A Merciless God

A Merciless God

by Michael Shimek

The soil was stained with blood. The villages were nothing but ruins. There was no human left alive on the islet—there never was.

Pieter surveyed the land. Like every other massacre he had come upon, like the one of his own village, this one showed no mercy. Buzzing insects enjoying a mighty feast filled the air with an incessant drone. The stench was strong, causing him to cover his mouth and nose with a cloth. It was a sad scene, one of pain and torment. Evidence painted a bleak picture into the last few days of the island's inhabitants, and as the pieces fell together, one could only imagine what went through the monster's mind during his rampage…

#

The cramped, wooden boat rocked with the mighty ocean. The cruel mistress of the night unleashed her fury against the seas. Waves lapped against the sides, dousing an already drenched Edmund—he had a last name, but with the many identities he adorned, the real one was a long forgotten past. Hours of determined rowing eventually proved fruitful when a small, black hump rose like a pebble in the distance. That pebble grew into a rock, that rock grew into a boulder, and that boulder grew into towering, sheer cliffs that jutted from the frothy currents.

The sweet aroma of the island’s inhabitants filled Edmund’s seeking nostrils, and he smiled in delight.

Whispered between the mouths and ears of drunken fishermen, gossip about an island of savages from which no one had ever returned perked Edmund’s interest. His wandering travels had brought him far east, where the modern, European world was a far away future; it was a place he could kill without the worry of advanced Western influences hunting him down—or that pesky human he had run into a handful of times over the past decade. Many languages had passed his ears, but only a northern Vietnamese dialect had talked of such an island. It was a gamble, searching for something that might not even exist, but the prospect of such a treasure could not be turned down; with the bored state of his life, he needed something new, something fresh and exciting to fill his hungry void.

The gamble paid off.

Edmund kept his distance from the dangerous cliffs and directed his boat around the island. A beach came into view as dawn threatened to change the night sky. The rowing fastened until he was only a short distance from the sandy shore. A flash of strength from his fist punched a hole in the boat, and he let it sink as he swam the rest of the way; he wanted his arrival to come as a surprise. He made it to land, darted into the jungle, and dug furiously with his claws at the ground. The sun peeked above the horizon as the last of the dirt covered his body.

Tomorrow night he would begin his fun. Tomorrow night he would feed.

#

The island wasn’t overly large, which would take a normal man roughly two to three days to traverse around. It was lush with jungle life, high mountains peeked into the clouds, one river branched into several, and the beaches provided ample fishing for everyone. A pleasant surprise revealed two different tribes claiming ownership to the island. The Yuon, distinguished by their long and flowing black hair, took up the territory on the west and south, where the land and jungle rose high into rocky slopes. The Yeu, a smaller group with hair no longer than their ears, took up the east and north, taking hold of most of the river. It was apparent on the first night that the tribes shared the island in a separated tension.

With guards stationed and patrolling an invisible border between the tribes, Edmund kept to the shadows until the time was right. He came across an area where one tribesman from the Yuon and two from the Yeu had come a little too close. Each tribe hurled pride and insults in a language that wasn’t too hard to translate—it was mostly Vietnamese, but with elements of Chinese and a language he had never heard before mixed in. A skirmish broke out. Three spears flew through the air. Only one man was left standing, a young man from the Yeu tribe.

Edmund made his move. He slipped like a stealthy snake through the trees. The guard never had a chance. Within several seconds, the man’s throat was ripped open and the sweet taste of blood flowed down Edmund’s gullet. Energy and vitality rushed through his body as the life force drained from the tribesman. After he was dead, the body was tossed next to the others, and Edmund bellowed a roar that would be heard by every ear on the island.

Instead of staying for more food, he fled. The scene would draw a mob from both sides, and people in numbers could be dangerous to a vampire, not matter how strong he or she was. He did not want to be known, not yet; although, he was sure the bite marks and lack of blood in the one victim would attract some eyes. Everyone would know of the island’s new visitor soon enough.

#

For the next several nights, Edmund continued with his plan of staying hidden and picking off people to fulfill his thirst. It wasn’t until rumors spread between both tribes of an evil spirit plaguing the island that he decided to show himself.

First, he came to the Yeu as a god. A village of no more than a hundred people, many were camped out and praying to their own gods around large fires when he soared in from the trees—a neat trick of floating with the wind many of his kind used to instill fear into their victims. Gasps and screams erupted as he landed in front of them all, a giant and terrifying presence of utmost evil. He spoke:

“It is I, the one who has invaded your island and slain your men! Bow down and tremble before me! Worship me and make me your god!”

A man stood up in the back and charged with a spear in hand. He dove at Edmund, who blocked the weapon and snapped the man’s neck with ease. Two more men stood up, each held two spears as they yelled and charged. Edmund stared at the two and tranced them into submission. They stopped in mid charge, and with his mind, Edmund made one of the warriors spear the other through the gut and then through the chest. The one remaining had his heart ripped from his body in under a second, Edmund biting into the chunk of meat before his audience.

The Yeu tribe was his as they screamed for his mercy. He gave them none. He asked for three sacrifices on his next arrival the following night. On his way out, he beheaded the leader of the tribe with a single swipe of his deadly claws.

The Yuon tribe, a population of roughly two hundred, was a little harder to convince of his superiority. Upon his descending arrival, six men attacked Edmund. Spears were thrown, arrows were launched, and all warriors came at him with rage in their eyes. Within the span of a few seconds, he decapitated two, severed the limbs of one, tore the hearts out of two more, and then fed on the last in a fountain of blood. When all was quiet from fear, he spoke:

"How dare you attack your new god! I command a sacrifice immediately or this village will cease to exist!"

People hustled and bustled before a young girl was shoved to the front of the crowd. Edmund was pleased and drained the girl of her life, her crying ceasing forever. This tribe had a queen as its leader. He ravished her and took her as his, a slave for the god that now ruled them all. He ordered five more sacrifices the following night, or all would be destroyed.

With both tribes in the power of his hands, Edmund fled to one of his sanctuaries—it was important to have more than one refuge away from the daylight just in case. The people would stew in their newfound terror while he slept through another day.

#

The Yuon and Yeu were on the brink of war. After learning about their new god, each tribe blamed the other for the evil demon. Only one day had passed since Edmund proclaimed his supreme power and several little battles had already popped up among the villages. No one had perished, but several had been wounded.

Edmund was pleased with how events were stitching together. Through confusion and fear, chaos had erupted, and that was when people acted their worst.

The Yeu had obeyed his commands and supplied three sacrifices in an extravagant ceremony in honor and worship of their new god. People with painted bodies moved around large fires, dancing and chanting to the beat of the drums. A feast compiled with all of their finest delectables was spread around an altar. In the middle of that altar were three women bound and gagged, but dressed and painted in a lavish manner.

Edmund reveled in the party. Each woman bled throughout the few hours, and each time cheers erupted from the crowd. They had accepted him as their god.

The Yuon were a little less acceptant of the situation. They supplied their sacrifices, but it was no celebration. Five of their bravest warriors stood in front of their village, standing proud to be chosen for such an honor. Edmund could smell poison coursing through the veins of two of the men. He spat in their faces before ripping out all five throats in a single swipe. The two closest women were torn to shreds and fed upon while the others cowered. He found the newly elected leader, tore off his genitals, violently ripped off his arms and legs, and then strung him up from a tree to wail in misery as the tribe watched.

"This is what happens when you disobey your god! Defy me one more time and I will slaughter you all in a single night! I demand five more sacrifices, or the Yeu will rule this isle alone!"

By the next night, the Yuon had supplied five young women, only girls really. Edmund savored their blood and welcomed the tribe as his.

The entire island was under his control. He was their god, and he would enjoy the power until boredom set in.

#

Several weeks elapsed while Edmund played with his food. He was having fun, but he would have to hurry with his fun; Pieter—his personal predator—would be coming around soon, and he didn't want that mortal ruining his entertainment.

With both tribes worshiping him, but still in conflict with each other, the god used this to his advantage and started a war. He commanded the Yuon and the Yeu to carry out his bidding.

"Fight in my honor! Destroy the other tribe, and claim the island as your own!"

The strongest and bravest men fought to the death in a battle that was worthy in any history book. Through the thick jungle, to the sandy beaches, blood stained the ground. Some were killed, and some were injured; Edmund finished off the injured. In the end, a total of twenty-three lives were lost. Both sides were praised for their undeniable devotion, and Edmund rewarded them with only having to offer one sacrifice. As long as they obeyed him, he promised to be a just god.

He was not one to keep to his word.

The battles and sacrifices continued. Edmund grew insane with power. Soon, the population of roughly three hundred hovered around eighty. Only fifty Yuon were left compared to the thirty Yeu. It was during this low number that the god finally found problems with his livestock.

#

After fleeing to one of his shelters while drunk on his feastings, Edmund found his small cave ransacked and demolished. A vivid vision of his time in England a few years back came to mind, when that troublesome man had found his abode, searched through his belongings, and then tried to bring him to sunlight a week later. The cave well hidden and deep, and his sleeping quarters would have only been found if someone had been searching for it, like now. His people had violated his rule. Finding a vampire's lair was a danger; it meant they were looking for him, and it meant they doubted his divine power.

He would show them what it meant to defy a god. He would show them the true meaning of fear.

He quickly made heed for a different shelter and took protection from the sun. The sound of footsteps stomping above Edmund's resting area woke him the next night. The ground muffled their words, but he could hear them clear enough: they were working together, and they were searching for him.

The god showed no compassion as he exploded from the ground. The ten men were caught off guard. Edmund incapacitated them and then slowly administered his punishment. Their deaths lasted hours, their screams echoing throughout the jungle. When Edmund approached each tribe, the villagers hid in their huts. They knew they had done wrong. They knew they had unleashed his wrath. There was nothing they could do, though; they could hide all they wanted, Edmund knew they could never escape.

As much as he wanted his reign to continue, Edmund's time on the island was up. The paradise was over. Pieter would be close now. He could wait for the angered soul and finish him off once and for last, but he liked toying with the living. He would see how long the man could last.

He began his rampage by feeding on the young. The men and women could do nothing as they watched their sons and daughters perish under Edmund's sharp teeth. For the last several nights of his killing spree, he hid in a cave on one of the cliffs facing the ocean; it was a place inaccessible to any normal human. He made his remaining time last as long as possible, upset that his stint on the island was coming to an end. Twenty people were saved as a going away present for his last hurrah. He hunted them down like animals, teasing and playing with them while they ran for their lives.

The last heartbeat he sniffed down was a woman from the Yeu tribe crying in her hut. Her blood was delicious, but he didn't empty her veins. Edmund left just enough to keep her alive, to turn her into the same monster as him—a little gift for the hunter. Before she could wake up to her new form, he found a boat and left the island for good.

Edmund's time on the island had been fun. He was old, and many memories were merely unimportant or too banal to take up space in his thoughts. He would remember the island, though. He had ruled as a god before, but never had he had so much fun while doing so.

He rowed away toward the mainland. His sights were set on his next destination, and his devious mind led the way.

#

The woman screamed an animalistic rage and charged. Pieter was ready—it wasn't the first time Edmund had left a surprise. With no other human on the island to offer as food, she had been weakened and put up little fight. With a flash of his sword, the woman's head and torso were detached, and the threat was no more.

For the briefest of moments, a locked away memory of his loving wife bobbed to the surface before he plunged it back down into the icy depths of his mind.

The man sighed and re-sheathed his weapon. He was too late. He was always too late. He was too late for these villagers, he had been too late for his own village, and he had been too late for his wife and unborn child. The monster was a cunning demon and only just beyond grasp. Pieter had been close a few times in the past, but if he wanted vengeance, he would have to try something new.

Leaving the island and its dead behind, Pieter rowed his boat back toward the mainland. Determination stained his weary and worn face. One way or the other, he would exact his revenge.

END