Heaven's Night

by Harry Aderton

  “Order your people back, Sheerak. Woe unto those who would bar my way.” I started to walk, unhurried, to where they had taken Requel.

  Shouting hunters charged towards me. They stopped abruptly, weapons ready, eyes wide. I continued my pace.

  “Kill him!” screamed Sheerak hysterically. “That is not Malak! It’s the spirit. Kill him!”

  All eyes darted my way. They raised their weapons. I extended a hand and pushed. A blast of air ripped through them, scattering them from my path. I continued walking.

  War cries erupted all around me. Hunters surged forward. I did not slow. Spears sailed towards me. I flicked them spinning out of the air with but a thought. Two hatchets whirled through the air towards my skull. I caught one. The other I stopped mere inches from my head. I sent both flashing backwards. They buried into the shoulder and chest of the hunters who threw them.

  I continued my pace. A score of hunters blocked my path and charged. I calmly walked towards them. They raised their weapons, their cries shrill as they launched themselves at me.

  I opened the ground before them and a large sinkhole swallowed them up as if they fell into the mouth of a giant, hungry beast. A few avoided the pit and scrambled away. I let them. Those who tumbled in screamed and thrashed madly, desperately shoving against one other to climb out. I sealed the hole, silencing their cries. The ground was level once again as if it had never been disturbed. I walked over their buried corpses at the same unhurried pace.

  No more spears hurled my way. No more weapons came near me. Silence fell. All parted from my path.

  I passed through the center of the village. The females and children from Requel’s village were gathered together in a large pen. They stared at me in awe. I tore down the fence holding them with a flick of my hand.

  “Go,” I said. “Return to your village. You’ll not be troubled again.”

  They began to shuffle off. I continued walking.

  Then I saw Requel. And I stopped.

  She was spread-eagled, her back arched over a large boulder. Five sturdy saplings were bent over—one was tied to her neck, the others were tied to her arms and legs. All the saplings were staked to the ground.

  Corm stood above her, a thick vine rope in his hand. “Come no closer, spirit!” shouted the chieftain. “If I pull on this rope, I’ll release the saplings and she’ll be torn apart.”

  “Pull it then.” Rage simmered just beneath the surface of my sanity. “And witness the consequences of your actions.”

  Requel whimpered. Corm licked his lips. “Don’t make me!”

  “How can I make you? Pull it. See what happens next.”

  “What game is this?” he asked nervously.

  “No game.” I stepped closer.

  “Stop!”

  “Why?” I said, stepping closer. “Do you think I would let you hurt her? Do you think I would let a creature as wretched and despicable as you harm her in any way?”

  “One more step and I’ll kill her!”

  “You don’t understand, Corm. You have no power over me. I could crush you where you stand. I could pluck Requel from that stone unharmed but I am giving you a choice. Your decision will determine if I judge everyone in your village worthy of life or death. So choose!”

  Corm trembled then stumbled away from the rope. I walked towards Requel, scooping her up in my arms. The ropes binding her slipped away. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her back through the village. Her eyes never left mine.

  I smiled down at her. “I did not betray you, Requel. I could never betray you.”

  “I know,” she said softly, tucking her head into my chest.

  Sheerak stood alone in front of her cave, her shoulders slumped. She shied away as I neared her.

  “You will never hunt or hurt her people again,” I told her. “They are under my protection. Is that understood?”

  She flinched as if I struck her then nodded gravely.

  “A word of caution, Sheerak. Stay away from spirits. Most are not as pleasant as I am.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “It occurs to me that I don’t even know your name,” I said.

  We stood on a ridge a mile outside of Malak’s village. A blanket of evergreen trees wrapped the side of the mountain, the crisp pine scent intoxicating. The afternoon sun waxed overhead, casting the sky in an orange glow. Clouds drifted lazily across the horizon. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed we were on the tenth sphere.

  She smiled at me. “I think I like Requel. I like the way you say it.”

  I grinned back. “Requel it is. So where to now? Would you like to go back to your village?”

  She shook her head. “Not just yet. There is no one for me there. My father and brother were both killed last year.” She paused, her voice faltering and shy. “But I do know of a pool not far from here. The water is so clear that the fish swim ten paces below but appear as if they’re right under the surface. Would you like to see it with me?”

  I smiled. I was in no hurry to leave her. And with Malak gone, I felt no guilt. “I would like it very much.”

  She relaxed visibly. “It is one of my favorite places to swim.”

  “I’ve always enjoyed swimming. I wonder if this body knows how.”

  “Let us find out. If you can’t, I will teach you.”

  The sun dipped behind the high mountain peaks when we reached the pool. It was as beautiful as she claimed. Two brooks fed the pool and the surface rippled gently like moving glass. White boulders surrounded the water. Fish swam serenely near the bottom in slow, languid circles.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  “Starving,” I replied.

  She fashioned a spear from a tree branch, the tip three pronged, then dove into the pool. She emerged a minute later, a fish expertly speared. She tossed it flopping to the shore then dove again. By the time she was done, she had four fish lined up neatly on a flat rock.

  I gathered wood into a pile and focused my will. It instantly blazed to life. “I’m afraid that’s the extent of my help for this meal. I don’t know the first thing about preparing fish let alone cooking it.”

  Her eyes glinted. “It’ll do.”

  She prepared the meal, spitting the fish and roasting it. She found some herbs she crushed and sprinkled on top and dug up some tubers she placed in the coals. The meal was divine.

  Afterwards, we reclined against a large boulder and stared at the star laden sky. A warm gentle breeze blew. Hesitantly, my heart racing, I leaned over to kiss her. I didn’t know if kissing was even part of her culture, and I didn’t care. I did it for me. I longed to feel the warmth of her lips on mine one more time.

  My lips touched hers. She didn’t pull away. Instead, her arms wrapped around my neck and her lips pressed into mine, hungrily. My heart raced faster and I thought it would burst in my chest. Warmth spread through me, tingling my skin. I lost myself in the pure ecstasy of the moment.

  A primal need coursed through me, my blood rousing, but I didn’t give in to it. There would be time enough for that later. I had no desire to rush anything; I wanted to savor every moment. I pulled away and stared into her eyes. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes wide and filled with affection. I smiled and she smiled back. We remained thus, in each other’s arms, late into the night. It was sublime.

  The next day we stayed by the pool, swimming and laughing. It turns out I was a rather decent swimmer, but not nearly as skilled as Requel. She tried to teach me some advanced techniques, but I was a poor student. Towards evening, we held hands as we watched the sun slide behind the mountains.

  The days stretched into a week before we moved on. We visited some of her other favorite spots and explored new ones together. The weeks stretched into months. I had not planned on staying so long but I could not tear myself away. I was having too much fun.

  Not since our carefree days before the war had we spent this much time together. It was a moment of respite in my otherwise turbulent
life. It was pure happiness and I enjoyed every second of it.

  The seasons changed and winter came early with a cold snap. I decided to build a cottage in the woods, but I was determined to do it the menial way. I felt a need to show Requel that I could live by the ways of her world, although I was not truly a part of it. I did materialize the tools I needed, however, and they were steel tools at that. There was only so much primitive carpentry I was capable of.

  After two weeks, the cottage was finished. It was a disgrace. The roof bowed, the porch tilted, and the windows were far from perfect squares. I fashioned a hearth and chimney using field stones. To my eyes, the cottage was a disaster. To Requel, she had never seen such a beautiful home. She loved it. And because she did, so did I.

  I cleared the woods around our cottage and dug a well. Somehow, I had managed to point the windows and doors to the setting sun to gain the most use of the day’s light. She thought I had planned it that way. I didn’t correct her.

  The winter was a harsh one but we endured, cocooned happily away in our little cottage. With the coming of the spring and the melting of the snows, I started a garden. I grew all manner of greens and vegetables. Spring gave way to summer and we packed some belongings and left our cottage for a few months, continuing to explore the world together.

  We travelled far, walking hand-in-hand across ancient mountains until we reached a turquoise sea. We stayed there for many days. I built a hut made of bent saplings lashed together with vines. We ate shellfish, pulled from a shallow bay and cooked in the embers of our campfire. It was delicious.

  The salt air renewed me daily. Each morning, we sat on a rocky overlook, my arm draped across her shoulders, her head tucked into my chest, and watched the splendor of Nature’s majesty as the sun rose from a sparkling ocean. When the days shortened and the summer began to cool, we returned to our cottage. The winter brought harsh snows and frigid temperatures but we rarely noticed. We were holed up cozily, just the two of us, in love and carefree.

  When spring returned we packed a few belongings once again and set out to explore the world. Many years passed in this way. During this time, we floated lazily down a wide river in a canoe I fashioned to see how far the river travelled; strode through canyons with walls that rose up sheer and stark; traversed valleys teeming with wildlife and pristine lakes; and walked along seashores on white beaches of powdery sand.

  There was a primal beauty to the physical plane that could not be duplicated in the astral. It was a distilled amalgam of all the astral spheres. They were combined into a perfect symphony of nature and creation. It was harsh but it was so alive. I never appreciated just how marvelous the physical plane was until that precious time with Requel. God’s artistry never ceased to amaze me.

  Those years with Requel were a healing period for me. I was happy again. I was myself again. I spent many days in meditation and prayer. I could see with crystal clarity the mistakes I had made in my search for Requel and our son. I regretted most of them.

  I spoke to her sometimes about them. She would listen quietly, injecting her wisdom as she was wont to do. It didn’t surprise me how the mannerisms and thoughts of the Requel I knew and loved in the astral plane were reflected perfectly in her physical form. After all, she was still my Requel, regardless of what she looked like.

  Decades passed and we avoided others during this time, deliberately keeping to ourselves. She never visited her village again. We rarely spoke of those days when we first met.

  As we aged in years, we travelled less, and spent more time near our cottage. I extended the clearing into the woods and decorated our home with keepsakes gathered from our travels. Our garden grew and we spent many happy years beautifying it with rows of colorful flowers, plants, and ponds of brightly colored fish. It became our favorite spot in the late afternoons and we sat there often, holding hands as the sun set.

  During one spring morn, Requel came down with a fever. I thought little of it, she had endured many before. But this one lingered, and she coughed up blood. I tried to heal her using my spiritual gifts but they didn’t work on her. There was nothing I could do.

  She lay in our bed for weeks, wasting away daily. I fed her broth made from vegetables and turnips when she was able. My heart ached whenever I saw her, but I refused to let it show.

  On that last day, she pushed the spoon away from her lips while I fed her and took my hands, clasping one to her chest. “I used to dream of having a little boy,” she said softly. “Ever since you told me about ours in the astral world, a child is all I’ve ever wanted and yearned for.”

  “I’m sorry, my love, that this body was incapable of giving you one,” I said, my heart wrenching.

  She smiled wanly. “Sariel, the reason I tell you this is because I have dreamt of him. I know where he is.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. “Hush, my love, you must not speak of it. There are those who would wish him harm. Even now, they may be listening.”

  “I wanted you to know that I remembered.” She paused, her breathing labored. “Sariel, I’m frightened of death.”

  So was I. “Don’t be. The astral plane is breathtaking.”

  “Will we see each other again?”

  “Yes. Death will not keep you from me. I found you once, I will find you again. You’ll not have long to wait. I will not be far behind you, I promise.”

  “What if I end up as a demon in one of the lower hells?”

  “That is not your fate, my love. Your soul is too pure, too good.”

  “How can you know?”

  I swallowed back my anguish. I couldn’t. I didn’t know the rules that governed such things, if there were any. “On the ninth sphere, there is a beautiful city that tucks against a mountainside. It has white majestic walls and giant towers that stand tall and proud like ancient trees. Before the city lies a sea of grass that ripples from the winds and is the deepest green. Can you picture such a city?”

  “Yes, I can see it.”

  “That is where I will meet you,” I said, my voice breaking. “Picture yourself there, with all your might, and it will be so.”

  “Are you certain?”

  Tears fell freely down my cheeks. I prayed it to be so with all my heart. I leaned forward and kissed her lips tenderly. “Yes. Wait for me. I will meet you there. We will be free of these physical bodies and I will take you soaring through the skies. I’ll show you wonders you can scarcely dream of. I promise.”

  “I will wait for you, my love,” she sighed, her grip slackening on my hand. “These many years together have made me so happy …” Her body shuddered and fell still.

  For the second time, I watched my beloved die. Agony clutched my heart and felt as if it were being ripped away. Sobs shook my body. The pain was no less tolerable than the first. Indeed, it was far worse. How long I sat at her bedside, I did not know.

  My legs were numb, my back ached, when I finally rose and stepped outside. I stood by the bed of white flowers I had recently planted at the edge of our garden, not twenty feet from the cottage.

  I raised my hand. The cottage erupted in flames. I watched it for a long while, saddened, recalling fond memories, but as it burned, my sorrow lessened, my resolve strengthened.

  I would miss this life, I knew. It healed me in ways I could never have foreseen or imagined. The simple pleasures I had known in this life were no different from those found in the astral or the Causal. I had been biased against this plane. Now I knew better. Happiness and joy could be found anywhere and in any circumstance. They were divine gifts and to be denied those gifts by another’s tyranny was a travesty I could not abide.

  I had been apart from my duties long enough. Mephistopheles and Lucifer waited for me. It was time I returned.

  And I knew what I must do.

  PART IV

  REDEMPTION

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  My eyes fluttered open.

  I stared at a white, cracked ceiling as I lay in a soft bed. M
y mouth was parched and I licked my lips. It felt as if I scraped them with a piece of wood. My tongue was coarse and held no moisture. I focused on the rest of me. I felt … lighter. So much lighter. Gone was the lumbering body I had endured with all the back aches, joint pains, and cramps that came with it.

  I could see again! Not with my eyes, but with my intuition. My sense of sight, smell, taste, touch increased a hundred times over. I lay there, basking in the thrill of rediscovering it.

  How long had I been gone? I was no longer in Mephistopheles’ parlor, I could see that clearly. Then where was I? No matter, I needed to get up and see to Requel and give her herbs for the pain …

  Then it hit me. Requel died. I saw her pass away. A low keen escaped my lips and my heart ached from the memory of it. Although it seemed like it would last forever at the time, our time together had passed in less than a span of a heartbeat.

  I needed her back. Instinctively, I reached through the ethereal planes to see if I could feel her presence as I had done so many times in the past, before the tragic day she died in the tower.

  I felt her instantly.

  My eyes welled up and my throat was thick with emotion. A sublime joy spread through me and my heart ached no longer.

  I knew where she was. I knew she waited for me.

  “Welcome back, brother,” a voice spoke beside me. I turned my head but it felt as if it were made of stone. My body felt odd as if my long departure from it made us distant acquaintances that were no longer comfortable with each other. It did not immediately obey my will. Grunting, I forced myself over with a great effort. It was far more difficult than it should have been.

  I focused on a figure walking towards me. He reached for my hand and patted it fondly. His elderly face held a serenity that I only ever recognized in one special soul.

  “Azazel?” my voice croaked from lack of use. “What are you doing here?”