The Requiem Collection: The Book of Jubilees, More Anger Than Sorrow & Calling Babel

by Eric Black

  “I guess that’s always possible but I don’t believe that either.” Juan turned to Daniel. “So what you’re saying is that from the daughters of Cain came the Nephilim and from the sons of Cain came us?”

  “And from the Nephilim came the Elioud.”

  “So we’re all related,” Juan confirmed.

  “Does that explain why we are the way we are?” Diego asked.

  “Perhaps. It also explains why we were drawn to the Men of Nod in the first place. I’ve often thought on how opportune it was that of all in the vast American continents, we ended up in their village.”

  Diego still wasn’t sure he believed everything that Daniel was saying. “Are you sure we’re the Sons of Cain?”

  “So Enoch says. And when has the Voice of God spoken incorrectly?”

  “Then why are we on the opposite side of the Watchers? If we’re all from the same family, why aren’t we fighting on their side?”

  “Perhaps Cain’s curse was lifted at the time of the Great Flood, allowing those who survived to choose their own path,” Daniel replied.

  Juan looked at the priest. “What do you know of the Elioud?”

  “I know only what the scriptures say: that they are children of the Nephilim. There are accounts of them having six toes and six fingers but I can’t say what exactly is true.”

  Juan considered for a moment. “We must keep an eye out.”

  Diego looked to Daniel. “Well, you called us. Now what do we do?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  The first man tried to dissuade the feelings of anger and resentment he had for his wife but it was difficult. He couldn’t lay the blame entirely on her; he had been a willing party. But to think – banished for eating fruit.

  Now they faced a foreign landscape. Where all had previously been green and lush, rocks and a wide desert now ruled their view. He turned and gave one last look at his birthplace. The image lasted only for a moment before the garden disappeared.

  Gripping his staff formed from the forbidden tree, they made their way into the Land of Nod.

  Shamsiel thought back on that day. He had watched them walk away, the man clutching the rod that would someday change everything. What did I do? He had turned his back on everything for nothing.

  “There is another way.”

  Shamsiel had been surprised by Cherubim’s words. “What other way?” he asked warily.

  Cherubim regarded Shamsiel with dark eyes. “The Watchers have grown arrogant. They ignore what they perceive as insignificant because they have achieved what they believe is an ultimate victory.”

  “We…” Shamsiel started to reply defensively and then realized that he was no longer a Watcher. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “You’re speaking of the Sons of Cain?”

  “I am.”

  “How can they defeat the Watchers? We defeated the Men of Nod and the Sons of Cain will be no different.”

  “You mean you slaughtered the Men of Nod.” Cherubim glared at Shamsiel. “There was no honor in your victory.”

  “We did what was necessary. It was no different than you beheading our sons.

  “Your sons deserved death as much as the Watchers. You see where necessity has led you.”

  Shamsiel had been humbled and he was alone but he was not without resolve and he grew angry.

  Cherubim saw Shamsiel’s anger and smiled. “You are tenacious. You have always been tenacious. That’s why you were first chosen to lead the legions.”

  Shamsiel was taken off guard by Cherubim’s compliment. He had been prepared to defend the memory of the Nephilim but the conversation had taken a turn.

  “That’s why the serpent needed you,” Cherubim continued. “The serpent knew you would lead the Watchers to victory. He knew you would not impede and that you would be loyal to your cause. He also knew that loyalty would blind you to his intentions.”

  “You speak in circles, Cherubim. Speak plainly. You spoke of another way.”

  “There are those among the Sons of Cain who are of great importance if we are to restore existence. Two of these men are also known as Keepers of the Fountain.”

  “Juan and Diego.”

  “Juan and Diego,” Cherubim repeated.

  “What do they have to do with usurping the Morning Star?”

  “They can change what has happened.” Cherubim described what they must do.

  Shamsiel considered the simplicity of the plan. “What about the Elioud? They will try to stop them.”

  “The Elioud have become so deluded with humans that they barely know who they are. But where we will send Juan and Diego, the Elioud are strong and they’ll be dangerous.”

  “But won’t the Watchers see what Juan and Diego are attempting? They will not let them be successful.”

  “Then you must distract them.”

  “Me? What can I do? How do I distract so many eyes?”

  “You will not be alone. I will come with you, as will those I command.”

  “Your legions.”

  “Your former legions. They followed you once and they will follow you again. I have given the order. You will share command.”

  Shamsiel looked at Cherubim in astonishment and then slowly began to smile. He tasted warfare. “Why do you do this for me?”

  “I’m not doing this for you. You are a worthy being although for a time you strayed from your chosen course. Now’s the time to right what you wronged. But to do this, there is something else you must do. Your rage will not be enough to defeat the Watchers. There is one other you will need. You have freed Azazel and now you must get him to join you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  “What are you thinking?” Diego questioned Juan.

  “I’m thinking this is our only shot.”

  “Yeah, well I’m thinking this is crazy.”

  Juan chuckled but he didn’t disagree.

  Shamsiel had appeared to them at the Hill of Tara. Their first instincts were to fight but then Cherubim appeared beside him. Together they explained to the Sons of Cain what must be done. Juan and Diego would be tasked with a saving creation while the others joined Shamsiel and his legions against the Watchers.

  When they were done explaining, Diego summed it up, “So what you’re asking is for Juan and I to go back and visit King Solomon and ask him to give up the Ark of the Covenant. In the meantime, Shamsiel will learn the whereabouts of an unstable rouge angel to ask him to join our cause. Once he finds him, the two of you will lead an army of ancient angels against another army of angels who just happened to have taken over all of creation. Does that sound about right?”

  Cherubim was his usual stoned-face but Shamsiel offered a slight smile. Diego’s sarcasm was not lost on him. “That’s what we are proposing.”

  Daniel and Eduardo stood upon the crest of the Hill of Tara watching the sun depart. “I have known this hill for many years,” Daniel commented. “I wonder if this will be the last sunset I see here.”

  “If so, it is one of the best I have seen.”

  “Do you think Shamsiel will find Azazel in time?”

  “If not, we’ll lose.”

  “Maybe, but we’ll give those ethereal birds a bloody good fight.”

  Daniel had spent the majority of his life fighting with spears and swords; only in the past couple hundred years had warfare moved to guns. Old habits die hard and at that moment he longed for the feel of steel in his hand. Bullets took lives but there was nothing like the recognition of death in a man’s eyes. Daniel closed his eyes and could feel the warm blood flowing down a spear shaft onto his hands from a dying man’s chest. There was honor in dying that way – as a warrior.

  It was at that moment that they were called. Daniel and Eduardo exchanged a look. “It’s time.”

  All at once, the Sons of Cain disappeared.

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  Solomon gazed at the hand-sewn banners that told the story of his rule. They adorned his throne room along with the flowe
rs he insisted be picked fresh daily, just as his late wife had always done. The pain of her loss was too much and he wept. After some time, the physical tears dried but his soul continued to weep and he remained solitary in his throne room. It had been ten days since his beloved Makeda passed and his was not sure he would ever recover.

  As their father mourned, Menelik and Rehoboam hunted the lands surrounding their father’s house. With the death of their mother, Menelik was getting used to the idea of being King of Sheba, his mother’s kingdom.

  Rehoboam carried the ibex he had killed earlier. He had removed the long horns to make the carcass easier to manage and the horns were now displayed on his belt. From those horns, he would carve trumpets and they would be blown by Israel’s high priests at his mother’s funeral to announce that her soul would be arriving in the afterlife.

  Menelik carted the meat from the other animals they had killed during the hunt. Only the ibex was left undressed as it would be presented as a sacrifice and they did not want the creature’s body desecrated before it was offered. They would do this in honor of their mother and the sacrifice would to send smoke to the heavens, allowing her soul to find its way.

  “Good hunt today. One ibex? Not bad for your first time,” Menelik taunted his brother.

  “Not too bad yourself today for someone who does not shoot an arrow straight. Good thing I was there to actually hit the animal for you.” Rehoboam moved the ibex to his other arm and punched his brother in the shoulder with his free fist. Menelik could not retaliate without dropping the meat.

  Soon, their father’s house came into view. The fields were empty as their father had ordered the entire kingdom to mourn. Not everyone in the kingdom would stop working but those in his household had been ordered to mourn without working for ten days; this was the tenth day.

  Because of this command from their father, they were surprised to see two men standing in the field.

  As Menelik and Rehoboam neared, they placed the ibex and the meat at a tree and covered their store with leaves. Then, they drew their swords and approached the two men.

  The two men had time to flee but they did not. It won’t do any good to run, Rehoboam considered. We’ll unleash the dogs on you. The dogs had been trained to wound but not to kill so their prey could be captured alive.

  As they approached, the men stood their ground and did not seem afraid which made Menelik and Rehoboam nervous. They suspected an ambush but saw nothing to give that thought life.

  For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the older of the two men spoke, “You are Menelik?”

  Menelik studied the two men. Their complexion was dark unlike the people of Israel but not as dark as the people of Ethiopia, which meant they were outsiders. Despite this, the older man spoke in their language. His eyes seemed much older than his face.

  “Yes, I am Menelik.”

  The older man smiled. His face was warm and welcoming. “I expected so. I am Juan. This is Diego. We seek your father.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  The Sons of Cain had all heard stories of Azazel but none had ever seen him. They were curious as to his reaction with Enoch as it was Enoch who ordered him imprisoned in Dudael.

  They looked on at Azazel and Shamsiel, two of the oldest and most powerful beings in creation standing side-by-side. The sight was imposing, and even more so when Cherubim joined them.

  Cherubim had always known this time would come. The Morning Star had not created evil as evil existed as a choice of free will; he had merely been a catalyst of evil because of his jealously of the first man and woman. There would always be struggle as long as there was free will.

  Cherubim knew that no matter what path was chosen by man, the path must be chosen in dissidence. Free will was the basis of creation.

  He looked out at those who had gathered. Faces were grim as their charge was to occupy the attention of the Watchers allowing Juan and Diego time. Their survival was not guaranteed and more realistically, not likely. This was the only way, however, and each accepted that.

  Cherubim smiled as an old flame rekindled. It had been many years since he faced combat. He relished in the memory of beheading the Nephilim. Now, war was upon them once again.

  He felt the lust for battle coursing through him and that lust was infectious. Soon others felt it. It spread to the angels and war chants began. Cherubim gazed on them with eyes of fire.

  He drew his sword and it burst into flames. He thrust it forward into the doorway of the Great Hall and it entered an unseen lock. Thunder clapped as the vast doorway was opened.

  And the army entered.

  The Morning Star felt their arrival but he was not concerned. The legions of angels could be bent to his will. As for the others: the Sons of Cain (the name tasted bitter in his mouth), they would die easily enough.

  He thought back on Cain and recalled how he had easily he corrupted his heart. Some people believed he was the true father of Cain. That was not true but he would have enjoyed seducing the first woman. In fact, he would have if God had not intervened. Even now, the thought of her virgin flesh caused a deep lust.

  He had hoped to completely turn the first man and first woman away from God. It was not enough that they had been removed from the garden. He needed them to know that God would no longer keep them. He was convinced that when their eldest killed his younger brother, bitterness would consume them and they would cease to worship their creator. As such, he filled Cain’s heart with jealousy and drove him to the point of murder.

  But his plan failed. Not only did the first man and woman continue to follow God, Cain later repented of what he had done and his descendants were blessed. His line continued and the descendants of that line had just entered the hall.

  The Great Hall – the place where all men came as death took them. The so-called Pearly Gates. There, the deceased met with Enoch who told them what must come next.

  The Morning Star sneered as he thought on the religion of man. God had promised man that whatever they bind true on earth shall be also bound in Heaven. For that reason, men designed their own fate. They approached death in various ways depending on what they believed in life. But in the end, they had all faced Enoch.

  Only now they faced the Morning Star. And in the time he had occupied the throne, he had sent more souls to Dudael than not.

  Men described Hell as a place of fire and torment. That amused him as pain from fire and torment was a physical aspect and the existence of the deceased was far from physical. But there was one aspect of the human-described Hell that did intrigue him. It was the depiction that Hell was a place void of God. He knew that God was ingrained in everyone and everything – his mark as one who created, much as a painter who signs his name. The absence of God was an impossibility. Even in the Great Hall, with the Morning Star on the throne, God’s presence was felt.

  God could not be eliminated. But the Morning Star also knew God would always permit free will. Ironically, because of free will, the Morning Star now sat at the head of creation. He could rule that creation, even in the presence of God.

  Once the Sons of Cain were defeated and the rebellious angels silenced, he would give man their definition of Hell. God would not be worshiped. In turn, God would become neutralized. The Morning Star would shape the afterlife to fit the depiction that man had of him: Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub.

  The Morning Star looked up at the commotion. He smiled. They were here.

  The Sons of Cain approached with want of combat and the Morning Star stood entertained, watching their arrival. In front of him on the dais, sat Enoch in a lonely chair.

  The Morning Star almost laughed when the dejected look on Enoch’s face turned to hope at the arrival of the opposing army. Instead, the Morning Star kept his composure and rose to his full height. He looked down on those who refused him as he spit and cursed. The other Watchers rose from their place behind him and followed suit.

  This was the dance and they all knew it. Modern warfare ma
y be more efficient in killing more people quickly but it took the humanity out of battle. There was something to looking in the eyes of the enemy. The Morning Star had always appreciated the ancient forms of warfare and he relished the moment. The other side responded equally, inviting the Watchers to attack.

  To allow Juan and Diego the necessary time to complete their task, the Sons of Cain would have to delay combat as long as possible. There were many ways to accomplish that but the one that would provide the most time was obvious.

  Daniel stepped out between the two armies. “I call for Council!”

  The Morning Star hissed but knew it was customary for two sides to meet in Council before combat. Many of the Watchers were very traditional and the Morning Star knew if he refused Council, a rift might surface among the Watchers.

  He consented and three other Watchers joined him to meet with Daniel, Eduardo, Shamsiel and Cherubim. Enoch watched on.

  “Of what do you wish to speak, boy?” the Morning Star sneered at Daniel. “I suppose you’re the leader of this pathetic army.”

  Daniel smiled. He would not be goaded into a fight. As a young man, often two opposing armies would spend an entire morning drinking and hurling insults back and forth across neutral grounds at each other. Finally, one army would be drunk enough to fight. “I am here to demand you step down.” Daniel smiled intentionally. “Do you think we come to hold hands and dance around the throne?”

  The Morning Star scoffed, “I will crush you like the Romans did your father. As I recall, he pissed himself as the Roman’s poured over your town’s feeble attempt at a fortress. Do you wish to hear what they did to your mother?”

  Inside Daniel raged at the comment but he refrained from showing emotion. The Morning Star could feel Daniel’s rage and a wide grin drew across his face.

  Daniel returned the insult, “And I will cast you aside as God did. It is said that you cried like a nursing baby to a tit in being sent away.”