The first one born on Earth

So many supernatural beings inhabit this crazy world, and only heaven and hell are fenced off from the general chaotic entertainment by a bland monotheistic wall. Centuries later, it was strange to even think that he himself had once believed in Adam's fairy tales about the one god who created all things. And the very essence of the creator, which has passed through the sieve of time, has become more of an ephemeral metaphor than an image of an omnipotent and at least somewhat material being. A philosophical unit that he liked to talk about from time to time in the company of his beloved wife, who almost nine millennia ago decided to share eternity and a common “curse” with him, if you can call it that. Which, in general, was also a rather philosophical question. — You look special today, my love, — Cain said gently, touching the fresh blood-red leaves of the vines that filled the entire living room of their modest house with his fingertips. Light streamed from the depths of the black stalks. The blood, full of angelic power, nourished the plant, connecting it once and for all with the underworld. The last meal went much better than both of them expected. — You're shining gold. Bright pink flowers bloomed from the compliments, and the stems began to weave into the likeness of a female figure. Centuries later, his wife had almost lost her human form, unlike him. As befits a true pagan woman, she began to merge with the source of her power. A black, fertile land. And even though most of the time she seemed to an ordinary mortal to be just an inconspicuous plant, for him she could once again become the same gloomy beauty who at one time gave birth to the most talented representatives of the human race from him, in their common humble opinion. Those whose distant grandchildren and great-grandchildren continued to delight them. — The child did an excellent job, — the languid deep voice of his beloved wife, who had assumed a more familiar human form, sounded with a slight echo. Her body was stronger than before, but still graceful. ― I already feel at home in hell thanks to his efforts. And it's already ingrained enough to take you there, too, my dear. — She could have stayed on earth. To live forever, entering the endless cycle of nature's rebirth, but their interest and passion for exploring new horizons pushed them both one day to a slightly crazy, but damn funny idea. — That's because so many of your magical talents are awakening in the best of children, — Cain put his arm around his wife's waist and gently pulled her body closer to him, which has preserved its lively flexibility over the centuries. — Flatterer, — she cooed, lightly kissing his neck. ― When you see him now, you won't think like that anymore. After death, an ancient carnivorous monster began to awaken in him, rather than a humble magician. The blood of a murderer always takes its toll. The roots of plants and vines stirred around them, enveloping them in a soft blanket and hiding the two ancient lovers with a black and red curtain from the rest of the world in their secluded cottage. The day was good, the news from the underworld was even better, but his wife's gaze was troubled for something. — What's eating you, Ruu? — Cain gently tucked a strand of the woman's soft black hair behind her ear. ― Your gardener, — the woman hesitated slightly, shifting her gaze from her husband's face to the collar of his shirt, which she began to adjust automatically. ― Boy is very diligent and talented, but every time he was so upset when these winged misunderstandings got to the roots during the exterminations. The damage was negligible each time, but his reaction... It hurts to watch. The extermination had been going on for the last seven years, and during that time he had even abandoned his favorite job, devoting himself entirely to gardening. Just like you did when you were working on the gardens of Semiramis. But after the last extermination... — My love, he's old enough to handle something like this, — Cain sighed, stroking his wife's cheek and forcing her to look up at him again. ― A small unfortunate setback that doesn't affect anything. Even during his lifetime, he was distinguished by the fact that he learned from mistakes and took revenge, being many times more prepared. It is unlikely that death has changed this trait in him. ― He lost to Adam. Ruu's words made the man sigh heavily. He couldn't even imagine that this so-called “first man”, bloated with centuries, would not be too lazy to descend into the underworld. And he'll also be prepared enough for a fight. God's beloved creation has never been a weakling, and even with a minimal level of effort, none of the sinners would pose a serious threat to him. Even if it's their gardener. — The first man is dead and there will be no revenge for boy, — Ruu put her hands on her husband's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. ― He doesn't seem to be himself after everything that happened. No radio broadcasts, no songs, no jokes. The smile only holds because of your deal. Of course, he tries to keep his face in public, but this is just an appearance. Imagine, I haven't even gone hunting since then. ― Nonsense. Does the killer refuse to kill? — Cain couldn't believe his ears. He chose the candidate very carefully for the important task of creating a bridge between hell and earth. I managed to study each of his sadistic habits thoroughly. And such non violence type of behavior was completely outside the norm for his behavior. — I haven't even tortured or intimidated anyone in the last week, — the woman looked really worried. — He's locked himself in his radio room and only goes down to the hotel lobby, — Ruu looked away again for a second, anxiously brushing a fallen small leaf from one of the many vines from her husband's shoulder. ― Wounds are not a problem for his demonic body, but wounds of the soul... ― ...Damn deep, — Cain finished the thought for his wife. ― Let's look at him first and I'll talk to him. And then you'll show me the circle of Pride, okay?

***

Alastor's lair looked as bad as he did. A sagging wall, broken windows, and a ceiling beam with a piece of antenna lying across the room. Perhaps the only thing that prevented this room from collapsing completely, falling into itself, was the black roots with a golden glow flowing under the thick bark. The plants wrapped thick stems around the radio room and almost covered the hole in the ceiling, which, judging by the traces of dried blood and remnants of bones, was caused by the fall of the body of some unholy sinner who found his death on the day of the last extermination. The radio demon reminded Cain not of a soul who had already turned a hundred years old, but rather of an offended teenager who climbed into a large armchair with his legs and imperceptibly pulled out strands of hair even for himself. The painful need to pluck yourself like that, like a turkey, has never been a harbinger of anything good, especially for souls like Alastor. It's unlikely that this action actually caused him any of the tangible pain he craved. Rather, it was simply associated with something that he perceived as a habitual norm for himself. The norm is soothing and unshakable, returning to such a distant childhood. ― “The great Alastor, as the last altruist, almost died for his friends,” — the radio demon muttered to himself, obviously parodying someone's voice, deliberately giving it unpleasant, too high―pitched rattling notes. In the fingers of his free hand, he fingered the glass fragments, not paying attention to the fact that he had already cut his skin with them, turning his palm into bloody mincemeat. Drops of the demon's blood fell to the floor and were quickly licked off by the black roots. Ruu really wasn't worried about this child's condition for nothing. After all, can a hundred years be considered a sufficiently respectable age for an immortal soul that still has a long way to go through eternity? Hardly. By his and Ruu's standards, he's just a child. And he behaves accordingly. ― Alastor, ― Cain called, drawing his gardener's attention. People like him could easily be called difficult children who required special treatment. You can't just show up in front of them, bursting into their personal space. Not only can this be perceived by such sinners as aggression, but also, in addition to everything else, it is simply not polite. Therefore, Cain remained only a voice without a physical body. He spoke through black roots, being both near and far away. — Master? Is that really you? — The demon roused himself, turning around at the sound of the voice. Hell had really changed him a lot, and it was even more noticeable in person than before. Scarlet eyes with dots of black pupils, red hair that was dark brown in life, sharp yellowish teeth, and tiny antlers with deer ears on top. “Carnivorous monster" is a pretty accurate description for its current form. — I thought you couldn't go to Hell yet. The demon looked like a devilish pit bull that would gladly tear apart a couple of sinners, but at this moment in time he was too carried away by the arrival of the owner home. There was something charmingly naive about this behavior and the huge, wide-open eyes, but it wasn't worth giving in to such a feeling until the end. The last thing people of this age want to hear is the condescending tone and silly babble they've grown out of eighty years ago. If not more. — Couldn't while the Roots were weak, — replied the shadows of the shoots, moving like a tangle of sleepy snakes. It was impossible to leave a child without praise. No one would like that his hard work, for which even his favorite business was temporarily sidelined, would simply be ignored, taken for granted. — You did a great job. Handled your part of the deal just fine. The demon's pale skin turned even whiter, acquiring a completely unhealthy bluish hue. The red claws dug into the back of the chair so hard that the wood and red fabric upholstery crunched under the sinner's fingers. Someone like Alastor doesn't know how to exhale in a relaxed way when he hears something pleasant addressed to him and feels that there is no threat. On the contrary, he only puts more effort and concentration into looking for a catch in kind words. Catching the slightest semitone in pronunciation so as not to miss anything important. Therefore, it was not worth surrounding such a soul with praise and tenderness too much. At least not right away. — I am saddened by the sight of a child left without a favorite toy, — Cain tried to make his voice a little more cool. Just a little bit. Calmness and coldness were more familiar to the radio demon. These are the emotions that are most familiar and understandable to him. Something that could, according to Cain, cause him more positive associations. And it was worth moving on from words to action. The extra shaking of the air would rather strain Alastor, make him nervous and think that something was going wrong once again. That the other person might be unhappy about something. And Cain didn't want to create that impression at all. ― But be careful from now on. Next time, I won't help fix it. — At this point, it's usually customary to have physical contact with an upset child. A pat on the head or a comforting hug. But it was absolutely impossible to do that to this soul. Touching carries only pain and a lot of unpleasant emotions in his mind. So it was worth saving them for later, when the demon was in a better mood. Alastor's eyes shone with a truly childish delight as he looked at the new toy. He got used to the weight of the microphone stand, the grip and its volume. Was checking the sound settings. Cain did not consider himself an expert in the operation of such devices. He knew the technical part at a more or less tolerable level, that's all. It was enough for his personal needs, but would it be enough for a more professional and demanding radio presenter, for whom clear sound and aesthetics of voice are more important than anything else in the world? For someone whose true passion is radio and music, not human relationships. ― Thank you, Master, ― Alastor said softly before starting the broadcast. He obviously couldn't wait to test the new tool, which means there weren't any particularly big mistakes in the choice of actions either. And then the sinner will be able to cope with his own bad mood by making the necessary settings for his selective taste on his own. It was no longer necessary to interfere with the child's play. Maybe he'll look at this place a little later. Just to make sure that the wild boy was satisfied with everything and would no longer fall into apathy in the near future. Having quietly left the radio room, Cain materialized from the roots in one of the dark alleys of Pentagram City, where his wife was waiting for him. The woman hurriedly turned around at the rustle of plants, nervously pulling a strand of jet-black hair in her thin fingers. — How did it go? — she asked, coming closer. The low heels of her rough work boots made almost no noise when she walked. — He's definitely going to be fine in the near future, — Cain replied, taking Rue by the elbow and walking out into the cramped streets of the city. ― Filth, overpopulation, diseases and many sins that occur in broad daylight right on the narrow, fetid streets. Ah, it reminds me of Gomorrah. What a nostalgia! Cain turned his head curiously, looking around. Right in front of them on the road, a small rusting car hit some drunk in a ditch, and then crashed into a lamppost. The smell of gasoline quickly appeared in the air, which flowed out of the leaky tank directly onto the asphalt. An electrical wire that broke off from a dilapidated pole fell into this chemical puddle, almost instantly causing a fire. ― Urban chaos,― Ruu snorted without enthusiasm. — I'm glad you like it, my love, but I don't feel much about this place. No temples, no graveyards, no totems. And the only park is so well-groomed that it's disgusting to look at. Nature is not allowed to roam here. — This is hell, ― Cain shrugged. ― The underworld of sins and stench. Nature has no place here. ― Oh, don't say that, — woman snuggled closer to him, adjusting her wide―brimmed hat. There was an explosion behind them. The fire reached the fuel tank of the old car. ― Underground pale plants. Blind monsters used to living in eternal darkness. Shining insects of gigantic size and a multitude of parasites of all sizes and species. There is nature here, albeit a different one. But it is in this city that any manifestations of it are simply incredibly ugly and neutered. In other circles, the situation is better only outside of large settlements. Where there is only savagery and primitive violence, — while saying this, Ruu smiled dreamily, resting her head on her husband's shoulder and closing her eyes. At such moments, it seemed to the man that his beloved pagan woman was about to begin to purr and lick her sharp fangs. Cain stopped in front of a hardware and electronics store window completely filled with TV screens. With a silent nod, he pointed his wife to the zombie box turned on on the news channel. A presenter with a nasty smoky voice and red eyes without pupils was reading out the breaking news about the explosion in the city center when the signal began to be interrupted by familiar black and red static. Nearby screens, sensitive to otherworldly activity, also began to flicker. The image completely disappeared, and from the nearest, modestly standing on a separate storefront next door, an old-fashioned radio receiver, the muffled scream of a TV presenter was heard, duplicated by loudspeakers on a nearby wooden pole. Hearing these sounds, demons and sinners cowered warily and hurried to leave the street. Get away from the screams of pain, the raucous laughter of the radio demon and the light jazz. ― You're still good at finding an approach to children, my love. — Ruu rose slightly on tiptoe to kiss her husband's lightly stubbled cheek. ― The boy just blossomed. ― I told you that it couldn't be that bad with him. ― Cain slightly lifted the brim of his wife's hat to kiss her cold pale forehead. Her skin was more like marble in color. Grayish with dark streaks of blue veins. ― I think we'll visit him again a little later, but in the meantime, what do you think about a little expansion of the boundaries of this world? — Are you going to open up a couple of new deities to this faded monotheistic dump right now? — Ruu chirped enthusiastically, anticipating the upcoming fun. ― To unleash conflicts and question the authority of the “supreme being” in the cesspool, which he calls his abode. Just like in the days of the Roman Empire! Where do we start? His wife was incredibly excited. As an ardent pagan, she is always happy to witness the futile struggle against cults that no one has ever managed to completely eradicate. In human history, many have tried to unite nations by a common faith, but they have never been able to get rid of the rituals of the local old gods. It didn't matter if it was about the traditions of Yule or Samhain, the former pagans were more willing to impale the saints on dumb spikes than to abandon the key festivals for themselves. The Holy Fathers reluctantly adjusted the Christian faith to the ancient customs. And every time God's vicars on earth made another such concession to the “barbarians” in order to preserve their power, health, and sometimes life, Cain heard the furious cries of righteous Adam and the Seraphim from Heaven. It was high time to take this fun to a new level. And to begin with, someone who has long had a grudge against both the lord of hell and the inhabitants of paradise. — The people of Tartarus have been complaining about the noise above their heads for seven years, ― Cain began with a sly smile. ― And the local ruler is concerned that if this continues, Elysium will cease to be a place of oblivion, silence and tranquility. Besides, he had long been unhappy with how rudely my old acquaintances were appropriating someone else's intellectual property. — Well, that's really a serious claim, ― Ruu nodded, surprisingly serious. ― It's not that it was something completely seditious, we all lived and live by similar rules and laws. But in the last couple of millennia, Heaven and Hell have really lost all shame. The ancients tolerated their childishness for a long time, if you think about it. — Exactly, my love,― Cain pulled his wife closer to him by the waist. ― But we are only modest intermediaries. Please remember this... — Don't give in to your own impulsiveness... — Ruu finished the thought impatiently for Cain. — I remember. — It's not too long ago, not two hundred years old, to get involved in the showdown of deities like in the old days. — Looking at how beautiful you are, I always forget about it, — man leaned closer to his wife. to tickle her cold neck with my warm breath. ― Flatterer, — Ruu laughed coquettishly, hiding their faces with the wide brim of her hat. Sinners and demons did not notice the couple in love. They ran around them shouting and cursing, fleeing from the ever-growing fire that started because of a car accident. There was absolutely no one to deal with emergency situations in this shithouse. This small incident will end with the fact that most likely by the end of the day most of the block will burn down. The blazing flames engulfed dilapidated, closely huddled bedbugs, called local houses. The cries of pain from the burns and the stench of burnt flesh did not bother the pagan and heretic lovers. Amid the panic, there were a couple more explosions. This time, most likely, there are gas cylinders in the apartments. The rumble of the walls collapsing somewhere in the distance did not drown out the jazz playing from the nearest loudspeaker. Pentagram City led its usual chaotic existence, full of sins, suffering, and weak, irresponsible souls who skillfully punished themselves every day.