The dark god returns

"You've been in this room for almost a week brother. I think it's time you meet the family."

Mephistopheles opened his eyes to look at the door as Seniles body swayed in the dim light.

"Let me be," he grunted tossing an empty bottle to the ground. "Get me more wine will you?"

After his confrontation with Gagontae he had decided his best way to avoid further conflict would be to stay in the ship until the battle plans were finished. From time to time, a member of his team would visit to supply him with wine and information on how things were going.

"If you need more wine, go out and get it yourself," he waltzed into the room smiling. "Here lies the almighty Mephistopheles — god of the underworld and destruction of creation. How do you think your loyal followers would feel seeing their beloved god is afraid to face his fears? Who would they pray to next? Would it be me or the god of the seas? I know, Uranus might be..."

"Enough!" he growled with his hand smashing through the floor board. His heart racing in anguish at what he would face if he were to meet the gods.

"If your fear is that you would not be accepted because of the past then know that no one cares. We have all forgotten about it."

"Gagontae does not seem that way."

"Well Gagontae is a bit different and besides, she stuck up for you so many times unlike the rest of us who did nothing," his dark silhouette filled the room before he opened the windows letting the light and breeze flood in as the candles blew out.

"Could you close the window?" the dark god asks bowing his head away from the light.

"I will do no such thing. It reeks of alcohol in here and a deity who refuses to take a bath."

Mephistopheles sighed with his head still down from the blinding lights. Senile walks up to him and offers his hand to help him up, but the dark god would have none of it for he slapped his hand away turning his back against the god of war.

"Suit yourself," he said disappointed before walking to the door. "My crewmen would bring in the baths, soaps and oils for you with a change of clothing. Be ready before noon, Zemeta requests your presence."

"Why can't you all let me be?" he whispered with a shaky voice.

Senile looked back to see his brother curled up in a ball surrounded by bottles and bones, "Because you're family and the world needs their god of darkness."

With that statement he opens the door letting his crew bring in the items he had mentioned.

He waited until everyone had gone before speaking, "Do not disappoint me brother. We all need you, including your son. And if Aurora was alive today, she would tell you to stand up and fight."

Taking in deep breaths he walks away letting the door close slowly behind him.

***

He squinted at the window with his eyes getting used to the light. Looking at the items brought, a black cloth stood out bringing memories with it. Scrambling to his feet as the bottles on his lap fell to the floor, he made his way to the chair using his finger tips to feel the embroidery on the clothing.

"You have been with me through my worst times old friend," he mumbled to himself. "You have been with me since the beginning of time and you are here with me now."

Picking up a mirror, he peered into it, "A shave would do and maybe I'd consider having a bath."

A knock on the door shattered his theatrical performance, "What is it?" he rapped out.

"Lord Mephistopheles, Lord Senile requests your presence at the docks. He awaits you with your crew members," the timid voice responds.

He makes a funny face while grunting back a poorly heard "Whatever."

From the looks of things Senile had told everyone that he was the god of darkness for the young lad who had spoken with him mere seconds ago was terrified. He missed interacting with humans in such a way — him being almighty and powerful with humans being scared and weak. Removing his clothing before stepping into the bath filled with soap, he emersed himself in it with closed eyes. It was serene in here without the light or bird calls or hails from the men and women at the port. It was just him and the water acting as a sound proof barrier.

As he stayed still in the water, he began to reminisce on his last encounter with Gagontae.

It had been a few years after their fight with Callipso and Zenok, he was tired of living the life of a god and wanted to live like a human but he would retain his powers against the wishes of the other gods.

"The rules can change if we can talk to Uranus and Zemeta about it. Please you don't have to do it this way," her voice broke with tears running down her cheeks.

He remembered turning back to her in disgust at how weak she was but somehow she was amongst the league of great gods. She wasn't as strong as Uranus, as fast as Zemeta, as vast as Oceania or as experienced as Senile in the art of war. She was only good with creation of weapons and technology as her fighting style was weak when compared to the rest of the gods. He was proud and arrogant but it was because he knew the other gods would not dare to challenge him. He was stronger than all of them combined and they all knew it.

"You don't have to keep doing things your way Mephistopheles. Stay with us, please," her tears kept rushing out as it churned his belly in a sickening way. He hated tears from mortals, but a god crying was even worse. He detested weakness and he could smell it here and now.

"Stop your whining little sister. You're a god, not a mortal. Embrace yourself and do whatever you want to do without rules or fear of the consequences."

"But what are we if we don't live by the rules and terms laid out," she asked solemnly.

He remembered smiling evilly before giving his last reply, "We are gods."

With that he turned away, teleporting to earth and roaming on it for thousands of years before meeting Aurora who changed him.

Surfacing from the bath tub, he used the sponge to rub around his body. He couldn't help but notice how much he had changed. Before meeting Aurora he wanted nothing to do with the other gods, but after falling in love with her and having his first child, he wanted so badly for his family to be involved in his life and celebrate with him. He wanted to shout, drink, get drunk, tussle, fight in the underworld and come home with enemy heads as trophies for his victories, all while keeping his family together. He was living in a world of fantasy where his happiness was everyone's happiness, but alas it was not so. For he had wronged the gods, his brother Mars included, abandoned his duties against the wishes of the head god Uranus and tossed away the love of Gagontae and Raïs. All of which turned some evil, made one die and another's heart turn to stone.

Standing up with the water running down his legs he took a towel from a hanger, cleaning his body meticulously. This war started because of him. It was not his son's fight neither was it the fight of the other gods or humans. Mars and Uranus were doing this because they were angry at him and they were lashing out at the poor people stuck in the middle. Hundreds of thousands had died in battle for his selfish wants. He had grown weak because of Aurora and Xerxes and that warrior he used to be before was gone. He was a different person now who longed for peace and harmony amongst all creatures, gods, humans or in between. To achieve that he would need to be a god of darkness once more, he hated the feeling of becoming his past self but that was the only option left.

During his travels he had met many wise mortals along the way, one of them had listened to his tales of how he had lost his family due to the conflict and how he was totally powerless at attaining peace without his full powers.

"There is only one option I can give you Sire," one mortal had said to him. "To attain peace, you would need to have war, for peace is not appreciated until we have lost those dear to us."

He had called out the man for being a drunk as they laughed at the bar that day, but he knows now that the man was right. He had not lost anyone before so he did not care about anything or anyone, but after losing Aurora, Pontius, his brother Mars to anger, his brother Uranus to rage, Talily, Raïs, his son Xerxes to distrust and so on, he knew he had to dawn on the suit of darkness and fight once more with his brothers and sisters.

Creating a mirror in front of him, his naked reflection stared back as he wore his dark armor which had led him through so many battles unscathed. It was heavier than he remembered but it would be worth it at the end. He was prepared to imprison Uranus and Mars in the underworld with him for all of eternity after this was all over. It would be his punishment for bringing chaos upon the world.

***

"It's been three hours Sire, he's not coming," his crewman Fräwl reminded him.

"That bastard!" he exclaimed under his breath.

"Now now, is that anyway to treat your god of darkness?" a deep voice rumbled behind him stunning the god of war.

"You finally showed up," he responded trying to sound unimpressed as he turned around to see Mephistopheles in his full armor.

"You know I like to make an entrance brother," he smiled evilly, spreading his arms with the metal on his armor clunking together. "Take me to Zemeta so I can see my family again."

They stared at each other for awhile before falling into an embrace.

"It's good to have you back brother," the god of war mumbled.

"I feel the same way," he mumbled back tightening his brothers body in his grip.

Gagontae who had been watching from a distance wiped a tear from her eye before disappearing into the dark of an alley.