The Clown's Harem

Solomon reacted by jumping to his feet to prepare himself; however, it was then that he realised just how much of a toll the fast was having on his body.

When he tried to move, everything felt sluggish. It felt as though if he pushed himself too far, he would collapse and fall unconscious.

Shit... he cursed inwardly.

In truth, this battle was not his to fight. He was only supposed to be a mediator between the two spirits. Still, he wanted to be of use.

Could he really just sit there and watch as Juniper risked her life against an evil god?

He glanced at the Goddess of Restoration, who still remained unmoving, with her sword arm limp by her side. Her red eyes glared at the figure in the stand, who, with every passing second, was tearing itself free from the pink clouds.

Now, Solomon could finally make out it’s appearance.

It was gruesome.

The figure was clearly a male, but his body was so malnourished that Solomon wondered what was possibly sustaining him. Patches of flesh and skin were missing from his body, some so large that he could even see the bones beneath them. His hair was grey and long; however, it was patchy from where parts of his skull were no longer there.

As for his face, it was just as sunken and malnourished, making him look incredibly old and gaunt. There was an expressionless look on his face; however, it was like Solomon could sense the rage in it.

Now free from the pink clouds, Ba’al, God of Decay, stood there naked. He did not look around the tent, but rather down at his body, as though disgusted at the results.

He looked at the palms of his hands and frowned.

"Who dares bring me back to this wretched form?" his accented voice bellowed, as though he had grown up in the most southern islands.

Solomon naturally took a step backwards, wanting to reach for his sword.

Meanwhile, Juniper smiled.

"I said, who dares bring me back to this wretched form?!" Ba’al spoke again.

"You always were against existing in the physical realms, weren’t you, Ba’al?"

Juniper’s voice made the man look up. He looked over to Juniper and spat on the floor. It was clear he was more than familiar with the goddess.

Then, his eyes landed on the Clown and lingered there. Solomon felt like he could physically feel the anger emanating from the god’s body.

"You. It was you, wasn’t it? You, who steps foot into the realm of gods."

Solomon gulped silently, yet he would not back down.

"Me? Perhaps you are unaware. I too am a god."

Perhaps it was his smug tone, or perhaps Ba’al was simply so enraged at being brought back to his physical body, which he had discarded many ages ago. Regardless, something prompted the god to charge.

In a mere second, the space between them was gone, and Solomon found himself face to face with the God of Decay. The god’s pale skin crumbled with every slight movement.

He outstretched his hands and grabbed Solomon round the throat. It felt like a horse had stepped onto his neck! It was impossible to breathe or fight against it.

Atop that, the god had activated the powers of decay on Solomon’s body. He felt himself withering away. It was as though his body was experiencing decades of aging in a matter of seconds. His bones creaked, and his organs grew weaker. His hair went from white to grey, and his skin shrivelled like a prune.

Is this it... Is this the end of my godhood?

...

Pitiful...

Solomon felt his vision fading as he reached the end of his lifeline.

Then... all of the feelings of aging disappeared.

His body suddenly started to gain strength. He felt the effects of aging reversing themselves, as his body regained its strength and his appearance regained its lustre. In fact, he felt even stronger than before, as the fatigue from his fast had been reversed too.

The man holding onto his throat had loosened his grip, causing the Clown to fall to the ground and gasp for air.

Solomon’s vision was no longer blurred. He looked up to see what had happened.

There, Juniper stood, hugging the man in front of her tightly.

He thought he could hear sobbing. Was somebody crying?

Strange.

Solomon pushed himself up to a seated position to make sure that his eyes weren’t deceiving him.

One of the figures in the embrace was certainly Juniper. He recognised her beauty with ease.

However, the other figure... it was not the same person that had entered the tent. It was not Ba’al, God of Decay. It couldn’t have been.

For this man looked far from decayed.

His skin was no longer withered and falling apart. In fact, his flesh was well intact and even lean with muscle. The man’s hair was not grey nor long. It was red, curled, and luscious, something like the way Greeks were depicted in statues back on Earth.

Most important of all, the man was handsome. Incredibly handsome, with a youthful face.

He seemed to want to pull away from the hug, but Juniper’s strong arms kept him close.

Tears began to stream down the woman’s face.

Juniper whispered, "Come home, brother Junior. You do not need to walk in the darkness... Come home."

Brother?

Solomon was at a loss for thoughts.

Is this man Ba’al? Are the two gods siblings?

His head began to hurt. It was too much for him to process. He had to close his eyes and rub his temples.

When he opened his eyes again, the two siblings were now crying together.

He wanted to question them, but before he could, their physical bodies began to fade away, as though they were mere mirages.

Juniper pulled her brother closer.

"Home," Junior said solemnly.

"That’s right, brother..." Juniper smiled. "Home."

And with that, the figures of the two gods left the tent.

The Clown was alone.

...

"What is wrong with this world?"