The Great Arising
Chapter 35
"Do you know what a traitor is? A traitor is someone who doesn't know who the enemy is."
Commander Millington
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric
They stood atop the flat roof of the structure, the bright sun shining down upon them. "You realize what you are proposing, don't you?"
"Yes." Torren-Wraeth replied simply.
"What would your father do?"
"I don't know."
Tek scratched his golden head. He had long fought sentient sacrifice, but he hadn't dared to take on an actual power beyond the level of Dagon or Moloch, "I wonder what my father would do . . ."
"Do you even care?" Eikichi asked.
"They already think I'm insane. I don't think it will matter." Tek smiled, "It will be like the old days." He wrapped an arm around Torren-Wraeth's shoulders. "Fighting evil!"
"Rebels without a clue." Torren-Wraeth smirked.
Elsewhere,
"Do you see it now, Nodens?" Kthanid asked, "As I have said, he has long been more in line with our goals than his father's."
"Yes, I see it now." Nodens conceded. "I wonder how many they can pull away from The Darkness. . ."
"Our enemies have sired countless offspring, and we know that some already oppose their parents' wickedness. Others are confused, and they are more open to 'alien' notions of love and compassion."
"They have sown the seeds of their own defeat."
"The Reckoning has begun."
The inverted pyramid,
"We don't have to go after Cthulhu, of course. We could start with the likes of Keziah Mason, remember her?" Tek asked.
"Yeah, I do. I also remember she was an agent of Nyarlathotep."
"Who was killed by a mortal. A human." Eikichi pointed out.
"Who then had his heart eaten out by her familiar, Brown Jenkin." Torren-Wraeth shrugged, "No. We can't just ignore my father's followers, if we find them about kill anyone . . . We stop them."
"Play no favorites. That's only fair." Tek rubbed his chin, "I know you don't like killing, and Eikichi has never even fought . . . He wasn't created with the capacity for violence."
"I can kill, if need be. I just don't want to. As for Eikichi," He turned to the pale youth, "You don't have to fight. We can find other ways for you to help."
"Dodomeki could scout out the situations, see what's going on before we break it up. If a ceremony has became critical or unstable, we may need to save more than the sacrificial victim. If an . . . Entity is already there, it may attack us for interrupting the sacrifice. Being offered a meal and having it snatched away doesn't sit well with most beings."
"Yes, it may turn on the summoner. That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" Tek chuckled.
"There must be others who feel this way. Beings that hate what the others do to mortals." Torren-Wraeth looked out over the vast forest, "We need to find them. Organize. Work together to help the mortal races."
Tek laughed, "Like superheroes!"
"There's still the practical problem of power." Eikichi observed, "At the moment there are only four of us. Dodomeki can't fight, though his telepathy can help him untie ropes, snuff out candles, open doors . . ." He shook his head, "And some people sacrifice themselves willingly. I know you don't want to hear this, Torren-Wraeth, but sometimes it could, arguably, be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement. He-Who-Walks-Behind-The-Rows . . ."
"Is a demonic monster."
"True, but look at it from His perspective. He keeps his followers fed, safe and organized, and in return they give themselves to Him when they mature. They are His crop as He is theirs'."
"Few beings believe themselves to be evil. I'm sure He sees Himself as benevolent. I don't. He doesn't just have his followers, children, willingly give themselves to him, he has them followers murder innocent people, including other children. Besides," He gave a grim smile, "I hate corn."
"I know. I'm not saying He's right. My point is, where is the line between amoral and evil?" Eikichi turned his pale face to the bright sky, "We are not gods, nor are we perfect. How do we judge others? Murder, of course, is evil, or rape, but beyond the obvious evils, what are we to do?"
Torren-Wraeth cast his eyes to the ground, "I myself once brought Y'Golonac to Earth, to exact vengeance for Goro, a vengeance that would have disgusted him. I still bear the stain of that evil act upon my soul. The Obscenity must never be allowed to walk the Earth again." His voice grew hard. "We will keep creatures that may damage or destroy the planet from being summoned. We will stop unwilling human sacrifices. We will protect others, beyond that, it is between them and their gods." Torren-Wraeth walked to the edge of the structure and looked down to see a Dark Young lurking in the shadows, "I'm not proposing overthrowing anyone. I simply think we should protect those who cannot protect themselves."
"Spoken like a true superhero."
"There is another thing to consider," Eikichi said, "If we do this, we may not be able to go back. Back home, I mean. You and I might be persona non grata in R'lyeh, and you," He indicated Tek, "Might no longer enjoy the full privileges of Carcosa. Then there are your siblings. Ked and others like him will definitely go after us, even our respective parents do not."
Torren-Wraeth considered this. It could cost him his home, his father . . . His mother. Torren-Wraeth was very close to his mother, Te'ree. She had been the main reason he had remained in R'lyeh for so long. But her loyalty lay with her master, Cthulhu. How would she react if her only son, by Cthulhu himself, began fighting against the very god she worshiped? It would force her into a terrible position, her loyalty to her god, or her love for her son.
He let out a long, mournful sigh, Forgive me, mother. "Yes, we might become traitors, outcasts. But I believe that it is worth it."
"As do I."
"Count me in." Tek grinned.
"We have." All three turned swiftly toward the source of the new voice. It was a shimmering, insubstantial golden mass of tentacles that dwarfed the great building on which they stood. It was the face of Kthanid. They were looking at an astral projection. "Tektaktequataquarl, son of Hastur, you and your child Naoltaba have freed of The Curse by order of The Elder Gods. In my opinion, it is long overdue, but such is life."
"Why? Why now?" Tek asked, slightly awed.
"The Elder Gods are finally convinced of your . . . Nobility."
Tek smiled thinly, "So, Ol' Stone-Face finally thawed?"
There came a sound, that could only be described as a horrid mixture of laughter and gurgling, "Nodens has agreed. Though I doubt he would appreciate the appellation. I would think you overjoyed at the revelation."
"I am. I'm sure it will hit me later."
There was yet another factor to consider. The Bloated Woman, avatar of Nyarlathotep and mother of Tek's child, demanded brutal human sacrifices. Tek truly loved her with an almost human passion. How would he deal with this conundrum?
Great Cthulhu had cast his mind into The Endless Void, and found no answers. Yog-Sothoth had sent no signs or omens. He was tired and frustrated. Why did his god not answer him? Who could know, as Yog-Sothoth was as far removed from Cthulhu as Cthulhu was from mortals. The fact that He was his 'grandfather' meant little, the blood thinned the further one moved from The Primal Source.
How would he oppose his own mate?But it had not been entirely fruitless. Cthulhu now knew that Torren-Wraeth, his own blood, was an agent of The Elder Gods and had completely forsaken his worship. His god would not answer him, and his child was turning against him.
He did not know what to do.
Chxixsas had advised him to leave them be. Torren-Wraeth did not actively oppose him, just sentient sacrifices. He knew the boy still loved him, he was simply too sentimental. Too human. But it was more than simply one rebellious child, he was seeking to recruit others to his cause. He was loathe to move against his own child, but he could not protect him anymore.
Only time would tell.
To be continued . . .
Once again I steal from the great Stephen King. One could argue that He-Who-Walks-Behind-The-Rows has a beneficial arrangement with His children, as Eikichi pointed out. But He also has those children who displease Him and any outsiders brutally murdered. I don't know if Mr. King intended for Him to have any positive qualities, but it's hard to view Him as purely evil, as He does provide some measure of care and protection for His followers. I guess He's a necessary evil. The fact that He's responsible for their plight in the first place, by killing all the adults should be taken into account as well. Maybe he's just a parasite.
Philosophy gives me headaches.