The Rock God
Sitting upon his throne, The Rock God Aramaz watches the Seventh Heaven’s destruction. Buildings tapering away into the large chasms ripped in the ground; he caused them. Dead spirits and War Gods strewed everywhere. They fought fiercely to the end, Aramaz thought, proud of those who stayed to fight; unlike those who ran, he wanted to kill them all for such cowardice. A war ended, and Aramaz lost to his youngest brother, Rangi. Now he sits and waits for oblivion. His once unbreakable body is crumbling. The sensation of cracks tears asunder the boulders he called muscles. He looks down to see his legs collapse into piles of stones on the ground. Those legs shook his Heavens for billions of years with each step he took. He loved to watch other Gods collapse over his mighty stomp. It reassured his dominance.
Aramaz remembers, as though it happened recently, kicking Tyrick into the Third Heavens. Queen Hera sent him back down almost as hard as he got kicked, and she dared Aramaz to try it again—he did many times. It took billions of years for the Imp to recover. Thinking about it now, why did he kick Tyrick The Imp? Was it for sport, or did Tyrick attempt to seduce one of his daughters? The Rock God fails to recall why; try as hard as he did. The Imp proved loyal over time. Aramaz knew there was anger-filled treachery in him regardless of how much Aramaz valued loyalty. Where did the Imp leave? Such a question does not matter now; oblivion awaits him. Aramaz looks at his right arm. It is a pile of rubble, chunks of rocks falling over the arm of his throne. He is not a sea God or sky God, but his powerful punch could cause waves higher than those who controlled the waters and wind. Man will never forget how he drowned them. Kal beat him horribly for that action.
The Rock God felt if he could, tears would flow. The body he cherished is crumbling before him. He valued his physique more than anything in creation. Humans always paint him, wrestling with others to prove his worth. Man wrote poems about his impregnable body.
All of the Heavens knew his prowess. Because of his body that the Seventh Heaven got bequeathed to him. The same Heavens that Rangi fought him over. If only he could tell his brother how proud he is. Such a thing does matter; oblivion awaits him.
Kal, he thought of his mighty second brother. More courageous, more handsome, more powerful. Mortal men would be jealous of such a little brother. Aramaz had always boasted of Kal’s many deeds and feats of strength. Aramaz and Kal used to sneak into Queen Hera Heaven and bring back multitudes of women. How they got punished by the Queen, but they never stopped. Kal went far as going after Queen Hera; she birthed a lovely daughter. Kal was more than a brother. He was almost like a son. The Rock God regrets how Kal departed. The ills of man had become too great for him to ignore. If only he had the chance to apologize to Kal. Such a need does matter, but oblivion awaits him.
“You look horrible, Aramaz,” said a voice.
The Rock God sees the short lanky Amme come into view. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. Only the right eye has sight; the left eye crumbled away. Other Gods and mortals know the universal feeling of pain, but not Aramaz. The Rock God Aramaz never knew physical pain. Only emotional pain. Such as Kal.
“Don't be deceived by my body, traitor. I ought to kill you now,” Aramaz said. Amme does not react to his threat. Who would when the once-feared God resembles a heap of rocks smashed by mallets? Another time, the other God would kiss his stone feet to live. Aramaz would send him to oblivion by crushing his head.
“Once, your words alone would cause me to hide. Now, I feel sorry for you.”
Aramaz does not know how to respond to such words. The last he expects from another God is their pity. He once slapped Inti for that.
“I take your silence as a loss of words. Despite cruel reign over us in the Seventh Heaven and man, you were fair, just, and well-honest. You heeded others when your own judgment lacked. You're a God of many things. That is why I feel sorry for you.”
“I needn’t, your sorry, traitor. If this was all you came for, leave now. You are not what I want to see before my demise.”
“Well-honest, bluntly so. I came on behalf of your brother.”
If he could move, Aramaz would sit forward.
“What did my little brother say?”
Aramaz did not see how Amme shook his head; his right eye crumbled away.
“Not what he said. How he felt; Rangi cried after he declared war. He knew that war was the only means of taking control of the Seventh Heaven and Man. You would not go down without a fight.”
“Both he and Kal were brothers I loved like sons. It was a war I thought was won before he fought, and his punishment was exile. Yet, my brother fought like a war God. Tell him to rule with a feared hand and a just mind. Tell my little brother: I am proud of him. I love him.”
Amme shook his head.
“A request that cannot be honored. For Rangi destroyed his body after he re-created the universe. The scars inflicted upon them, such as the deluge, will be forgotten. Reality is anew, with new Gods whose influence is limited. I came to pay my respect as the only being who will remember. It is the least I can do.”
Amme shook his head. Sitting upon the throne is a pile of boulders and rocks that made up the Rock God Aramaz, little chunks falling onto the ground. A powerful quake shook the throne a chasm split open, dropping it and the remains of Aramaz into infinite depths, along with the spirits and dead War Gods. Amme, floating, said a silent prayer for all of them.
END
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