When Men Are Angels

There once lived a young man, gifted beyond belief. Tall and strong with a tongue of silver, men followed his every thought, turning his visions into reality. The wise men of the city listened to him, and saw wisdom in all he said. His power grew until many recognized him as the ruler of their city.

As his age increased, so did his wisdom and power. Just laws were enacted throughout the land, the wicked were punished and the good were rewarded. With time, crime and murder were almost unheard of. Art and culture flourished, and the city became the wonder of the world, and the world looked on the people of the city, courteous, peaceful, and wise, and they said they must be as the angels of heaven.

On the borders of the city lived other cities who quickly accepted the man, now no longer young, as their ruler. So the empire was born, and it swiftly grew as great and beautiful and good as the city had been so that it was the wonder of the world.

Now, to the north of the empire lived barbaric peoples who lived a life of war and hardship. They dressed in animal skins and eked out a living from hunting and the little that would grow in the cold. They built no grand temples or vast cities, but wooden halls in which they drank away the harshness of their world.

So the people of the empire looked on these barbarians and saw the killing and the murdering and thought of their own peaceful cities. And they said to each other “Would it not be better if they were under our rule? Have we not been blessed with peace and goodness, and is it not our duty to spread our blessings to those who are more corrupt?”

So they gathered an army and marched north, ordering the barbarians to obey their laws and their customs. And they pointed to their cities, their healthy and peaceful families, and said “If you do as we tell you, you will be blessed with this.” And all who would not obey them they put to the edge of the sword.

So the barbarians looked at their own wars, and saw bloodshed and violence. Then they looked on the invaders and at the burning halls, violated women, and murdered infants, and determined that these invaders were the very demons of hell.