Apollyon's Saint The Collection: Books One through Ten

by Zachary Koukol

  Chapter Twenty

  Visions of destruction were gone. Now just the visions of nightmares remained of asgard. nude and with dripping lips Frigga pulled away from Gabriel. She got up from the wool blanket, leaving Gabriel in confusion. While she put her clothes back on, they remained silent. Strange feelings of being violated came over him. At first it was as though he was being used for the pleasure of gods. Frigga did not look the least bit satisfied though. If anything she had the demeanor of a prostitute. She was Emotionless, the job was done and she had other rituals to attend.

  "You better put some clothes on, the others will be joining you again soon." Frigga said.

  "Oh..okay, the prophecy was it all true?." Gabreil said.

  "Some of it was, though the visions were unclean. You did not wash well enough. But I will leave it to you to decide your fate. Goodbye for now Gabriel. " Frigga said just as she finished getting dressed.

  "Goodbye frigga.." Gabreil said. He did not want to say any more since it was already a awkward situation. Gabriel could taste the meadmilk in his mouth as he got dressed. It was a disgusting combination but so was the whole ritual. All Gabriel had left to put on was his shirt when the door burst open. Frigga timed it so she was leaving just as the others came in.

  "Eww gross put a shirt on!" Lura said as she walked in.

  "Gabriel as soon as you are dressed we must leave the village" Odin said in a rush.

  "Am I going home?" Gabriel asked now fully dressed.

  "If you wish, or if you wish to stay you must leave our village. You have read the book and seen the prophecy. But it is to dangerous to keep you here." Odin said. Thinking about it for a moment Gabriel knew he was not ready to go back home. Asgard was as good of a home as any. He thought of the knowledge he could acquire here. But the real reason was hidden by every excuse he could find. She was standing expressionless just across from him.

  Gabriel stared at her staring away from him. When he first set eyes on her it was like the first time man saw Everest. All logic, fear, and ignorance says it's impossible. The heart of man says it's worth trying, even if it kills me. She would devour him, and they both knew it. He could leave Asgard and spend eternity in regret. Or stay and love a woman long dead to the world. Just the thought of it was a ceremony held at the gates of hell by Apollyon. Opening those gates would unleash nothing but eternal suffering. If he walked away now and went back to Apollyon then there might be more hope for him.

  "If I were to stay in Asgard where would it be?" Gabriel said.

  "At the edges of the forest is a river. There to is a bridge separating Asgard from Midgard. Along the river is a small cabin. It's a dark corner of Asgard. Where one can find complete solitude. It is where many have gone to be free from distractions. A place of imagination and creativity." Odin said.

  "So I would be alone there?" Gabriel asked.

  "Well if you wanted to be alone you could be. All I can tell you is if you do stay I cannot promise your safety. Time will continue once more and they will know you are gone." Odin said.

  "So what happens if I decide to leave?" Gabriel said.

  "If you decide to leave now, you will return to the cliff as though you never left. If you stay and want to leave later on then simply cross the bridge." Odin said.

  "What happens when I cross the bridge?" Gabriel said.

  "You will return home, and whatever time Passed while you were gone you can't gain back." Odin said.

  "Do I have time to decide?" Gabriel said.

  "Time....he remains defeated no more. Do not waist, tick tock he crys. I kidnapped into a black hole? no who would know. I remain unbeaten....tick...tock" Loki said.

  "As loki said....there is no more time. If you go home you must go now." Odin said. Gabriel thought about it for one more moment as the others watched him waiting.

  "I....I guess...I will stay in the cabin here in Asgard." Crossing her arms and looking down, Lura tried to hide her anger. Tiffany may have had a slight glimmer in her eyes. Though Gabriel was the only one who could see it. She remained expression less and turned her attention to Odin.

  "Very well, Loki and the girls will lead you to the cabin." Odin said motioning them out the door.

  "Pins prodding....mind. No more holding on to moments found deep in the darkness of the universe. Time has come, time for WAR! But no we will not poison the wells. We will poison the sun, intoxicate the moon, and rape the stars!" Loki said twitching and leading them out the door. As the cold crisp air hit Gabriel, it felt as though he was captive for years. The light of day hit his eyes. Though it was not too bright like a clear day. Looking up there was no sun. Just bright glowing clouds. The smell of mead and sex was carried with the cool air.

  The berserkers moved from the longhouse and formed a square formation around them. They marched alongside of them as the festivals in the street cleared. Now it seemed everyone was on high alert. With his head twitching and moving back and fourth Loki scanned the rooftops. Odin held his staff with both hands ready to smite anyone who might assault. Once they made it to the gates the guards and Odin fell back.

  "I will be staying here for now. Loki and the girls should keep you in good company." Odin said. The moment Gabriel made it past the gates they Slammed shut. The sounds of cheers from the village cried out. It as clear that Gabriel was a unwanted guest in Norse heaven. The only heaven that Gabriel had seen, outcast him. Walking through the clearing of buried loot, Lura ventured away from the others. She was not happy that Gabriel wanted to stay. Lura treated him more as a threat and was keeping her distance.

  "So how far out is the cabin?" Gabriel asked since he had left his wool coat behind.

  "Just there" Loki said pointing in the direction that he was not leading them.

  "Well why don't we walk that way?" Gabriel asked just as they stepped into the dark forest.

  "Me a mad captain? Oh I know these seas. Please....follow.....follow me! No I say I don't think I know anything at all. Even if I did know of something I would only hope that man would challenge it. I have a feeling, a superstition that knowledge is prison walls for imagination. So you may be intellectual, and I delusional, but who will ever really know? So do we walk the known, or step into imagination and find." Loki said as he pulled grass from the ground and threw it in the air.

  Lura was now a good distance from them in the woods. Gabriel could see her Every so often through the trees. On all fours Loki was now crawling in the ground like a dog. Every so often he would stop and eat some dirt or bugs on the forest floor.

  "It will be okay, we should be there soon." Tiffany said smiling at Gabriel. Suddenly loki stopped, shadows raced through the forest ahead of them. Gabriel was able to see that they were not just shadows but wolves. One pure black wolf ran right up to them. The others not far behind him.

  "Don't move." Tiffany said from just behind Gabriel. The black wolf lurched forward slowly bearing his teeth. Just feet from Gabriel the wolf was closing in on their prey. Loki still on all fours quickly took the form of a sheep.

  "Baaah" Loki said in sheep form. The black wolf turned to Loki while the others came charging in. Just before the pack made it to Loki he transformed into a mountain giant. A foul looking creature with a massive gut and puss filled wort’s. Only small patches of hair grew on its head. It wore no clothes and had a sever fleshy disease near its genitals.

  "Woooarh" it cried out charging the wolves. A few of the wolves turned and ran. While some bit into the giants legs. Grabbing one wolf in one hand and one in the other the giant slung them through the air. They crashed into trees and fell dead to the forest floor. The black wolf ran to its fallen pack members. Turning his head towards Gabriel its eyes glowed yellow, then it turned and ran.

  The ground shook as the giant fell to the forest floor. Puss filled blisters and wort's burst as it trembled on the ground. The skin of the giant melted away and transformed back into Loki. Coughing up blood and laughing in the fetal position.

  "Oh no..argh...hu
gh..no help for loki. Look at you a bird of love. Then when wolves come what do you do? Fly birdie...fly Away....arghaha!" Loki said choking on blood.

  "I am sorry Loki I would have helped but I did not know what to do!" Gabriel said going over to help Loki up. Loki shrugged him off and got back on all fours.

  "Oh it's fine you only immortal. Leave it to me, some awaken from nightmares crying in fear. While I awaken laughing!" Loki said crawling through the forest again.

  "Where is Lura?" Gabriel said scanning the woods.

  "She can handle her own, she might even be at the cabin already." Tiffany said.

  "Okay....so why would wolves attack us in Asgard?" Gabriel said shivering.

  "Wolves look for weak. That's why wolf comes to you. Wolf don't like you!" Loki said."

  “Well they are looking for those who sneak into Asgard through the forests. They would have devoured you to protect Asgard from those who don't belong." Tiffany said.

  "But i cannot die." Gabriel said.

  "Yes that is true but being eaten by wolves for eternity would not be much fun!” Tiffany said laughing.

  “No I guess not, so will they come back for me?”

  “Yes they will keep hunting you. Once the other creatures of the forest know you do not belong. They will hunt you down as well. It's nothing personal, but this is not your heaven.” Tiffany said.

  “I don't even know where my heaven would be really. The only one I can think of would be up there in endless space. No god's, or known civilization's, eternal nothing. Heh, maybe it's the one heaven I can still achieve. Being blasted into space where the exposure would put me into a deep sleep. I could be frozen in time, until my body was ground to dust.” Gabriel said looking through the forest up at the stars.

  “No more talk!” Loki said as he walked on two feet again.

  Birds dive bombed through the tree's. Taking a look at Gabriel and then retreating to the skies. Gabriel had so much he wanted to say if only the forests of heaven were not attacking him. As they walked, thought's of endless nothing, or eternity with Tiffany filled his mind. Now that he could not speak, it was all he wanted to do.

  Though even if he could speak to Tiffany he would not say the words he wanted to say. If only words were echo's of the mind and not its prisoners. Like your first crush, you imprison your feelings thinking some day you will open up to them. Then the time passes by with the feelings. Regret is then all that remains. Years later you look back and wish that you were not a prisoner of your mind.

  Gabriel was sure he would never speak the words to her. The ones that he would hold captive and live with. He was not even sure what his true feelings were. Whatever it was, it was keeping him from his heaven, and stuck in hell with the god's.

  Buzzing down right in front of him was a humming bird. Gabriel focused in on it just as it jolted back to joust at Gabriel. Just as it did Loki grabbed it from the sky. It buzzed around trying to get free. Looking around Loki searched for a place for the bird. Shrugging at Gabriel he put the bird in his mouth. With full cheeks his eye brows raised. Then he slowly chomped down. After a few chomps he seemed to enjoy eating the humming bird alive. With one big swallow he opened his mouth and let out a single blue feather.

  With a disgusted look on her face, Tiffany went past Loki in a rush. Loki and Gabriel quickly followed behind her. The branches of the trees reached out towards Gabriel as he walked past. Even the ground itself started to feel like walking on quick sand. The forest shake and shuttered with sounds of snapping timber.

  Now even the tops of the trees started to bend down and close in behind him. Loki and Tiffany gained ground ahead of him as he was being left behind. Now the tree's burst and fell down. They were blocking all sides as the ground sucked Gabriel down. Pulling himself up over the fallen trees Gabriel could no longer see the others.

  An owl arose from the wreckage of trees with an angry look. The feathers on his head stood up and he glared his red eyes at Gabriel. The owl started in a sprint towards him and then took flight. With a vicious assault the owl hit Gabriels face talons first. Digging in and then ripping away with a screech. Gabriel tried to cry out for help but just as he did branches smashed into his torn up face. One solid branch knocked him down on the ground.

  Screeching, snapping of timber, and wings flapping were all Gabriel could hear. Deep cuts on his face stung in immense pain. All he could do was cover up as heaven assaulted him once more. With eyes tightly shut Gabriel could not even struggle. A sinking feeling overtook him as he lay on the fallen trees. The others most likely did not even know he was gone.

  Opening his eyes and turning his head all he could see were edges of earth above him. As though looking up from a sinking grave. Flapping his wings just above the grave the owl hovered ready to place the nail in the coffin. Suddenly the ground shook and with it the arm of a giant swung out slapping the possessed owl from the sky.

  Reaching down into the grave, the giant pulled Gabriel from it. Though he was not at all a gentle giant. Feeling his bones crush in the giants palms, Gabriel was not sure if he was being saved or further tormented. Still in the giants crushing and foul smelling hands it ran through the forest. Trees still fell down in their path as the giant hurdled them with Gabriel in his arms.

  With a rib cracking squeeze the giant hugged Gabriel tight and tucked his head. Like a football player prepping for a hit he smashed through trees and pieces of wood shattered and fell to the ground. In extreme pain Gabriel could not even look to see what was happening. All he could see now was darkness as the whole forest enveloped them.

  "Roooooarghh!" The giant screamed as it jumped head first into the air. For a moment all Gabriel could feel was as though he was flying. That and the timber smashing into them. Crashing into the ground the giant entered a death roll. Like an alligator hanging onto Gabriel, they rolled down a steep slope. Each time the giant rolled over him he could feel the new sensation of a bone breaking or the old ones reminding him they were smashed. No way to see, or even breath Gabriel was simply trapped in his mind and body of suffering.

  Finally after what felt like hours the giant let go and they rolled to a stop. Still in too much pain Gabriel could not move his broken limbs. Even his skull felt as though it was crushed and his eyes felt smashed into the sockets. Although his ears rang like trumpets, he could faintly hear the sounds of running water over rocks.

  "Gabriel! Are you okay!?" Tiffany's voice echoed through the ringing in his ears and head. Of course not he thought, i cannot even respond. Then again maybe it was better than being buried alive. He could hear the coughing and laughing from Loki transforming back into his normal form.

  "Hahahargh tha...that was.....FUN?!" Loki said with a coughing laughter.

  "Look he is better now! I like him like this, maybe we will keep him!" Loki said looking at the mangled remains of Gabriel.

  "Now Tiff....any? Did I tell you since I first saw you I loved? No not loved at first sight. Too...mushy like mushroom..YUCK....maybe....I am an avalanche, you just jump into me and I will carry you to the grave!" Loki said bursting into laughter.

  "Loki you love everything at first sight." Tifanny said shrugging him off. Gabriel could only listen to Loki try to seduce her with his god like powers.

  "Come kiss me! I am an avalanche!!" Loki shouted as he leaned in for a kiss. Tiffany turned away just before he could kiss her. Gabriel had no idea what was happening. He could hear the sound of Loki sniffing the air. Loki smelt her hair just as she turned away. Running and jumping into the air Loki danced around shouting

  "I am an avalanche!!"

  Tiffany sat down next to gabriel and watched as loki danced around. Her rejecting him seemed to amuse his lustful madness more than a kiss. The ringing in Gabriel's ears faded and the weight on his eyes lifted. Pulling himself into a seated position he could see blurry images of Loki jumping and dancing.

  Grabbing his arm Tiffany helped him up to his feet. Looking around he could see a small log cabin at the edge
of the woods. One door in, and widows on each side of it. Just above the door was two one handed battle axes hanging up and crossing each other. A small chimney was bellowing smoke up into the sky. It was the most welcoming site that Gabriel had seen since being in Asgard. Oddly there was a graveyard just behind the cabin. Mounds of stone, timber, and ruinstones marked the graves. A river ran next to the cabin. It was not very wide but deep and quickly moving.

  "Can we go inside?" Gabriel said shivering.

  "Yes it should be nice and warm, Lura has a fire going." Tiffany said.

  Quickly Gabriel walked to the cabin and went inside. It looked much smaller outside but once inside it was the size of a studio apartment. Fire glowed through a smokey haze filling the room. The walls had Norse weapons lining it. A large bed was in the room right next to the fire place. As well as some wooden chairs, one of which Lura was sitting in.

  Rushing to the fire Gabriel sat down in a chair next to it. Tiffany sat down as well and they just stared into the flames for a few moments. The sounds of Loki shouting could still be heard. Though they were distant as he danced through the forest. It was getting darker and the flames glowed brighter.

  "I used to use fire to burn away my pain. Or I would even cut my flesh trying to free myself from torment. I always wished i could just melt my skin away to expose the monster the world had made." Lura said with flames glowing off her cheeks.

  "We all deal with pain in our own way. Each generation is the same but they all do it. I smoked crystal to make mine go away." Tiffany said.

  "I always tried to drink mine away. It never worked though and now I cannot even do that!" Gabriel said.

  "I guess pain is just our curse, and resisting it only causes more misery." Tiffany said.

  "I wish I could have been like those other girls. Everything seemed so perfect. Good looking, friends, and not rejected for the ones they loved.....Heh fuck them though.....Do I have to stay here with you guys or can I go back to the village. Because heaven is becoming a real drag." Lura said getting up.

  "You can go if you want to, but i wish you would stay" Tiffany said looking up at Lura. Lura looked back at Tiffany and then looked over at Gabriel. Giving him a glare she walked out of the cabin. As she opened the door smoke rolled out of the cabin. She paused with the door open.

  "It looks like he found you..." Lura said as she closed the door and left.

  "Huh what did she mean by that?" Gabriel said.

  "I...don't know?" Tiffany said getting up and opening the door. She too paused in silence staring into the sunset.

  "You better come look." Tiffany said. Gabriel got up from his chair and walked over to the doorway. As he did Tiffany slipped back inside. First Gabriel could see nothing but the sun setting over Midgard. Then looking across the river he could see a figure standing on the bank. There with a wicked grin and out stretched arm was Apollyon. He was pointing right at Gabriel as to say

  "found you!" Looking into his eyes Gabriel was not afraid. He did not know where he was or if he was safe. All he knew is the same line that was always there separated him from Apollyon. On one side was a heaven that he did not understand. The other the world he despised, and there stood Apollyon his only enemy.

  Gabriel simply stood there on the moral waters of the middle. The dividing line that kept the worlds from colliding. Gabriel pointed and smiled back at Apollyon. Then Apollyon dropped his hand and had a look not of anger or resentment but of a pleading missionary. For the first time his shoulders dropped and he turned and walked into the forest on the other side. As he did Loki grabbed rocks and threw them at him from the other side.

  "No dominion here! Loki mocks souls here not stupid serpent!" Loki shouted throwing rocks at Apollyon. One hit him but it simply bounced off and Apollyon gave no notice to it. Fading into the forest Apollyon disappeared. Though coming out from the forest behind him was demons of all kinds marching to the river. Some mutilated masses of flesh. Others with red muscular skin and twisted horns.

  They lined the river banks and marched back and fourth. To Loki though it was just a game, he kept throwing rocks at the demons and laughing. Gabriel just watched on as one cried out in anger and tried to wade out to Loki.

  "Come on! Come come all!" Loki yelled and laughed at it grabbing his crotch.

  "I will make you mooo and moan. A pretty little cow for me to violate!" Loki said laughing hysterically. The demon made it towards the middle struggling against the current. Then he stepped into a deep hole and sunk under the waters. Looking around the side of the doorway Gabriel did not see the demon come back up. Waters of morality drowned another demon but more waited on the other bank.

  Watching on the light of day faded out. The demons paced back and fourth and every so often Loki would hit one with a rock. Their cries of anger ignited Loki's childlike curious laughter. Each time he would jump up and down pointing at the angry demon and laughing. Going back into the cabin Gabriel sat down next to Tiffany at the fire.

  "This is...madness" Gabriel said sighing and looking into the fire. Tiffany just remained silent, she knew all too well what madness was.

  "I think I am insane, none of this is real!" Gabriel said grabbing his head.

  "Well what is reality? We know About our universe or the world around us. Even if you are insane, who would really know. The world does not even know who or what they are." Tiffany said.

  "I just know if this is reality then i would rather be insane. If this is insanity, then how do i get back to reality." Gabriel said.

  "We all face the reality of insanity. Some people call it the afterlife, but to me it's heaven or.....i guess beautiful insanity?...I don't know Gabriel, Odin is much better at explaining these things than I am." Tiffany said.

  "I just don't know what to do now. Sit here in this cabin....and why is there a graveyard back there.....in heaven?" Gabriel said still grabbing his head.

  "I asked the same question to Loki, he said even heaven hides its secrets. I am not sure if it means that...or something deeper. You never know when Loki answers a question!" Tiffany said laughing.

  "Maybe they can bury me there, sounds better than going back to that hell on the other side of the river.”

  “You are looking too far into things, lets sleep for now and you can decide things in the morning?” Tiffany said as she got up from her chair.

  “Well I guess you are right, the only decision I want to make now is who gets the bed!”

  “Is it not big enough for two?” Tiffany said smiling as she started to undress next to the bed. Looking away Gabriel walked over to the bed as well. Knowing all to well how perfect she was physically. But that decision was made as well, and indulging in her would bring only further torment. Crawling into the bed he faced away from Tiffany. Feeling her enter the bed he simply closed himself off and pulled the fur blankets over him. Through the laughter of Loki throwing stones at demons in the night, they fell asleep.