The Rules of Retribution part 8

By Y. MIROIR

If it was ever disclosed, my complete profile would reveal all sorts of minority groups, starting with my gender and race.  I have been harassed on many levels throughout my life, but I lacked the stomach to carry out revenge.  This was a blessing in disguise because retribution eventually manifested itself.  Revenge wastes our lives, but all that the universe asks of us is to be patient while rebuilding our lives.  Let's not ever get manipulated into feeling guilty for not trusting someone who has not yet worked to earn our trust through their actions.

Serpent recalls that the ritual of Asian deities hurt him like Hell, but it got dark venom out of his system which was worth it in the end. The dog gingerly touches the scar on the serpent, feeling sorry for him that it may still smart, and finds that the serpent’s skin is not slimy but dry and smooth. Serpent blushes. Louis XIII asks the identity of the Devil who has been wreaking havoc on man. Nemesis replies ‘a Nephilim who was born between an Angel and a woman but ended rejected.

The imposter had stolen the identity of the serpent. The reputation of the serpent has been shredded beyond repair. The imposter exploits ‘trust’ and does not get punished, while the serpent was caught the first day. Nemesis reminded him that he was given the chance to turn over a new leaf, while the imposter missed it. If you hurt someone and do not get punished for it, then Nemesis will burn her mark on your soul. The mark can never be erased. The serpent senses that Nemesis was on a mission and he demands to accompany her.

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CHARACTERS in my Graphic Novel

SERPENT represents the frailty that sees us stray from the path and often into darkness.  Big predators make the headlines, but ordinary people are tempted to commit small-scale cheating when shielded under the mantle of anonymous.  On good days we can fight off the temptation, but on bad days when we have lost something, and the world seems unfair, our hands reach out for it while a sinking feeling spreads inside our heart, warning us that this is not the way to get even with life.  However, God or the universe may not mind if the gain is minimal?  So we tell ourselves.

Perhaps, horror stories draw us in because we may slip into darkness any time of our own will.  We may need religion or fantasy stories hoping that they will take us back into the light.  The best you can do…or instead I can do is accept that I am not as good as I would like to be.  I may not have wronged individuals, but my integrity did not always hold out strong against faceless organizations.  My story combines horror and fantasy, but you will find it oddly accurate because I will not sugarcoat the truth.  To myself, I will be brutal.

GODDESS IRIS/NEMESIS: Instead of picking one from the existing religions, all of which I respect, I opted to represent the universe's will via Goddess IRIS.  God gave us light, and Goddess followed it up with the sound, but as sound travels slower than light, no one knows her existence despite benefiting from her gift, music.  Something turned this once open-book IRIS into NEMESIS, Goddess of Retribution.

THE SPIRIT of LOUIS XIII: The king of France, who reigned from 14 May 1610 – to 14 May 1643.  Enigmatic character the world may not have fully appreciated, not unlike the current, which can be substantial even if the river looks calm.

OMELETTE: the dog who was the pet of Louis XIII in its former life.