Conqueror – short

     He climbed atop the snowy peak, covered in bruises and cuts. The razor-sharp rocks were merciless. The mountain was relentless in its onslaught, yet he endured and persevered. His knees trembled as he struggled to stand against the gusts of wind that desperately tried to topple him from conquering this peak. Still, he stood strong, despite the wobble. His bloodied feet were planted firmly on the cold, rough rock beneath him, and his stance was that of resolve. He glared up at the skies, determination in his eyes.

“COME WHAT MAY AND BE! BUT HERE I STAND BEFORE THEE! I fear no retribution, I fear not the wrath of gods. I conquered the 7 hells and all the lands between there and here and I will not back down, you be witness, you the god creator and destroyer of all except my will.”

God watched and listened. His mighty fist grasped something that the man’s mind couldn’t even comprehend. It was neither a lightning bolt, nor the light of day, the god grasped the very fabric of reality itself. With a snap of a finger, he the almighty creator could become the almighty destroyer. He held the life of this human and all others like him in the palm of his hand. He knew that the humans who dared disobey and challenge the gods were a threat. He knew this one was a threat and that others like him would exist.

Even so, he did not become a destroyer. His anger soon passed, replaced with a sense of admiration. Before him stood a man who did the impossible. Before him stood a challenger who had conquered the unthinkable. A warrior so mighty he defeated the unkillable. A man so strong in will that he destroyed the chance, and with naught but might and his own will. He built his own destiny and persevered. The god smiled and the man heard a sound unlike any before.

Before the man, in the skies, the reality faded. Through the gap in it stepped out a figure so unimaginable that the man couldn’t help but gasp. He fought demons and their whores. He fought monstrosities unknown to man and won a hundred battles against the odds. He battled elements and elementals. Frostbite became his light, the burns became his maps, and the scars were a grim reminder of all he had been through. However, the thing before him was different. It mesmerized him, fascinated, captivated, but above all else, the creature before him calmed him. The man fell to his knees in the presence of the god.

“I… did it all and more.”

His voice trembled, as did his old, worn body.

“Yes you did,” the god replied.

“I defeated the odds, the chances, and the probability itself. The entire existence was against me.”

He hit the rock beneath him softly.

“What more do you want from me!? HOW MUCH MORE MUST I GIVE!?”

“Yes you did,” the god replied, content.

“You’ve impressed me, fascinated me even. You’ve done a lot, too much in fact. Far more than I could have ever managed myself.”

The man looked up, his jaw trembled. He thought to himself, ‘what? but you’re a god?’ and the god replied.

“Indeed I am, but the hardships you’ve been through are far beyond anything I could’ve managed. You’re free now, free to leave, to stay, or to ascend.”

The man pondered for a moment.

“Me…? Ascend?”

The figure of the god smiled, the man could feel the creature smile.

“Why would I want that if even the almighty can’t do what I could do?”

The figure grinned, amused.

“Correct,” the creature responded softly.

The man grinned, satisfied.

“I have done enough… Let me be done with it and be with my beloved. Let me leave.”

So he vanished from existence, and from all of people’s memories that night.