by Tim Hawken
Casting my eyes beyond the city centre to where the lights turned black, I set my sights on my destination: the suburb of Satan’s Demise, home to The Perceptionist. I needed to persuade him to come to our side in this struggle. Harnessing this Elemental’s unimaginable power was the only way I could see for us to succeed in defeating my father. He remained the only being in existence that hadn’t actually been created by Asmodeus. The Perceptionist had created himself.
Summoning elements of air around me, I rose into the sky. Flutters of blue molecules swirled around me in a cocoon of levitation. Sweeping the winds at my back, I blasted down the mountain, shooting across the heavens of Hell. Sparking fire underneath me, I formed a comet’s tail and let it sizzle in my wake. Anyone looking up would know for certain that the Lord of Hell had returned, and that I was not scared to enter the darkest part of our savage home.
THREE
MARLOWE SAT in front of the insipid yellow door, with a glowing sword resting across his legs. He looked up calmly as I floated down into the lane he had been set to guard. Raising my hand in silent greeting, I allowed the elements of air to scatter and felt solid ground rest beneath my feet. Marlowe stood and nodded his head. Without a word, he opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open for me to follow. I had no doubt that he had been told by his master I was coming.
I closed the door behind me as I entered the home of The Perceptionist. This small grey kitchen was a gateway to The Void in which he spent most of his time. Marlowe laid his sword to rest against the wall, next to a man who continuously rocked back and forth, staring into space. This figure was Germaine, an ex-pupil of The Perceptionist’s who was driven insane by the might of his own power. He had withdrawn into his own mind and now remained just a quivering husk in the corner. He was a reminder that self-control is the most powerful thing anyone can possess. Germaine had been in that exact spot when I had first come to seek guidance from The Perceptionist, all that time ago. So much had changed since then, but he had remained constant, trapped in his own personal hell.
“So,” Marlowe said, taking two goblets from a cupboard and putting them on the bench next to a bottle of red wine. “The prodigal son has returned.”
He rested his fingers lightly on the bench, while pouring both of us a cup of the crimson liquid. I stood quietly, unsure what to say, watching the wine sluice into its vessel. I wanted to embrace my friend, but didn’t want to make the first move. Finally, Marlowe offered me the drink and grinned. His smile spread wide to show his brilliant white teeth.
“It’s good to see you! I’m glad I didn’t have to save you from the Barghest outside this time. Those horrible little creatures seem to be breeding. I hear you’ve been busy, Lord Michael.” His tone suggested he thought the title was more amusing than impressive.
Relaxing, I took the cup that Marlowe still held out for me.
“Just Michael is fine thank you, Marlowe. Cheers.”
We clinked glasses and sipped the wine, holding each other’s gaze. Setting the drink down on the table, I walked in and hugged the man who I had met when searching for the prophet Phineus. I clapped his back, then took a seat, leaving him towering over me.
“How are you these days, Marlowe? Any news since I saw you last?”
“Ha!” He threw back his head. “My life as a bodyguard for someone who doesn’t need one has been painfully quiet. The only news worth talking about is what I hear you’ve been up to, breaking down God’s creations and asserting your authority on us as your subjects.”
“You know it’s not like that,” I began to protest.
“I know not to believe everything I hear on the streets,” he said, sitting down opposite me. “So tell me yourself. Are the rumours true?”
“Partly,” I nodded slowly. “It’s correct that I have taken control of Hell, but reluctantly. I tore down Asmodeus’ barrier between Purgatory and Heaven, sending the souls there up into Paradise. Most importantly, I have Charlotte back. She is with us down here.”
Marlowe smiled as though he already knew as much. The company he kept accepted no lies. My friend was just being polite.
“And you still wish to destroy Him?”
I nodded slowly.
“I want to create a level ground for everyone. No more manipulation by the All Mighty, if that’s what you want to call Him. I want people to rule their own lives.”
“Easier said than done!” Marlowe exclaimed, taking another sip of his wine. “Although I admire your intentions. I suppose that’s why you’re back here? Seeking a way to kill the unkillable?”
“I want The Perceptionist to join our cause,” I confirmed. “And I would like you to stand with us as well.”
Marlowe spat his drink back into his cup with surprise. He wiped away the drips off his bearded chin with his black sleeve. “Having me join you is one thing. I would gladly come with you for an adventure, if my master would give me leave to do so. Convincing him to actively interfere in the world will be next to impossible.”
“He has come out into Hell with me before. I see little difference in him teaching me and him helping to lead others as well.”
“I’m not sure he will see it like that.”
“He must. I can think of no other way we can win otherwise,” I said seriously.
“Maybe he will be able to at least divine another way for you, then.” Marlowe stood. “He has enough eyes to see what others can’t.” He plucked his sword from its resting place next to Germaine. Lazily, he swept it in a circle in the air. With a tearing noise, a blue portal split open in the middle of the room. Marlowe poured himself another wine. “I’ll do my best to finish this before you get back,” he winked.
FOUR
AS I STEPPED OUT of the swirling blue portal, it collapsed back into itself and disappeared. Vacuous silence drifted about The Void. Blackness stretched into nothingness. This place was a simulation of the universe before God had illuminated existence with Creation. It was the true home of The Perceptionist, where not even time moved forward and his only company was the elements that floated in this endless space.
“Hello?” I called out expectantly. My words were smothered into a muffled whisper as soon as they left my mouth. Something didn’t seem right.
Forcing my body to relax, I eased my mind into the elemental view. A flood of molecular light sifted over me. Millions of miniscule points of light glided listlessly around The Void. They were like fine grains of speckled glitter dispersed in water, moving without aim. Using my powers, I called a bouquet of colors into my hand and melded them into a brilliant orb. Fusing elements of fire, gas and liquid to each other, I built it until it was as large as I was. Letting the structure go, I shifted my vision back to normal. A bright sun rose above me, sending a penetrating light outward. No matter where The Perceptionist was in The Void, he would see this and know I had arrived. I looked around, waiting for a response, but only stillness answered. Keeping alert, I waited patiently, hoping for something to happen.
As I was about to call out again, a faint buzzing sounded in the distance. It was low but constant, like humming forks of electricity. I concentrated harder to see if I could hear where it was coming from. Gradually, the buzzing grew louder. As it did, I could make out popping and crackling like the noise of an arcing power line. My body began to grow warmer, the air around me heating up. I still couldn’t make out the source of the change in The Void. Squinting around me, I tried to figure out how this was happening, but I couldn’t discern any change in my immediate surroundings. Then, looking upward, I saw it: a dark ball of energy was shooting through the emptiness toward me. Its blackness stood out against the nothing of The Void like a blurring ink stain. It was scattering all the other elements in its path, sending them fizzing off into space as it speared forward. The thing approached at blinding speed, the force gathering momentum as it came. The air grew hotter and hotter; the elements around me shuddered with friction, charging to become like the heart of a lightning storm. My e
yes grew wide with fright. If I didn’t do something I would be consumed. On an impulse, I pushed the sun I had created toward the object, hoping to slow it down. My star shot forward, rushing to meet the missile that was almost upon me. With a jarring impact, the sun exploded into a supernova of energy, knocking the unknown meteor off its collision course and blasting me backwards, down into The Void.
I gripped frantically at the elements as I soared through space, trying to slow my fall. I shook my head, blinking my eyes from the dazzling light that had showered away from the thing.
What was that? What’s going on? Where is The Perceptionist? Hundreds of other jumbled questions raced instantaneously through my head as I fell.
Regaining my blurred sight, I searched to see what was happening. The thing was still moving next to me, just a few feet away. Its trajectory and speed matched mine, falling at the same pace. The strange object was double my size and oozing an aura of death. Forgetting my descent, I threw a barrage of fire into the dark mass, trying to push it away. The red flames were absorbed into it, making the ball spark with blue voltage as it sucked in the roaring blaze. Other elements around us spun away, hissing, like the object was repelling them. I pushed more fire outward, injecting heat into the ball. Watching closely, I gasped as each separate element turned into nothing as it touched its surface. The thing wasn’t absorbing the fire at all; it was cancelling it out into oblivion. Anything that came into contact with the surface of it simply disappeared.
Scrambling to get away from the thing, I spread air elements between us, pushing myself back. In horror, I watched as every azure molecule I manipulated was sucked into the ball and destroyed. Each time it enveloped an atom, the object was drawn closer toward me. Switching to a pure elemental view I tried to see what I was up against. The thing itself was almost indescribable. Instead of being woven from normal elements, it seemed to be made from nothing. No, it was less than nothing, constructed from little holes burrowed into reality to expose an emptiness beyond anything tangible. It was made up of anti-elements. This was anti-matter plummeting through The Void beside me!
I summoned everything I had to hand and hurled it toward the mass: earth, air, fire, water, hate, anger, love, fear. It was all erased into nothing. But as the elements shrunk into death, the ball was getting smaller too. My attack was working.
Doubling my efforts, I pulled every atom close to me and flung them to their destruction. Zapping the molecules of life into subtraction, the anti-matter shrunk backwards and began to take a definite form. The black hole that was gave way to a humanoid shape. Arms and legs appeared from the darkness. An eye blinked out at me. Then another and another. White skin leeched between colorful irises as I poured the last of my strength to dissolve the deadly substance. A familiar form of intelligent eyes shook off its cloak of shadows: The Perceptionist.
Slamming into an invisible wall, my fall exploded into a world of pain. Air wheezed from my lungs, the impact crushing all of the wind out of me. I choked and gasped, clutching at my body in agony. My muscles throbbed from shock. Struggling to breathe, I grasped at my powers to draw energy and healing inside me. Plucking elements of oxygen and life from The Void, I sucked calming warmth inside my being. Spreading from my middle out, I let my breathing become even and my body regenerated quickly. It returned to normal with the molecular flow, but my mind was still reeling. I rolled onto my back and looked up to see a thousand eyes boring into me with a piercing glare.
“You were not invited,” The Perceptionist rasped in his emotionless whisper. “But now that you’re here, Michael, I am going to kill you.”
FIVE
BEFORE I COULD EVEN SIT UP, a blast of light shot forth from The Perceptionist’s hand and pummelled into me.
Again I was falling. The shaft of energy sliced at my chord of life, as the force of it pushed me down into The Void. I struggled to stop the energy pushing me backwards, but couldn’t. There was nothing tangible to hold onto. I wasn’t falling because of gravity; I was being propelled downward into the yawning nothingness below that stretched on forever.
Why? The question echoed inside me. The Perceptionist had never been outwardly kind, but he had never been hostile toward me. He had helped me. He had guided me to become powerful. Now my teacher was using the elements to rip at my soul and dismantle my essence. His invisible hand was searching inside me, looking to pull away what made me human. In a desperate act of self-preservation I shot hate at the force that was penetrating me. The powerful element of emotion severed the attack, making it recoil backward. I almost cried out with relief when: smash! Again I thundered into a barrier and all air exited my body. This couldn’t be real. How could I stop this nightmare?
The Perceptionist’s eye-covered body landed noiselessly next to me as I used my last ounce of grasping wit to heal myself again. I would have been unconscious, or worse, had it not been for the technique this creature had once shown me. Holding my palm up in defeat I moaned.
“Stop, please.”
“You will have no reprieve from me, Michael,” his voice invaded my mind. “You have interrupted my solitude for the last time. I should have done this the first time I met you.”
Sweeping my arm to the side, he raised his palm and slapped me on the face. The stinging blow shocked me more than any other attack could have. Water filled my eyes as he slapped me again. It wasn’t meant to kill me. He was humiliating me on purpose before he ended my pitiful existence. Again his hand came up and whipped down to snap my face to the side. Anger welled inside me. How could this be happening? It wasn’t right. Another slap cracked my cheek. Another. Then another.
Fury clicked inside me. As The Perceptionist raised his palm again, I caught his hand mid-swing. With a roar I stood to meet my attacker.
“Enough!” I yelled.
Kicking with lightning speed at his belly, I wrapped my foot with a charge of wrath. The blow landed with a detonating blast, which resonated outward, sending a shockwave through The Void. The Perceptionist should have sailed away like a ragdoll. Instead, he stumbled backward slightly before standing tall again. Not waiting for his response, I screamed murder, opening my mouth and letting the pestilence of my emotion surge outward. Rage swelled out of me, swarming with hatred and malice. The dark elements came from deep within, like shards of deadly glass. I directed them towards the eyes of The Perceptionist, wanting to worm the molecules into his body and cut off his life as he had tried to do to mine. The blind emotion swirled towards him, but before the stream could reach him, The Perceptionist scattered himself to the wind. Countless lights burst apart in a technicolor spray. The sparks of my attack shot harmlessly away into the dark as I felt new elements clamp around me. Eyes clouded my vision and burrowed around my brain. The Perceptionist was trying to enfold me inside the elements of his own body.
As he forced his mind into my throat, I thought I would gag on his spirit. He expanded himself inside me, possessing me. Struggling to break free, I tried to turn my body into fire. Pushing fierce heat to every surface, I wanted to burn him away. Even if it killed me, I would make him suffer for this. But, before I could turn myself to flame, he let go – As though he knew what I was going to do. Blessed freedom sung into my pores.
I dropped to my knees, panted for air and looked up raggedly, staring at the master of the elements, who stared back at me. He just waited, while I recovered.
Hoping to take him by surprise, I lunged forward quickly. He met my charge with a blast of wind, stopping me short. Again with a yell, I tried to swing a fist forward, but he wrapped my arm in an immovable cocoon of elements. As I attempted to send a weave of hate toward him, I felt a wave of love cut it off; he was anticipating my attacks before I had even thought of them. I was held fast by an all-powerful being who would surely end my life at any moment.
I waited for the moment to come… but it did not. The Perceptionist just stood there, his eyes taking in my confusion. With a flick of his wrist he sent healing elements inside me. A
s the relief washed through my body, the sound of chirping birds filled the air. It was him laughing. I closed my eyes. Was this over? Strength began to return and with it a feeling that this had been some kind of test – a test that I had failed.
“You do not fail if you learn something from your mistakes,” The Perceptionist’s whisper echoed around my head.
My eyes snapped open. He was trying to teach me something. This was a test. I watched him, searching my own mind for what the purpose of this could be. Why had he attacked me? I had been so helpless. The line of thought tumbled through more questions and conclusions until I realized the true puzzle I needed to solve.
“How can you defeat somebody who can see the future?” The Perceptionist whispered the thought before the idea could fully form inside me.
Hopelessness sunk into my body, knowing his very next sentence was going to be a hard truth. “When you face Asmodeus and try to kill him, the result will be the same.”
There it was. The lesson I needed to learn from all of this. I was still helpless when it came to fighting a true Elemental. There could never be any chance of success against someone so great.
“I wouldn’t say you are helpless,” my teacher leaned in and touched me gently on the chest. “Just misguided. Now, relax. If I wanted you dead, you would never have even seen me coming.”
SIX
THE DANGER HAD PASSED, but I was still rattled to the core. The ordeal The Perceptionist had put me through was only a test.
My teacher was now seated like a calm Buddha in front of me, his palms upturned. Elements spun around his fingers, always ready to be commanded.
