Mein gott es tot|Haven, Ilyamen

[aivea]

A letter is shoved under the door to Aslan's office, and there is the sound of someone running away. This letter, though, appears to have been written on very expensive paper, and has a thin ribbon tied around it.

[Devon]

Aslan curiously looks at the letter, but picks it up quickly before his lion friend shreds it with his paws. Taking the ribbon off first, Aslan opens the letter and sits down to read its contents.

[aivea]

The note reads:

Aslan-
You have ordered the death of my God, what are you going to do by way of atonement? What sacrifices and sacred games will you invent to ease your guilt? What offerings will you lay at His no longer moving feet? How will you live with this, oh murderer among murderers?
The blood of the innocent can never be washed away, especially not the blood of the most innocent One of all. Are you going to find me, and ask what I mean? I don't think you would have forgotten already. But, how dare you kill God? Why would you kill God?
If you send a letter without a name, I will receive it.

[Devon]

Aslan blinks hard at the letter. "What the hell does this mean?" Not knowing what to do, Aslan writes a letter in response.

~Whoever you are, I have no idea what you're talking about. I have never murdered anyone's 'God' reply quickly. The two of us should meet, we obviously have a lot to talk about.~ Folding the letter up Aslan slips it back under the door and stands by waiting to see what will happen.

[aivea]

A few minutes later, another letter is shoved under Aslan's door on the same paper with a similar- though different colored- ribbon on it, as well. Once again, there is the sound of faint scampering immediately after the letter enters the room.

You did order God killed, if not kill Him with your own hands. What are you trying to gain by denying your guilt anyway? Lies will not give breath back to God.

Meet? You really want to meet me face to face? Well, then, where and when. I'd love to see if someone guilty of deicide has any sort of manners, or how to conduct a conversation.

[Devon]

Aslan writes back quickly and slips it under the door again. The note simply reads, ~Tonight in the Ilyamen square.~

[aivea]

That night in Ilyamen square, there is a man standing alone, and looking up at the sky with a solemn expression. He is fairly well dressed, though the edge of his right cuff seems to have been stained by dark ink. Unmoving, the man- Shard- seems to be waiting for something or someone, or perhaps merely stargazing.

[Devon]

Aslan steps out into the square and catches sight of the man before him. "So you're the man writing me those foolish letters? What is all of this about?"

[aivea]

"They're not foolish," the man murmurs with a slight scowl. Aloud, Shard replies, "Aye... This, and the letters are both about the fact you committed deicide, and me wanting to know how you are going to repay your sin. Though I am beginning to wonder if you see that as a petty crime, smaller than even the thefts, and assaults you punish so well."

[Devon]

Aslan tries to keep calm, not wanting to lose his composure when he didn't understand the situation completely. "What 'God' did I murder? If I really killed your god I'd like to know about it so I can make amends, but I don't remember doing such a thing."

[aivea]

"Does the name... Zerachiel bring back any memories?" Shard inquires, saying the true name of his God with great care and reverence. "That was God's name before you murdered Him."

Zerachiel is actually the name of someone who was executed for murdering anyone who was rumored to have committed even the smallest crime or mentioned wanted to perform an immoral act, and not all of his victims were honestly as guilty as the rumors said. After all, some rumors are spread out of malice rather desire to spread the truth or any real incident.

[Devon]

"Yes that name brings back some memories and from what I remember that man was no God. He was a murderer pure and simple." Aslan steps forward, walking up to Shard. "You seem to have your idea of 'God' confused. I won't stand for unwarranted threats."

[aivea]

"Who said anything about me threatening you? I'm afraid I can't see how asking you what you're going to do or telling you what you did is a threat of any kind," Shard asks, keeping his composure despite becoming more frustrated the longer this went on. "He... Zerachiel... was God, and he only killed those who had turned toward evil. You don't understand, do you? You only see the dead bodies, not the charity performed when God didn't need to destroy anything. How do I or my ideas seem confused?"

[Devon]

"No man is a god. Whether his intentions were good or bad Zerachiel didn't have the right to take lives on the whim. And if I were involved in his death, it was only to stop a lunatic from harming the citizens of Ilyamen."

[aivea]

"...God wasn't a lunatic... Of course you were involved in His death; the death penalty is so rarely given that it must involve the Leader as a means of controlling it so it isn't abused," Shard says softly. "I know it's probably not going to get much of an answer, but what are you going to do to me? You've already killed God, and you're trying to make it sound like it was for justice."