From Heaven To Earth (The Faith of the Fallen) Page 23

  “Move, die.”

  Dejanto nodded.

  “Riell, move? Die now.”

  “I don’t understand,” Riell said.

  “You move? They Die. Now.”

  Riell dropped her sword.

  “Make Curtain go.”

  His stomach rumbled.

  “Wait. Don’t.”

  He sprung into the air. Arrows pelted him from every direction and exploded against him. Spines sprang from his body, like a gargantuan sea anemone. He impaled as many skia as he could reach before he fell to the ground.

  Some of the half-angels were killed, most were not.

  Those spines that had not impaled skia softened into tentacles, snaked to his prisoners and ripped their wings off.

  The separated wings let off a bright prismatic glow before they lost their light forever.

  Verill made a meal of the wings. Saliva spilled from his mouth as he overstuffed himself, his cheeks bloated like a hungry child feasting on their favorite food.

  “No! Stop!” Riell screamed.

  A tentacle poked her on the top of the head.

  “Move, die,” he gurgled, his head was at the center of the mass. “Move they die.”

  She was forced to stand and watch to keep Drean and Dejanto alive. Tears filled her eyes. Screams of the dying barely masked his smacking lips. He burped loudly several times before he was satisfied.

  He reverted to his gorilla-like state again and clutched Drean in his hands. He looked at his other hand and grunted in surprise.

  Dejanto was gone.

  Riell wondered where he went but thought it more of a blessing than anything and did not question it. She tried to figure out a way to get herself and Drean away from Verill.

  A sound like thunder, but much louder reverberated in the sky. Riell knew her shield had fallen and could feel Shrazz and Gerald. Both of their Inner pulses were weak. She could not tell who had won.

  Verill felt him too.

  “Shrazz.”

  “What about him.”

  “Take me.”

  “No!”

  “No? Angel die now. You die now. Take me.”

  “Fine, I’m getting my sword.”

  “Get. Walk ahead. Move? Die.”

  “I get it.”

  She picked up her sword and led the way.

  Chapter 32

  Leoran shook his head at Dejanto, who knelt before him.

  The god-angel considered a multitude of heinous punishments that would indelibly scar Dejanto for the rest of his wretched life, but he did not have the time for such things. It seemed ludicrous for a god to concern himself with time, but Leoran could feel his slipping away by the second and with it his newfound power. It was an itch inside of him that he could never scratch. Soon it would fester, ache and devour him whole. It worried him.

  He needed time. He needed power.

  Needs and apprehension made him mortal: as low as a human, as filthy as a half-breed.

  He did not want to ever need anything again.

  Leoran descended from the Throne of God with a leap and landed in front of Dejanto with a resounding clang.

  “You’ve failed me.”

  Leoran waited for Dejanto to respond, but he did not. He touched the knight’s mind to peek at his thoughts, but found silence there as well.

  “You have failed your God, knight! Will you say nothing to defend yourself!”

  Leoran backhanded Dejanto’s right cheek, and the shadow knight’s jaw cracked from the force of the blow.

  “I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord.” Dejanto kept his eyes on the floor.

  I am so ashamed. If only I could have completed my mission, Dejanto thought.

  “Spare me your whimpering,” Leoran said as he heard the thoughts. “I gave you specific instructions to get the angel and come back. But you had to let your primal instincts get the best of you and tire yourself.” Leoran walked half-way up the stairs to the throne.

  “Lord, you told me to...” Dejanto said.

  “Yes, whelp, what did I tell you to do?!” Leoran spun about to hear his rebuttal.

  “You told me to kill Riell...” Dejanto said.

  “I most certainly did not...” Leoran said.

  He descended to the knight and stopped when he remembered something that contradicted what he just said.

  “To disrupt the angel’s emotions...” the knight continued.

  “Or, did I?” Leoran tried to think back to when he gave Dejanto his orders.

  “Inevitably causing his downfall,” Dejanto finished.

  “Dejanto, I believe your memory serves you well. I apparently forgot our original plan.”

  Leoran sat on the steps of the throne.

  I forgot? How is this even possible? I am God! The Supreme Being! How could I possibly forget? I gave him those orders not long ago. My power must be waning. How can I accomplish this? Dejanto utterly failed in killing the skia, and that exous, Verill almost killed him. If Drean is more powerful than both of them, he will surely fail.

  Leoran walked to the edge of The Sanctuary. He surveyed Heaven, and looked from the Tower of Knowledge to the Gates of Soulhome.

  There is one way. He turned his gaze. This core’s power must be being drained by other sources. In Heaven and elsewhere. I can withdraw all the power I need from those sources. I need the rest of the angels to continue their duties. But I could take from the Tower of Knowledge. What purpose are they serving me anyway?

  Leoran closed his eyes and concentrated.

  Give all your power unto me. I am your Lord, I demand it of you.

  The Dome of Command and the Gates of Soulhome crumbled away simultaneously to dust and then nothing.

  “Lord, what of the souls? Where will they go now?” Dejanto asked.

  “Who are you to question me?!”

  Wait, they should come to me. Yes, I’ll use them as well, Leoran decided. Come unto me immortal souls.

  The Sanctuary was a wind tunnel as Leoran pulled the souls into him.

  Heaven’s skies changed from blue to black, all warmth seeped away. Dejanto shivered from the cold as spirits streamed past him, whispering praises for Leoran.

  The once perpetual light of Heaven dimmed to an orange haze. Leoran glowed with the kingdom’s previous luminescence. Dejanto shielded his eyes from the light. Leoran’s brilliance dimmed. His eyes shone like two suns. Dejanto could not look directly into them.

  “Why do the angels of the Tower resist my commands?” Leoran looked at Dejanto. “Remain here.”

  “Yes, Lord.”

  When Leoran left he took all warmth with him. Dejanto huddled on the tile shivering and hoped he would return soon.

  Leoran flew to the top of the Dome of Command and landed at the base of the Tower of Knowledge. For a moment its beauty and defiance awed him.

  “Principalities,” he said.

  “My Lord,” they all said in unison. “What do you desire?”

  “I command you to bestow me with your power, even if it means your erasure from this existence. I require it to survive,” Leoran demanded.

  Why do I feel the need to even begin to justify my need for power? Leoran mused.

  “Lord you know well we cannot comply with such a request.”

  “We shall see,” Leoran said, not believing that they would be able to resist him if he forced them.

  Leoran concentrated to draw them into him.

  After a few minutes he tired from the strain. He stopped and stared at the tower.

  I had best not waste my energy on this trifle, he thought.

  “Answer me this. How can you resist me? Why do you do it?”

  “A statute instituted by our creators, the Forefathers. We protect the knowledge of the universe. Its beginning and its inevitable end.”

  “I see. Interesting enough. I would like to be aware of this knowledge. Share it with me. I command you.”

  “You cannot safely integrate all of this knowledge without first regaining
your seat, my Lord. However, if you would like, we can share your inferiorities with you,” they said.

  “My... my... what?!”

  “We apologize, Lord. We mean no disrespect,” they said, though Leoran swore he could hear them smiling as they spoke.

  “On with it then. How am I... inferior?”

  “You cannot access information in this tower that is beyond you. While the core is within you, you may not be able to slay Drean. In short you are only 1/10th of what the previous God was when He was fully connected to this world’s Faithstream.”

  “I can’t kill the angel!?”

  “You may not be able to. The core might prevent it. But once you are able to control it you would be able to slay him if you wish.”

  “When I become God can I remove you from existence?”

  “Was there something else, Lord?” they asked.

  “...No.” Leoran cast the Tower a heated glare. “Not at this time. Carry on.”

  “Yes, Lord, we shall. We wish you luck on your mission.”

  “What do you know of my mission?” he asked them.

  “We cannot share that knowledge with you,” the tower said. “But we are aware of it just the same.”

  He glared at the tower over his shoulder as he flew back to The Sanctuary.

  He landed in front of a crying Dejanto.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “Lord, I attacked Riell. I almost killed her! Oh, Lord, forgive me. This transgression weighs heavily on me. I do not know if I can trust myself to carry out your will.”

  Leoran stared at Dejanto, stood him up and struck him. Dejanto landed face down and cried for his friend. He had betrayed her. He had betrayed them all.

  “Since you have successfully shown me you will not be a match for that angel, drastic measures must be taken to even the odds.” He walked to the base of his throne. “You will be my avatar on earth until our mission is complete,” Leoran said and propelled himself to his throne and sat. “Maybe this will enable me to slay Drean as well. He will be a nuisance if he is not dealt with.”

  “No, Lord. I cannot do this.”

  “As I said before, you have no choice.”

  Dejanto ran up the steps of God’s Throne, determined to break Leoran’s hold on him no matter the consequence.

  Leoran’s corona intensified as yellow flame engulfed him. It forked into Dejanto and knocked him from the steps, the thunderclap could be heard throughout Heaven.

  Leoran’s body dimmed, and his eyes looked like they had been replaced with two glass balls.

  Dejanto’s eyes shone brightly from underneath his helmet and then became blue.

  “Yes this should work out nicely.” Leoran spoke through Dejanto’s lips and stood.

  My life is yours, Lord. I thank you for this opportunity, Dejanto thought.

  Quiet your thoughts. Leoran thought back at him.

  Much better, Leoran thought when he was silent.

  Shrazz defeated Gerald? I did not expect this... the future is so unpredictable. This will work to our advantage nonetheless. Leoran chuckled.

  Dejanto, embodied by the will of Leoran disappeared with a flash of light.

  Chapter 33

  Verill crashed through the forest, carelessly uprooting trees that had stood undisturbed for decades. The half-demon thundered about killing Shrazz and how the angel was his. Riell had planned on prodding Drean with her mind to wake him up, but with Verill’s constant howling she could not concentrate.

  “Verill!” she shrieked over him.

  Verill was taken aback.

  “Scream again, you die,” he said.

  “Be quiet. We’re almost there. If you can manage that.”

  “Quiet? Yes. When we there?”

  “Soon.”

  “Ok. You kill. I watch.”

  “What?”

  “You kill Shrazz. I watch!” He chortled to himself, tried to stay quiet and blew snot everywhere.

  “I won’t do it.”

  “You kill or he dies.” He balled up a fist and pumped it toward where Drean’s head poked above his other hand.

  “Ok. Ok.”

  He laughed and raised his fist, and smiled when he saw Riell look over her shoulder at him, troubled and skeptical.

  “Stay here,” she said.

  She knew the playground was a short distance away.

  “Ten minutes,” Verill said. “You not back? He die.”

  Riell nodded and turned from him.

  He tapped her.

  “What?”

  He laid down and reached into his stomach, and it sank in like a pool of liquid. He groaned and pulled something out of it, stood up and presented the dripping bundle to Riell. When she did not take it he dropped it at her feet.

  “Get arrows. Fallen blood. Poison. Kill Shrazz fast.”

  Riell glared at him and used shadow tendrils to pull apart the black ooze soaked leather that held the quiver of arrows. She hesitated.

  “Take them. Kill. Or angel and you die now.”

  She fastened them to her back, made them invisible and left him.

  She invoked invisibility herself when he was out of sight, and created two shadowpuppets. She inspected them to make sure they looked exactly like her with her battle wounds, the dried blood and dirt that stained her face like war paint.

  My hair really looks that disgusting right now?

  She shook her hair out, put it in a bun and wiped her hand over the puppet’s heads. They became amorphous and morphed into her again, with their hair in buns.

  “Better I guess.”

  She kept them there until she could see Shrazz standing above a crater. She got a little closer when he slipped down in it.

  Gerald looks really beaten up.

  She went back into the forest, and climbed into a tall tree until she was high enough to be out of sight. Riell closed her eyes and could see through the eyes of her clones after focusing.

  Shrazz took a deep breath to begin the process that would meld Gerald’s Inner with his body.

  “The power!” he breathed. Shrazz stood up and lifted Gerald upward by the neck. He took long, deep breaths. He meant to enjoy every bit of the domination’s energy.

  As Gerald’s Inner grew dangerously low, previously healed wounds reopened: gouges on his arms, his back and his chest. His skin paled, and his muscles shrank away leaving him emaciated.

  Shrazz’s muscles pulsated and bulged with new growth. Shrazz’s face elongated like an alligator’s, and lumps rose from his shoulders. Horns pushed from them. A long tail extended from his backside. Shrazz’s crimson skin hardened and scaled over. His hands and feet became bulbous like a bird of prey’s and lengthy talons extended from them.

  Shrazz cried from agonizing transformation but laughed all the while. Soon he would be who he was meant to be: an instrument of creation and a savior for his kind. He had never felt more fulfilled in his life.

  “Shrazz!” Riell spoke though her clone at the top of the crater.

  “Riell, look at what I’ve become! With all this power I could bring gods to their knees!” He tried to grin at her.

  Fear shook Riell then, for Shrazz’s face only looked sinister. She was thankful that Verill had sent her to deal with him. She had to somehow bring him back to himself or subdue him. She feared what would happen otherwise. At least it would end with her and not with another if it came to that. That thought roused her.

  “Look at yourself! You’re not who you were. You’re power hungry and now your intentions are reflected by your appearance.” She tried to hold her tongue but decided that he had to know what she was thinking. “You’re a beast,” she finished.

  Shrazz growled and bared his teeth at the clone.

  “You know nothing. What I’m sacrificing I do to save our way of life.” Shrazz faced Gerald again to take another breath.

  “Stop, don’t you have enough already?” Riell made her clone run up and make a grab at Gerald.

  Shr
azz punched it swiftly in the stomach when it neared him.

  Riell gripped her stomach when all of the air in her lungs left her, but she was able to stay connected to the clone.

  Shrazz chuckled at its feeble attempts to save the angel and kicked it away from him.

  “You asshole. You stupid asshole.” Riell coughed, and tried to get air back in her lungs.

  Shrazz breathed in a little more of Gerald’s energy, shuddered and swayed back and forth as if it had become noxious to him.

  “Just let him go. There’s no need to kill him.” Riell’s clone coughed its words out.

  “I need to drain him dry.” Shrazz paid Riell no heed. “I’ll fill my stomach with what’s left.”

  “No!” Riell’s longbow materialized in the clone’s left hand, she pulled back the drawstring. “Let him go.” She put emphasis on each word, stood up and aimed.

  He half glanced at her and took another small breath, closed his eyes, and fell backward like he was going to pass out.

  I don’t know if I can do this. Riell thought.

  “You wouldn’t attack me.” He steadied himself and prepared to take another breath. “Not after all we’ve been through and definitely not after everything I’ve become.”

  “No...” Riell’s copy started.

  “Like I said.” Shrazz chuckled and drained Gerald’s energy again.

  At this the real Riell took a deep breath of her own and readied her longbow.

  “What I do now is because of what you have become.” Riell’s copy released the drawstring.

  Shrazz hissed and tossed Gerald down into the crater. He inhaled deeply, his chest swelled from the intake. His exhale was a billow of blue flame.

  Riell’s shadowpuppet gasped and put her arms up to shield herself from the flames, which engulfed her entirely even though she was some distance away.

  Her clone lay on her back charred by the blast.

  “You see, you are nothing. An insignificant.” The body of the clone faded and disappeared.

  Shrazz did a double-take.

  Blood ran down from his neck, a black arrow materialized from the wound. He choked.

  “I’m so sorry, Shrazz,” came a sob from behind him.

  Shrazz whirled around to see the real Riell against a tree. Her cheeks were wet. Shrazz felt weary, he tried to take a step forward and fell on his face.