Celestial Crisis

by Leo E. Ndelle

  Lithilia was shocked beyond belief at Eva’s words. “Every child needs his mother! Even the child that took ours from us!” Even though Lithilia seized the opportunity to snatch her son away from the grieving parents, she knew her son and her would never find peace in Creation until justice had been served. She was not as afraid of Adamou as she was afraid of Eva, though. That curse! Whatever Eva was, she was not to be trifled with. From then on, Lithilia and Cahen would have to live like fugitives and hide from the vengeful wrath of Adamou and especially, Eva.

  Lithilia took Cahen to the only place she could think of at the moment; Stacina’s former home. She introduced Cahen to the community as her son and her community immediately took to the broken child from the surface. Cahen at first, was overwhelmed by the sheer size of everything and everyone, but as the years went by, he became accustomed to Inner Earth Realm and even began growing faster and bigger than an Earthling. Cahen could even pass for a short Inner Earthling, though he was a giant when compared to the surface dwellers.

  Although Cahen seemed to be adjusting to this new life on Inner Earth, his psyche still writhed from his abominable deed. His soul was shattered with grief for his sin and a longing to see his father and the mother who truly loved him. Yet, he could not, for he knew what awaited him despite his deep contrition. He wanted to seek absolution, to do whatever it took for restitution. It was a deep desire that was only matched by his growing animosity towards his mother for what she made him do. Yes, it was her fault! She preyed on the weak psyche of a child once broken for selfish motives. His mother was evil! His mother was a stain on his existence! His mother was a constant reminder of why he could never find happiness and peace again. Thus, there was only one thing left to do.

  And so, Cahen left Inner Earth under the cover of darkness. He left a note for his closest friends, letting them know he left and that they should not worry about him. He left no words for his mother. Many months of wandering around many lands exposed Cahen to many facets of life. He learned many a lesson and survived many a tribulation. In the end, and because he was a ‘special’ kind of human, Cahen thrived and eventually settled in a small community which took him in as one of theirs. Cahen took a maiden as a wife and sired five children with her. Nimrud was the youngest and he was but a two-month-old baby when Lithilia had made her spectacular entrance in his community, forcing Cahen to leave behind the new life he had started.

  A MOTHER’S QUEST

  While Cahen’s action broke Lithilia’s heart, she understood why he did what he did. Out of reflex, she wanted to go out and search for him, but she needed to do more than that. While in Inner Earth Realm, Cahen was under the protection of the realm, at least that was how she felt. But now that Cahen had left Inner Earth Realm, a most unwise move, there was no telling when Eva was going to strike. There was no ‘if’, only a ‘when’, because if any creature ever killed Cahen, Lithilia would tear down the fabric of Creation itself to exact a fate much worse than death on this unfortunate creature. After what she witnessed that day Cahen killed his younger brother, Lithilia was convinced beyond an ether of doubt that Eva would exact the same, or worse, to her and Cahen. Cahen needed protection. But how could she protect her son from that creature called Eva?

  “Hello Lithilia,” Pellicus called out from across the yard, yanking Lithilia back to reality.

  He does not give up, does he? Lithilia muttered before flashing a fake grin in her neighbor’s direction and waving at him.

  “Hello Pellicus,” she replied. “How are you doing today?”

  “You know how I feel already, my beautiful surface woman,” he cooed.

  “You know we cannot work, my friend,” Lithilia explained for the nth time. “Your laws forbid inter-species coupling.”

  “And you are correct, but there is no law against inter-species love,” Pellicus rebutted and leaned over his fence. “We can be together, love each other, and not bond with each other. I am ready for that and I offer all that I have and all that I am to you. Why would you not accept me, Lithilia?”

  Because Adamou is the only man for me, Lithilia wanted to say. Instead, she sighed and tried, yet again, to find the words that would not hurt his feelings.

  “Because I do not want to be banished from here,” she replied.

  “But you will not be banished because you and I will never bond,” Pellicus was desperate. “We can share our love in many different ways.”

  And what makes you so convinced that I am even considering reciprocating your childish sentiments for me? Lithilia bit her tongue. Suddenly, she had an idea.

  “Tell me, Pellicus,” Lithilia said. “Let us assume that you and I become lovers, bond and spawn a child, what will happen to us and the child?”

  Pellicus’ whole body straightened at her question, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He had fallen head over heels in with Lithilia ever since he moved into the neighborhood a year ago and had not hesitated to express his feelings for her. His advancements had been turned down for every time he tried and yet, he was not giving up. So, while Lithilia’s question indicated a tinge of hope, he chose to be wary of her.

  Lithilia, however, saw her opportunity and capitalized on the tinge of hope he felt. She presented herself as a lonely, vulnerable creature from the surface, which negated his wariness of her sudden interest in him and sparked his desire for her even more.

  “Firstly, we would be summoned to the courts,” Pellicus said with a dose of excitement. “Then after we are found guilty of our crime against Inner Earth Realm, I will be banished to one of the many realms that serve as a prison. You and our spawn will be banished together to another realm that serves as a prison. When our spawn is of age, you two will be separated and our spawn will be taken to a different realm. The three of us will be released after we have served our sentences, but we will never be allowed back to Inner Earth Realm.”

  Lithilia nodded and crossed her legs. Her movements were natural, down to her garments suddenly looking so transparent that Pellicus could see her naked form beneath her garments. Lithilia reduced the length of her garments from her knees to just below her buttocks. She could feel the stirring, the longing, the desire and the confusion radiating from Pellicus. She felt as if she was about to betray her one and only true love, Adamou, for what she was about to do; but these were desperate times and her son’s safety was a much bigger priority compared to a fidelity she still felt for someone who now shared a life with another. She turned her body to face Pellicus and then parted her legs just enough to conceal her nether region and leave him dying of curiosity.

  “Thank you for being so patient with me, dear,” Lithilia said seductively and stood up. “I wish there was a way to repay you.”

  “You… There… I…” Pellicus stammered and swallowed.

  His body begged for a piece of the paradise that was standing on the other side of his fence. He would do anything, and by anything he meant ANYTHING, to have Lithilia for himself.

  “I will go and take a shower now,” Lithilia spoke softly as she summoned a sheen of sweat over her body.

  Lithilia had no idea how she knew just what to do to smite Pellicus with an affliction of raw, untamed desire of the sexual kind. All she knew was that the idiot that was Pellicus was as open as the skies. She walked into her domain and left the door open. She heard Pellicus land on her lawn and rush to her door. She made the turn towards her bedroom just as Pellicus caught a glimpse of her. She heard him rush across the living room and burst into her bedroom. Lithilia was lying on her bed, nonchalant and naked.

  “What are you waiting for?” Lithilia cooed telepathically.

  Pellicus ripped his garments from his body and crashed his giant self on top of Lithilia, smothering her in the process. He forced her legs apart with pent up savagery and was about to force himself into her when Lithilia teleported away from him. He was surprised by her action and turned around to look for Lithilia like a caged animal looking for a way out of its cage.

&nb
sp; “It will not be like this, Pellicus!” Lithilia scowled. “Do you understand?”

  “I am sorry, my love,” Pellicus apologized and dropped to a knee. “Please forgive my foolishness. I was unable to contain myself. I assure you, I am not like this. I have never been in a situation like this before-”

  Lithilia shoved him to the floor with her left leg and straddled his face. Pellicus took her gesture for a sexual move, but Lithilia was just trying to shut him up. She let him work his awkwardness on her nether region before she slid down to his pelvis. She summoned wetness that would not come naturally. This was not her Adamou and only he could make her naturally ready for accommodation. She reached down and took his extension. She cursed silently as she remembered that the creatures of Inner Earth Realm were giants in every aspect of their physical bodies. As such, Lithilia adjusted her nether region to suitably accommodate this creature’s extension for maximum pleasure. And then, she began working her own magic.

  The entire time, she fantasized on Adamou. She remembered their first time they bonded when they emerged from the transparent chambers. She recalled their first time by the stream, when their son, Cahen, had been conceived. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever experienced. Every day was magical as she experienced the life growing in her. Cahen was the center of her existence and nothing, not even The Scribe or Eva, was going to take that away from her. She saw Pellicus’ eyes roll to the back of his head and his lips part slightly. She felt his body stiffened in a prelude to an orgasmic ecstasy and knew her moment had come, the moment of no return. As such, Lithilia leaned over the poor creature that was going to be a sacrifice for the greater good that was her son’s safety and opened her mouth.

  Lithilia saw the look of confusion, shock, anger and joy in Pellicus’ eyes. It was a look of him being trapped between the ultimate pleasure and the ultimate loss of what he knew was his essence, as he gave seed and his lifeform migrated out of his mouth into Lithilia’s like an orange mist. His esoteric makeup rioted against Lithilia’s vampirism, but his body was in its weakest and most vulnerable state. Lithilia extracted as much of Pellicus’ essence as she could. When she was done, she knew there was only one thing left to do.

  “I am sorry, Pellicus,” Lithilia said dispassionately via telepathy. “You are a good creature, but this I do for my son.”

  Lithilia snapped Pellicus’ neck using telekinesis and before teleporting away from Inner Earth Realm. She needed to initiate the next phase of her plan before Pellicus’ dead body was discovered. She could easily burn it away without leaving a trace, but she needed his body to be discovered. It was all part of her plan. How had she known how to seduce Pellicus like that? How had she known how to imbibe his essence the way she did? Was it Eva’s curse coming to pass, was it a side effect from The Scribe’s kiss, or was it a combination of both? Whatever it was, her escapade with Pellicus left her with a feeling of exhilaration, power and most of all, hope. Lithilia knew she would be something new and unique and she had her past to be thankful for.

  LITHILIA AND CHIRAM

  Lithilia appeared atop one of the four pyramids of the Giza Plateau in Egypt. It was pure, white marble and it dazzled for as far as the eyes could see in the glare of Solara. She sat in contemplation for several hours, unsure of what next to do. Her instincts had brought her here and now…

  “What do you seek, human?” a formless voice asked, startling Lithilia.

  “Who is there?” Lithilia asked firmly.

  “I mean you no harm, human,” the formless voice replied.

  A pair of glowing, red eyes appeared in midair about ten feet from her, followed by the body of a larger-than-average hound covered with grey fur.

  “My name is Chiram,” she added. “I am a hound of Creation and, as hounds of Creation, our purpose is to seek out creatures of the special kind.”

  “I see,” Lithilia said dismissively. “So, what do you want?”

  “To have a conversation with you,” Chiram replied. “Would you mind?”

  “Make it quick!” Lithilia replied rudely.

  “What is the rush, Lithilia?” Chiram asked and glided towards her.

  “How do you know my name?” Lithilia asked before she realized how foolish her question was. “Do not bother replying.”

  “What is it you seek?” Chiram asked.

  “Nothing that concerns you,” Lithilia replied.

  “And yet, here we are, Lithilia,” Chiram rebutted, ignoring Lithilia’s tone of voice. “Deny all you want, but deep down, you know this is no coincidence.”

  Lithilia eyed Chiram with childish contempt, though she could not deny the fact that Chiram was right.

  “If you let me, I can show you why you are here,” Chiram offered.

  Lithilia considered Chiram’s words. What did she have to lose, anyway, other than time and maybe her patience?

  “Very well,” Lithilia sighed.

  Chiram walked around Lithilia and stood behind her.

  “This may hurt a little, but it will be over quickly,” Chiram said.

  Lithilia felt Chiram nudge her occiput, causing her to bow her head, exposing the back of her neck. Lithilia could feel Chiram’s aura. It was an aura of power and knowledge, among other things, but not like The Scribe’s. Nothing in her experience came close to The Scribe.

  Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck as Chiram sank her fangs in the back of her neck. Then, the pain spread all over her essence before Lithilia felt nothing but the lifeforce of Chiram, the Hound of Creation. Her eyes, mouth and the rest of her body flared up in orange flames and she let out a scream borne out of her transfiguration. She had a glimpse of Chiram’s history and the history of the hounds. When Lithilia saw what the hounds were capable of achieving, she smiled to herself and initiated an immediate imbibing of Chiram’s essence. Yes, this was why she was here! It was clear to her now as she erupted in laughter, much to Chiram’s anger. Lithilia continued laughing at the futility of Chiram’s attempts to break herself free. Now Lithilia knew exactly how she was going to stay hidden from Eva.

  “Thank you for your generosity, Hound,” Lithilia continued laughing.

  “I will end you, Lithilia!” Chiram swore. “For this transgression against me, I will end you!”

  “You can try, but as you can see, you are powerless against me,” Lithilia replied and teleported away, leaving behind a very angry, hateful and vengeful hound.

  Using Chiram’s stolen essence, Lithilia located Cahen. She waited until it was night time to make a grand entrance, knowing very well that her theatrics would instill fear in the hearts of the community and force Cahen to leave. And that night, she gave her son a kiss like that which The Scribe gave her. In that kiss, she transferred Pellicus’ essence unto Cahen’s, thereby creating a new hybrid of a creature. When the hybridization of essences was complete, Lithilia anonymously tipped the Inner Earth Council of her location, initiating their immediate arrest. She knew Cahen would be found innocent of her crimes, but as a hybrid, the council would be forced to consign Cahen to incarceration, pending a resolution of the situation.

  Cahen was indeed banished to Nimbu Realm and once the banishment was complete, Lithilia knew her son was safe and protected from Eva. Using Chiram’s stolen essence, Lithilia immediately teleported away from her jail cell in Inner Realm to another realm in a higher dimension. Over the next several centuries of cycles, Lithilia would migrate between realms and dimensions, imbibing various essences from various creatures, until she decided to pick a realm and call home. Home came in the form of Hell Realm, where Kazuk, the King of Hell Realm, found himself irresistibly drawn to a creature from a lower realm. After a sham of romance and courtship, Lithilia became the bride of the King of Hell Realm.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SIBLING RIVALRY

  THE RULE OF the game was simple: if you were marked on the neck, you were out. It was every angel for himself or herself and the last angel left standing wins. On the surface, Obok’
s game seemed to be nothing more than harmless fun. But the game was meant to evaluate various personality traits in the angels on various levels; leadership, inner and outer strength, fighting skill, intelligence, emotional control amongst other things. The angels were excited to participate in the game. Obok raised his/her hand in the air to signal the angels to get ready. When he/she brought his/her hand down, organized chaos erupted.

  Angels attacked in disorganized fashions and for a moment, it seemed as if they had forgotten the rule of the game. However, as the madness continued, Michael, Luciel, Uriel, Raphael, Malichiel, and Zukael were taking a moment to assess the situation. To the surprise of their makers, these angels tried to form separate teams instead of jumping straight into the fight. Their attempts failed, though. Every angel wanted to be a winner. No one was willing to follow the other’s leadership. Raphael, Malichiel and Zukael gave up and joined the fight. These three demonstrated excellent fighting skills and many angels were marked out of the game.

  Michael, Luciel and Uriel did not give up. They changed their strategy. They hovered above the frenzy and began running their campaigns. The three angels were talking at the same time and for a moment, no one paid any attention; but after a moment, a few angels ceased fighting and turned their attention towards the three angels. Gradually, the game came to a stop and every remaining angel turned their attention towards Michael, Luciel and Uriel. However, these three were still running their campaigns simultaneously and it was hard for the rest of the angels to focus on what they were saying, until Michael suddenly hovered in front of Luciel and Uriel and raised his right hand. Uriel and Luciel ceased their campaign and stared at Michael in confusion.

  “Why don’t we take turns in running our campaign?” Michael offered. “That way, our brothers and sisters can pay better attention to what we’re saying and make better decisions for themselves?”