See how the sky blends
As the sun sinks into nothing once more
Night gathers tight against us all
And still reeks of death
See how the blades glimmer
Brought alive by the moon’s creeping eye
Night wraps about us cloaks
And still reeks of death
See how the flames lick the sky
Two shadows amidst a field of corpses
Night fears to touch them
For they reek too strongly of death

-Ode to the God Slayers (Prologue – Excerpt)

Soothsayer ju’s Vadis

I

It begins, like all things important, in a bar.

The night, this night of nights, was not unlike many others, being in that this prestigious locale, this paragon of alcoholic establishments, was barren. Aye, there were a few patrons; old drunks and ancient soldiers mostly, and their coin was as good as any other’s, was it not? Alas, their tales, told hundreds of times in the few, yet long, years the Left Side of Nirvana could claim for herself, had grown stale, and the idleness had very nearly driven the young proprietors of this stalwart institution insane.

But, that’s not possible, is it? They have been insane for far too long now to once again be driven to that dark precipice, if not by their already strife stricken lives, then perhaps by the death they had shared.

Let us then take a moment to dote on these two men, who would one day become living legends, walking nightmares, heroes and villains the world over, hunted men, because humans were fickle beasts. Should they drop to their knees in worship, clamoring for blessings from these deities, these gods in the flesh, these would be saviors (if, by chance, they happened to saving something that day), or should they bring swords and fire against them, safeguard themselves from tyranny?

Or maybe they should just ignore them, pretend they do not exist. Gods exist only because of worship, be it praise or fear, so if you were to strip them of that, would these gods simply cease to be?

Good thing, one of them would say, grinning a startlingly insane grin, we aren’t gods.

Aye, the other would respond. We only kill them, he would continue, and the two would cackle.

As I said, insane, almost perfectly.

And also far from the point, as this would be a result of the strenuous decade the two would face side by side, a result of countless battles and grievous losses. A decade that begins this very night, as fate would hold it.