The Creation of the Amuni

Written by Jenn

Kaerjius sat across the street from the Globe Theater, tucked into a dingy little alleyway and out of sight unless you were directly on top of him. It was about four-thirty in the afternoon and the playhouse had only just begun to empty itself of patrons. They streamed out of the exit, the words inscribed above them ironic for their accuracy. “Totus mundus agit histrionem.” The whole world is a playhouse.

But are we the actors or the audience? he thought with a sigh, curling his furred tail against his leg and waiting with carefully reined patience for the stream of humanity to subside. There were so many of them, all come to see Shakespeare’s latest production, Macbeth, and leaving with their heads full of the evil of their own kind. That wasn’t the evil they should be worrying about, in his opinion. Not at all. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Shakespeare amongst them, crafted stories of the struggles of men. His own struggles were just beginning, bestowed upon him as a blessing by God. With the honor came the responsibility. The large white and gold hat perched upon his canine head served as a silent reminder of that duty.

”You shall be a leader among your people,” Amunuku had told him gently. Gathered around him were similarly blessed individuals, his new congregation. His followers. “In placing this hat upon your head, I am charging you with many things. Love me. Love the humans. Love your brethren. Love the world and all in it...but do not love the Euclide.”

Here the Murdon’s voice, previously soft, hardened unmistakably. “Hate them. Despise them. Kill them for what they have done, what they do now, and what they will dare to do in the future. Do not let their evils pass unnoticed in the grand scheme of things. Punish them, and make them pay for their sins with their lives. Humanity is to be protected at all costs, and while the Euclide live, the humans cannot live in safety. You must guard them with your lives.”

“Do this for me, and I shall love you in turn, my children. Rewards shall rain down upon you in the afterlife as you are lifted up to Heaven and my loving embrace. Send the Euclide demons back to Hell, and an eternity in Heaven shall be your reward.”

As he said this, his eyes looked round the congregation until they came once again to rest upon Kaerjius’s upturned muzzle. The god reached out and placed a large white and gold headpiece, simple and elegant, atop the Amuni’s dark blue head. It practically glowed against his fur, covered as it was by a small sea of white stars. His silvery mane swept back over his neck, the hat placed on top of it and letting a few stray strands fall across his muzzle as he lowered his head reverently. “I live to serve and to protect,” he whispered fervently. “Everything I do will be for you and for them. This I vow.”

An alien hand rested on his cheek as Amunuku gave him a touch of approval. “Good. Then go and fulfill your duty, blessed ones. Go with God.”

He smiled at the memory, the corners of his muzzle upturned as he remembered those first few magical days. In the presence of God, all was divine.

Now, however, divinity should be the furthest thing from his thoughts. His focus sharpened as he saw a shadowy figure creep from the Globe’s entrance, taking advantage of the slowly falling evening to creep past the humans unseen. Kaerjius noticed her, though, and slunk out of his concealing alley to follow. He felt that it was only fitting; as the Euclide hunted humanity, so too would he and his people now hunt the Euclide.

He followed the Director through several Southwark streets, the seedier side of London’s outlying area. Humans of all class ventured here to experience Shakespearian plays, but the upper echelon left as quickly as they could afterwards. For them, this was the wrong side of town.

The shadow soon reached its destination and entered a small pit arena, into which the Amuni followed her. Sitting in the stands were a variety of people, most of them in good humor and ready for the spectacle about to entertain them. The Euclides took on a slightly more human appearance and walked to a spot near the back of the stands where another disguised Euclides waited. Their hunter stayed well out of sight and watched them as they smiled, talked, and flirted.

His lip curled back. Not only were they engaged in the sins of this arena and the sins of their people, but they were also practicing the sin of homosexuality. He had chosen his first target well, it seemed.

After several moments, the voice of an announcer could be heard from within the pit area as he greeted his audience and introduced tonight’s ‘performer’. Sitting chained to a large pole was what appeared to be a bear, but Kaerjius knew better. The trapped creature itself was also an Euclides, a puppet, being controlled by the whims of its puppeteer. This particular master, it seemed, wanted to be entertained.

With one last shouted announcement, the man withdrew from the pit and a pair of dogs was released from their pens, running straight for the ‘bear’ to attack and worry at it as viciously as they could. The crowd cheered as first one dog, then another, leapt upon the creature and began their work. The Amuni was forced to look away, and instead focused his attention upon the puppeteer that was directing the spectacle. Soon, he thought to himself, anger and a desire for justice nearly overtaking him. Very soon. Just be patient.

At the conclusion of the show, the ‘bear’ was still alive but injured. Its muzzle was torn and various bites plastered its brown hide a matted red. It bellowed in pain, its cries met with jeers by the patrons of the pit. With a satisfied laugh, the Director and Puppeteer bid one another farewell with a fond kiss and went their separate ways. His path followed the Director.

Evening had set in fully and with the disappearance of the sun, the Euclides slid back into the shadows and resumed her natural form. As she did so, he moved up behind her and stopped stock-still directly to her left, not a foot away. ”May God have mercy on your soul, creature of Hell, as I will not.” His voice was tight with restraint and a bitter loathing. She jumped at the sound, head twisting to the side in time to catch a glimpse of his luminous eyes and the golden cross around his neck before the world was set ablaze.

She screamed, the sound echoing off of the nearby buildings and laced with agony, as flames licked at her fur and burnt her flesh. He took a few steps back, concentrating intently, and soon the flames acquired a bluish tinge as the heat increased to unbearable degrees. She was cooked, quite literally, from the inside out and he watched with dispassionate eyes. Being an Amuni whose Creation gift was fire, the sight of its inferno left him unaffected. At least this time it had been used to cleanse in the name of Good.

When nothing remained but a charred and steaming corpse, he nodded in satisfaction and smiled. ”Foul demon, I hope you enjoy reunion with your master.” Without another word, he turned and moved away, back to his congregation. It was time to begin the purge.