely
"No, fuck you-!"
A woman's palm gently being placed on his face interrupted. Her hand that glided off his face brought a momentary interruption in his anger as he was greeted by the sight of a modest beach that pushed knee-high waves, accompanied by a cool breeze. His feet swayed on the sand as he searched for trash to no avail; this was not Athenia Beach. The hand, where is the person who brought me here? Diogenes thought.
"Hello, my name is Aidos." The hand introduced herself.
He had not noticed her before as she was someone other than himself, but she had been standing beside him the whole time. Maybe he had not noticed her because she was max 5'5 but more like 5'4 with her slouch, at least that is the excuse he'd give if he was asked, but he had an excuse every time he completely ignored another person.
Who is this chick? Even face to face with her Diogenes was confused; absolutely nothing about her stood out from top to bottom her hair was white but she didn't look like the grays of an old woman who had the black of her hair scraped away by a lifetime of the ups and downs of life instead she looked like a twenty-eight-year-old whose hair never bothered to color themselves in instead like threads waiting to be dyed. Her face was just there, it did not particularly stand out or hide away. If Stew had to say anything about it, he would say she looked like a blank canvas, same as her plain white clothing, only colored in by mossed twigs mixed in with mud, which Diogenes remembered was called a toga. Howd, she transports me here, she's unchosen with those empty eyes.
"Hi, I'm assuming you know who I am; after all, why would you kidnap me otherwise?" Diogenes said, calmer than he even expected.
"Yeah, man, uh, you're right." Aidos said clearly nervous like she had not thought it through "Ok so I need you to help me overthrow the government."
Ohh, she's crazy who is she even talking about?
"Excuse me, mind if I ask who you're talking about?" Stew maintained his deceitful demeanor.
"Shit, you're right! I got ahead of myself; by the way, please don't talk like that, it's weird; I was once the Concept of humility, so I am afraid the commitment I give you will be more of a curse to you." Aidos torrented out hardly comprehensible
FUCK she's crazy and what's a Concept does she mean a God?
"Oh, are you hesitant, c'mon Diogenes you are the first human to ever deny a boon and you know I really think my curse will help with all that insecurity maybe you'll grow a sense of pride!" Aidos exclaimed unaware of her insult, as she ignored his stage name.
"What are you talking about?!" Diogenes's demeanor finally cracked as one of his eyelids twitched in anger, hiding his grey eyes for a second.
"Ok, so I'm going to give you eyes that can see the truth, and I genuinely think this will help with your insecurity and you'll evolve true pride, which despite what they say about me I don't have a problem with." Aidos smiled before realizing "Damnit I should just send you back it's going to be easier for you to understand that way.
Till they weren't. Till it repeated and repeated, and all Diogenes could do was watch, ensnared by all the lives unfolding in front of him and all their tragic deaths. He lost track of all the cycles of creation and destruction before he started to remember why he was there and what in the hell he was seeing as he recalled; "Eyes that can see the best and worst of anything… the truth" "I should just send you back" "turn around it'll be easier for you that way" "turn around it'll be easier for you that way". Oh gods! Oh fuck, how the hell is this … this is the Colosseum! The gods are behind me or whatever the fuck she called them; what be the truth about them could be so awful that seeing all this would be easier!
Intrigued Diogenes nodded in agreement permitting Aidos to send him back.
The first thing he noticed was that Mitas and the sheep looked the same except for the chains that held Mitas still. However, once he looked past that Diogenes saw something that shook him to his core. The gods are dead! He thought as they lazily leaned in their thrones bent and mutilated in inhuman ways like the action figures of a sadistic child. With focus, Diogenes noticed a string connecting all of them but in his attempts to retrace it, he failed as they faded into the darkness.
Stuttering and muttering Diogenes feebly tried to grasp at words to save face Infront of Mitas. When his words failed him, he inched out of the room with a backwards stride, tearing a smile into his own face to preserve his pride Infront of Mitas. Tripping through the door Diogenes fell on to the pristine marble of the outer hall where he laid for gods know how long till a blue tinted man slithered to his side, bending over his finned spined pressed against his shirt as his slimy fingers glided across Diogenes now unconscious face.