God Complex, Part: Two: The Council and The Fall

Ahead of them on on a high podium sat the councils leader, sitting defiant of his form and revered by all before him.  A penguin crafted of faux fur and likely stuffed with plastic beads and polyester filling.  On his brow, a crown of exotic feathers so elaborate and vibrant as to put to shame the headpieces of all else present, around his neck a number so large as to defy reason and the very physics of the small laminated card it was writ upon. 

When He spoke his words came out in the high squeaky voice of a muppet...

"HEY, guys!  This is a VERY important day for all of us, JUST LIKE YESTERDAY!"

The murmurs of the crowd hushed as he plainly intoned.

"Here and now, then and always! HA HA HA!"  Was the crowds unanimous response.

The old man jammed his elbow into my side and leaned in for a hushed whisper...

"Don't let there appearances fool you, they take this form as to not shatter the minds of any mortals present, each is a fierce, and oftentimes unimaginably horrid, God of the Realms..."

The head of the council went on to speak of matters that I could not follow, more or less understand, often lapsing into various languages that were alien to me, but still spoken in the ridiculous accent that was a cross between kermit the frog and big bird.  The old man, taking advantage of the focus on the head of the council, reached out with his foot and nudged one of the clay figures off of the shelf, and as it struck the ground it imploded into a small and nearly silent display of purple-yellow light. 

He took this moment to stand before the council, and speak.  His words came out in harsh guttural tones completely different from that of the muppet king, but the meaning of them were lost to me behind the barrier of language.  I could only hope it was going well. 

Curious of the nature of his actions, I peered over the objects on the shelf before me.  One appeared to be a plastic replica of a futuristic weapon of some sort, no more than a toy.  I reached out my foot and nudged it off the shelf, and it fell with the same affect as the previous.  The old man gave me a subtle smirk and winked at me, though I knew not what he meant by it.

This went on like this for some time, I caught only brief segments of the preceding, of the old mans insistence that I live, and various others arguing for either my demise, or for no action to be taken at all.

"HERE AND NOW, THEN AND ALWAYS!"  The crowd spoke in unison, it appears the session had come to a close. 

The old man rose from his seat and took a small bow before exiting the room, me following close behind.  We walked in hushed silence towards the elevator and when we reached it, he glanced over at me and appeared to remember that I was there at all.

"OH! Perhaps I should tell you, you've been given a second chance, as I had hoped..."  He said with a smile, "But it wont be easy, you are to be dropped from the wall of the acropolis at sunrise, and must fall through time and place to your destination, the moment and location of your passing... with some MINOR alterations of course."  That last sentence was hushed and followed by him clearing his throat... 

"How... how did I die?"  I asked hesitantly...

"OH! No small matter, a twist of fate landed an insurgent suicide bomber out of place and time at the Virginia renaissance Faire, and at the VERY booth you then occupied.  It seems he was very disturbed by the whole matter, confused as well, and set off his explosive device the moment he saw your boots..."

I then wished I hadn't asked...

"I need you to punch in the code for the acropolis please," He asked as if it were no small feat.

I starred at the ever shifting keys of the elevator and as I lifted my hand it gravitated towards several buttons of its own volition.  We entered through the door and began the long trek upward through time.

Back at the acropolis, surrounded by the ancient stone pillars and rough cut ruins he took me to the edge and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You know, you could stay... I could use someone like you on my staff."  He asked hopefully.

"I don't know, I think I'd rather just go home."

"Very well then, but remember, as you fall you fall not just through space, but through time as well.  The sensations will be very disturbing, but do not fear.  I've created a platform of sorts minutes before your demise for you to "land" on, and you SHOULD survive the fall." 

It was the word 'should' that had me worried... but I didn't have chance to object, as his hand on my shoulder then shoved me over the edge and into madness.

Falling through the clouds that rung the stone edifice was one thing, I had never been skydiving but I'm sure that this was not much different,but one through them it were as if I were plunging down passed an elaborate and ever changing skyscraper crafted of neon light.  All around me the world reconstructed and deconstructed and while it would at one moment seem i were falling, at another seem I were being lifted or thrown across space.  bellow me a prismatic shimmer grew close, then further away, then closer still and it seemed often that I would miss it all-together, until in a rush I collided with the moment in time I had left.  Time rushed to catch up with me and I could see myself reforming from decayed matter and progressively aging backwards to the moment I had left, and as it reached it I fell to the ground as if struck by my future selves. 

I got up off of the dirt and saw a familiar sight, the vendors tent I had been in when this all started, only the rack of boots was conspicuously missing, and instead of the swarthy looking man stood a common bar wench who approached me.

"Are you al'right me'lord?"  She said, ever in character, thanks gods for the staff of the ren faire, ever dutiful.

"Yeah, I think I will be..."

THE END!