by Leo Ndelle
Meet Zukael, a fallen archangel from the Realm of Celestia, in the Dimension of Lemuria. Zukael, also called Beelzebub and also called The Beast, was one of the first to be spawned in Celestia. Consumed by foolish pride and desire to be more than just a protector to the creatures of lower realms, he teamed up with Luciel, the leader of a rebellion, and fought a most devastating war that led to so many losses in existences. But the rebellion lost and while the rest of the rebellion was banished to Hell Realm, Luciel was locked up in another realm known to Michael alone. Meanwhile, Zukael was banished to and incarcerated in the very realm he so despised for all eternity; Earth. Now he is free and ready to exact his vengeance upon Earth Realm.
Meet Marlo, a once-upon-a-time king in one of the many kingdoms of Earth Realm. As a young prince, he paid a very high price in a bid to save his dying twin brother Merlo by selling his soul to a stranger in the Caves of Callow. Alas, the poison in the arrow that pierced his brother’s chest was of increased potency and his brother had died a lot sooner than expected. Contrary to the stranger’s admonishment, Marlo drank of the panacea that was destined for his brother and had become cursed; a curse he would later pass on to his son, Dreyko. Dreyko would team up with his adopted twin sister, Danka, and together they would be called The Twins of Terror. These two would become the first chuper and luper respectively and spawn the Bright Eyes that would later on be eradicated by Shi’mon and a part of his team.
Marlo would fake his own death, however, upon discovering that he had become immortal and would embark on a long journey to seek vengeance for what the stranger had done to him. About fifteen centuries later, he would finally meet Yehuda, the man who stole his soul. Yehuda would return his soul with a little upgrade to it. Marlo was now ready to accommodate an even bigger esoteric upgrade to come, as well as ready to exact his vengeance on Yehuda, whom you can call Judas Iscariot, since that may be the name you are more familiar with anyway!
Finally, meet Lithilia, a human from the Realm of Earth, in the Dimension of Solaris. She has been called many names throughout her existence, some of which include Lilith, Seductress, and Incubus. Wife and consort of Maziel, also known as Kazuk and formerly the king of Hell Realm, Lithilia was the second human and first female to be created on Earth Realm. There had been other creatures made before humans. They were either humanoid or not-so-humanoid. But Adamou and Lithilia had been the very first humans to be synthesized. Lithilia had been an anomaly and had spelt trouble from the onset.
Her actions had shocked everyone; including Keni, her maker. Her partner, Adamou, did not know how to handle her and even her son, Cahen, who would later be called Maduk, dreaded her. Fearing what she herself was capable of, Lithilia banished herself from the Garden of Aiden, but she had never been far from the garden. She later reconnected with Cahen and unfortunately, she pushed Cahen into killing his half-brother Ahben, thereby invoking the curse and promise of vengeance from Eva, Ahben’s mother and Adamou’s mate at the time. Lithilia and Cahen had both been on the run from Eva ever since until during this current era when Eva, now Miryam, had forgiven both of them.
And that was the problem right there! Lithilia’s polarization had started to become reversed and she was becoming a less viable candidate for the quartet. I have to act fast and I mean really fast because Lithilia still has the remnants of what caused her anomaly, which she passed on to Cahen. You see, not even Keni understood why Lithilia behaved the way she did. Not even Lithilia understands why she can do the things she does. Not even Kazuk could understand why Lithilia can easily live in Hell Realm and other realms in different dimensions as if those were her home, despite being human. But I do. How come? you may ask. Well, I am The Scribe, damn it! It is my job to know. Besides, knowledge is power, is it not? And also, I had a moment of intimacy with her; but not that kind of intimacy, you creep! Have some decency, will you!
Maybe it was coincidence, maybe it was destiny. Regardless, I saw the opportunity and went for it. I have monitored Lithilia ever since. From the moment she was just a synthesized, fertilized egg in the lab until now. It had only been a tinge of what had ‘infected’ that embryo, but it was more than enough to grow and consume the fragile essence of a growing life form. Like I said, maybe it was coincidence, maybe it was destiny. But I was there for a reason and until it happened, I did not know that reason. Strange, isn’t it? Anyway, I was there, I was ready and I was very, very pleased. It was as if Creation was on my side… agreeing with what I was about to do… giving me its blessing.
And that is why, I think and I know, Lithilia is the most important part of the quartet. The four have to fuel the one and the one seemed to have chosen its favorite. What makes you say that, you may ask? Well, on the day Lithilia was being synthesized, there had been a release of cosmic energy from someone you all know about. If you guessed Emok, then you are so correct. I am not exactly sure what caused the release of cosmic energy. But whatever the reason, Lithilia, or the embryo that was going to become Lithilia, had absorbed that energy. And the poor human embryo could not accommodate the essence of a Shemsu. As such, Lithilia had seemed ‘confused’ and ‘troubled’. But Lithilia had neither been confused nor had she been troubled. She simply is an anomaly of Creation and even she herself does not know her potentials yet. But soon, and very soon, she is going to find out and it will be my utmost pleasure to show her the ropes.
CHAPTER TWENTY
PROTECTING A PARADIN
I DON’T THINK I’ll hit a snag with Lithilia, given my history with her, The Scribe continued his soliloquy. I know she misses me and I know she knows there’s so much more she can learn from me. What do you say, realm?
There was no reply, as expected; from the barrenness of this wilderness of a realm The Scribe was hovering over, from Mother, from anyone or anything. He felt something he had never felt before; loneliness. At least, this was his first conscious experience of this sentiment. He quickly brushed off the feeling. He teleported to three other dimensions. He then accessed the Dimension of Space and became almost omnipresent and stayed there for less than a ‘blink’ in the Dimension of Time. He did not want to stay too long, lest he reemerged after the cosmic countdown was complete and missed the Cosmic Spark.
Keerim could not have picked a worse moment to demand his presence. That cherub was truly insufferable! Keerim was lucky enough to hold such importance in The Scribe’s grand plan. He would have let Keerim rot in his prison. Stupid cherub! Always messing up and waiting for him, The Scribe, to come clean up after him. He was going to save the cherub and then what? Keerim would have to go on exile, but where to and for how long? As soon as The Scribe asked those questions, he had his answer. The answer seemed perfect.
Slight modifications to the plan. Keerim has Celestia’s Zarark and Kazuk was no longer king of Hell. What better way for Keerim to be given special treatment than to present the new leader of Hell Realm, Luciel, with the one thing that would give them an edge over Celestia; the Zarark! A real celestial crisis was inevitable now that that playing realm was about to be leveled. Luciel will become my agent of chaos in Lemuria, just like she wanted. Thank Creation for the power of a tainted Shemsu essence. Thank Creation for my genius!
Fazim will be on Keerim’s rear end. She may not think to look for him in Hell, but it was clear that she was going to solicit Ashram’s help. Ashram will locate Keerim in Hell, but he won’t be able to do anything about it because Chiram and Co. still resided in Hell. Despite her new status as guardian, Fazim may not stand much of a chance against an entire realm. Or maybe she could? Who knows. I’m sure Luciel will do whatever is necessary to protect the Zarark and the promise it held, even if it meant sacrificing Keerim.
Purpose is the word of the moment. And I am a purveyor of purpose. Every creature in Creation can be persuaded to do or not do something, with the right motivation. First, I will go and save Keerim and the rest will take care of itself. Luciel will listen to me and there will be an accord between all the parties involved
. Why? Because I am involved and I am yet to fail! Now, unto the Realm of Zodica!
The Scribe teleported to Zodica but stayed outside the realm’s vibrational frequency. He shattered Nakim’s auric field around Keerim, allowing Keerim to escape. He met Keerim where he had instructed Keerim to wait for him.
“You almost got me incarcerated, creature,” Keerim hissed at The Scribe.
“You’re welcome,” The Scribe said. “Unless you’d rather I take you back?”
Keerim’s eyes flared deep violet as he glared at The Scribe.
“Where to, from here?” Keerim asked.
“You forgot to say ‘Thank you’, you know,” The Scribe reminded Keerim.
“And why would I say that?” Keerim asked.
The Scribe stayed silent and in place.
“Are you serious?” Keerim was incredulous.
The Scribe’s silence was as good as a reply Keerim was going to get. Keerim shook his head, still unbelieving The Scribe could be this petty.
“Thank you, creature,” Keerim said reluctantly.
“For what?” The Scribe asked with spite and condescension.
“For rescuing me,” Keerim said as he tried his best to contain his anger.
It was one thing to suffer humiliation at the council hall, but The Scribe treating him like this was adding insult to injury.
“You are very welcome, Keerim,” The Scribe replied with fake politeness. “Now, about where we are going. You will be staying in Hell Realm for now.”
“You have officially lost your mind,” Keerim retorted.
“Takes one to know one,” The Scribe replied, much to Keerim’s discontent. “Don’t you want to know why I chose Hell Realm?”
Keerim still could not believe his ears. Everything about this creature was off and was getting worse by the moment. Maybe it was best not to antagonize this creature. He would have to proceed with caution from now on, until his business with this creature was done.
“You have my attention,” Keerim said calmly.
“Thank you, cherub,” The Scribe replied. “Hell Realm would be a great place for you to… uh… hide for now for a few reasons. First, their leader shares a common vision with you. She wants what’s best for their kind and to take their kind to higher heights, no matter the cost. Sounds familiar? Secondly, Fazim won’t think about searching for you in a lower realm like Hell. Ashram can’t go there because he has bad blood with his kind over there-”
“Who is Ashram?” Keerim asked.
“A hound of Creation,” The Scribe replied. “And here’s the best part. While in Hell, you won’t need to house the Zarark anymore because their Zarark, which is in you, is pulsating at Lemuria’s vibrational frequency. Hell Realm is already pulsating at that frequency by default. So, you will be ‘at peace’ in that realm and free from the need to house their Zarark, or any Zarark for that matter. Now, what do you think about that, cherub?”
Keerim chewed on The Scribe’s words. Granted, Hell Realm was a cesspool, but if staying in a cesspool was a temporary but necessary means of survival, then it may not be such a bad idea after all. Plus, he would no longer need the Zarark to keep him sane. From his perspective, he was sane anyway, but he was sure Zodica did not share in his opinion. What did they know, anyway? They were just a bunch of naïve and myopic creatures. However, he did not like the idea of living in hiding. To him, it was a sign of cowardice and he, Keerim, was certainly no coward. He had faced the council like a true cherub and had not given them the satisfaction of begging for clemency or trying to argue in his defense. He had even faced Fazim and addressed her without her title. He was still mad at the council for forcing him to address her by her title, among other things.
Keerim had not been a coward then and he would certainly not be a coward now. So, no! He would not reside in that slum of a realm. But before Keerim could express himself, his instincts held him back. Maybe this was just his pride talking him into making such a rash decision. Right now, survival was all that mattered. He blinked several times to calm himself. The pros of residing in Hell outweighed the cons. For now, his pride would have to wait. He would go to Hell Realm, and who knows, he might even form an alliance with the leaders of that realm. There was only one way to find out.
“Very well,” Keerim conceded. “Hell Realm it is.”
“I knew you would make the smart decision,” The Scribe said and grinned. “This pleases me, actually. But before we go, there is something I must do first.”
“What is that?” Keerim asked exaggerated exasperation.
Nothing is ever a straight line with this creature, Keerim thought.
“I must first of all go forth and pave the way for the one and only, Keerim!” The Scribe replied and waved his hands in the air in a grandiose manner. “Hell Realm will have to prepare itself for your most honorable visit, you know!”
“And the caveat?” Keerim asked. “You always have a hidden agenda.”
“Straight to business, huh,” The Scribe said. “As you wish!”
The Scribe glided closer to Keerim.
“I’ll make this as brief as possible,” he said on a serious note. “There was a rebellion in the Realm of Celestia, the realm from which angels hail, and after the war was over, the leader of the rebellion, Luciel, was incarcerated somewhere and her top general was banished to Earth; the same realm into which Fazim fell.”
He noticed Keerim wince visibly at the mention of Fazim falling.
“So Hell became the realm into which the rest of the rebellion was cast,” The Scribe continued. “As such, a new leader came to power by the name of Maziel. I had a great relationship with him until he became too ambitious and his plans went bad. Out of desperation, he freed Luciel, thinking Luciel would serve under him as top general and lead Hell to a new rebellion to take over Celestia. That plan failed and now Maziel is a fugitive and wanted by both Celestia and Hell. Hell has a new leadership and I have no dealings with this new leadership yet. Hence, why I must first of all go and pave the way for you to go over there.”
“I understand,” Keerim said.
Keerim’s calmness was still a surprise to The Scribe.
“But what makes you think that they will welcome me or even agree to speak with you?” Keerim asked.
“Because I have something that will tip the scales of an inevitable war hugely in their favor,” The Scribe said and smiled slightly.
Keerim’s eyes widened with surprise and understanding.
“The Zarark,” Keerim nodded slowly.
“Indeed,” The Scribe concurred. “I’ll offer them the Zarark as a measure of good faith. The rest of the minor details are inconsequential right now, but as you can see, presenting them the Zarark will be an offer they certainly cannot refuse. I mean, I could use other means to convince them: fear, annihilation, torture, you name it. But in my experience, these are not the best motivators, though necessary sometimes. Besides, there’ll be nothing wrong with Hell Realm becoming friends with a very powerful and potential ally like a paradin, right?”
“And what makes you think that will ever happen?” Keerim asked angrily.
Keerim was enjoying the plan until The Scribe had used the words ‘ally’ and ‘paradin’ in one sentence. That was a sacrilege of dimensional proportions.
“So that was the only thing you could take out of everything I just told you?” The Scribe mocked. “Is your badly smashed ego the only thing you care about?”
“I do not appreciate you using me as a bargaining tool,” Keerim explained.
“Who said I was using you as a bargaining tool?” The Scribe asked. “Dangling the possibility of an alliance with a paradin in front of Hell’s leadership is called insinuation, not a guarantee. Glad to see that it invoked some emotion in you. Imagine how much motivation it could invoke on Hell’s leadership.”
Keerim understood what The Scribe meant and calmed himself down. He may have misjudged this creature. This creature knew what he was doing. There was n
o need for him, Keerim, to concern himself with the details of whatever this creature had in mind. As long as everything worked out well and everyone was satisfied, then nothing else mattered.
“Apologies,” Keerim said. “I misunderstood. You do what you feel you must. I trust you know what you are doing.”
“Do not worry, cherub, I will not be long,” The Scribe assured Keerim.
The Scribe did not want to let Keerim know that he had already placed a cloak over Keerim’s essence. So, no one could track Keerim’s esoteric signature, not even Ashram. Nothing wrong with keeping Keerim in line and ensuring Keerim played his role. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are not usually the best. Luciel and Co. were mere distractions who were in desperate need for motivation and Keerim needed to believe his vision coming to pass. Motivation and passion equal purpose. Or something like that, The Scribe thought. Ignorance may, in fact, be bliss. Knowledge may be power. But one who knew how to properly manage both can become adept in purveying purpose.
“Wait for my signal!” The Scribe said and teleported away.
He hovered outside of Hell Realm for a few moments, just because. He smiled when he located Luceefa. She was in her domain, having a meeting with Metatron. And what a meeting those two were having!
Metatron… Oh, Metatron! You have absolutely no idea what I have in store for you, my fallen archangel! But worry not, for soon and very, very soon, everything will become very, very clear to you! The Scribe thought. He then redirected his attention towards Luceefa as he tried to contain his excitement over Metatron.
“Hello Luciel,” he said telepathically. “I am The Scribe. You may remember the form I took as Fakud, when you fell to Earth Realm.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
FORMING PARTNERSHIPS
LUCEEFA AND METATRON were livid. The demons had made their descent and everything was going as planned. Luceefa and the rest of Hell had watched in anticipation and excitement that grew with every dimensional distance the demons covered. The children of Earth were going to be helpless against the children of Hell. The humans of Earth were going to pay dearly for the sacrilege and abomination that they were; but the unexpected had happened. The demons had all been turned into balls of fire as they were wiped out without a trace. How could this have happened? Who or what could have been responsible for this?
