Eternity Gate

by Traci Harding

Zeven grinned back, before turning his sights to the twisted metal piled on the floor. He extended his hands towards the wreckage and raised them, whereupon all the metal floated into the air and liquefied.

  ‘I didn’t mean anything by that,’ Nergal lost his urge to make trouble, obviously adverse to the thought of being coated in liquid metal. It was a possibility to be feared as the molten air-borne substances divided and re-grouped with their own mineral, either mercury, tin, copper, lead, silver or gold.

  ‘Are you quite sure you are with the program?’ Zeven queried Nergal, having no intention of using the substances on the lord.

  ‘Quite sure … but if we could keep the gold —’ He attempted to sweeten the deal, whereupon the free-floating gold mass lashed out in a wave in Nergal’s direction. ‘Keep it, we have plenty!’ the warlord decreed and the tumultuous mass became docile once more.

  The liquids then formed sheets of fluid that wrapped themselves around the incubator containing the virus, where they immediately hardened and cooled. When the last layer dried, Zeven admired the huge golden orb. ‘Much easier to transport.’ He looked to Anu who was smiling in approval. ‘Summon Kur, we are ready to collect.’

  So much was riding on this first phase of the mission, and Taren’s non-involvement was frustrating her. What if her team mates never awoke, then what would she do? Start the entire escapade again? The thought was a harrowing one, and her worry must have reflected in her face.

  ‘Now you know how I feel, every time you take off on one of these little inter-time stints without me,’ Lucian commented from the chair opposite hers in the waiting area outside the medical rooms.

  ‘I didn’t take off without you,’ Taren countered. ‘You’ve been right beside me every step of the way, up until yesterday when —’ She choked on the memory and fell silent.

  ‘How did it happen?’ Lucian was morbidly curious, or silently sceptical.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Taren looked her husband in the eye. ‘It will never happen now.’

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ He leaned forwards to query her. ‘It was one thing when you were playing around with events in our little world, but now our actions are impacting upon at least two universes. Don’t you ever stop and consider this timekeeper venture might be getting just a little out of hand?’

  ‘Of course I do!’ She stood to pace out her repressed fears. ‘But why give me this talent and all these resources, if they were not meant to be utilised?’ She stopped and looked back to the doors beyond which her crew mates lay in coma.

  ‘That was not a criticism, just a bystander’s observation.’ Lucian held his hands up in truce.

  She was tempted to stress again that he’d not been a bystander in all of this, despite how much it probably seemed that way to him at present, but she instead decided to consider the point he was trying to make. ‘If we are wrong about this, it will certainly be time to rethink our plan.’ Taren was feeling the pressure of risking the lives of her nearest and dearest. Tears of stress were welling in her eyes, as she silently prayed that they were doing the right thing by all involved.

  When half the team emerged from the medical room, it felt like her prayers were being answered, but Noah, Zeven and Telmo were not with them.

  ‘How did you go?’ Taren was dying to know.

  ‘Hard to say,’ Rhun regretted being so vague, and collapsed in a seat. ‘We’ll know more when Zeven, Telmo and Noah revive.’

  The other three wakeful members of the team tiptoed from the room and closed the door in their wake, so as not to disturb those remaining from their repose.

  ‘It’s like sleeping with the dead in there,’ Jazmay commented once the door was closed behind her and she was able.

  ‘Well, technically, they kind of are,’ Rhun replied.

  ‘Don’t say that,’ Taren appealed, she was stressed enough as it was.

  ‘Maybe we should get Swithin down here, just in case,’ Leal suggested to their captain, as Swithin had the power to raise the dead.

  ‘Oh please,’ Taren appealed, looking back to the closed doors. ‘Have a little faith. When I put Zeven in charge I knew what I was doing. He doesn’t know how to fail. The soul-minds with him are the most wise and the most loving beings in all creation. I have the utmost confidence that together they’ll succeed.’ It was a concerted effort not to choke on that statement, for they were also, apart from her husband, the three souls dearest to her. Life and timekeeping was impossible to fathom without them; thus she chose to ignore any consideration that deviated from the desired outcome. ‘They’ll be back.’

  Throughout the thought transference, the darker the memories got, the closer to Noah that Ereshkigal drew and in the end her form was hugged close to his; Noah was unsure if this was in a bid to comfort him, or get closer to the dark experiences he was invoking.

  ‘I see now,’ she said as she peeled herself away from him, and still caught up in her perceptions, she staggered backward to a seat on her throne.

  ‘I have upset you?’ Noah queried, knowing the Nefilim did not understand their emotions fully, and perhaps that was why she appeared so calm in the wake of the horrors he’d just made her privy to.

  ‘That was incredible,’ she countered his worry, but her tone was hard to read; had he raised her awareness of the dangers of playing with dark universal forces or only excited her more?

  The large shadow body of the dragon manifested alongside the throne, but Kur did not bother taking physical form in this instance. Surprise, surprise, the lord Nergal is demanding an audience, and threatens to smash through the seven gates to Irkalla if you will not receive him.

  Ereshkigal considered the situation and then looked at Kur with a look of entreaty on her face. ‘Would you be so kind as to bring him forth to me?’

  I am but a humble servant, the dragon said dryly.

  ‘You know that is not true,’ she countered.

  She truly felt for the creature’s feelings. At this point in her life Ereshkigal clearly knew what empathy was. It was a shame the path she was forging now would destroy what emotional understanding she had acquired through her experiences here; but that sad fact was not what Noah had come to the past to change, and he must not do anything that might divert her from her true destiny. Just as his Grigorian persona was here to witness her straying from her path to enlightenment, he and the other Chosen Ones would be there in the future, to aid her find her way back to source once more.

  There is another Grigorian with Nergal who wishes to trade some treasure from the dark universe in return for your new toy.

  Ereshkigal’s eyes lit up upon hearing the news.

  Shall I fetch him too? Kur persisted.

  Ereshkigal was tempted to console him, but thought better of it. ‘That treasure is the true reason I stole the Grigorian,’ she stated, and neither being in her company was sure if they should believe that statement. ‘So I would be very grateful if you would collect my treasure. Tell Nergal I am prepared to deal.’

  As you wish. Kur, seeming slightly mollified, gave his mistress the benefit of the doubt and his shadow form vanished to do her bidding.

  ‘Is that the truth, Nin?’ Noah stood and backed away from her to query. ‘You were only after the seals? Did you learn nothing from the horrors of my past?’

  ‘Allow me to let you in on a little secret. The Grigori hold no sway over me in my realm, your glamour is wasted on me here.’ Ereshkigal looked to him, her eyes glazed with insight. ‘But I thank you from the bottom of my empty heart for sharing your memory with me, I learned a great deal.’

  ‘Your heart is not empty,’ Noah challenged, ‘but fuller than any. For you love all the unloved, your presence fills up the emptiness of the Underworld with your being.’

  Ereshkigal was unmoved by his flattering observation as she sat back in her throne and allowed the creatures of the dark to crawl and slide over her.

  Some might have found this sight repulsive, but Noah could only admire her complete a
bandon; Ereshkigal was a disturbingly beautiful being.

  The dragon portal erupted and spat forth the Grigorian, Sammael, a large golden orb and the Nefilim lord, Nergal. The shadow body moved around behind the throne, then took on a physical form to watch over the proceedings.

  Sammael was a little dazed and confused upon landing, but came to focus on Ereshkigal. ‘That is a hell of a transport system,’ Zeven commented. Looking about to spot the missing Grigorian, he was glad to find him. ‘There you are, Armaros, what have I told you about going home with strange women?’

  Noah rolled his eyes. Zeven made a joke out of everything; it was his self-defence mechanism for dealing with stress.

  ‘This is not how I expected my treasure to look.’ Ereshkigal eyed over the golden orb. ‘How do I know they are all there?’

  ‘Because I would not risk leaving any behind in the land of the living to be found by the inept,’ Zeven outlined. ‘That would be —’

  ‘Dismiss the creature,’ Nergal cut into the proceedings to demand, ‘I’ll not talk Pantheon business with that thing looming over us.’

  ‘Kur is my partner, not my subject,’ Ereshkigal advised, ‘and I don’t believe he wishes to leave.’

  ‘You are wasting my time,’ Nergal seethed, pulling from his weapons belt a baton, which he proceeded to bash on the ground until it lit up, bright as the sun.

  Kur released a booming screech, and cries of pain were heard from all who had the voice to complain. The dragon and the creatures of the night fled, and their Queen was left shielding her eyes from the sudden light.

  After a few moments the flare dimmed to a bearable level, and the Nefilim lord passed it to Zeven ahead of climbing the few long-platformed stairs that led to the throne. ‘I’ve had enough of being summoned to this cesspit of repugnant existence that you call home! No more playing Queen of the Dead for you!’ Nergal slapped Ereshkigal hard across the face and, grabbing hold of her by the hair, he dragged her from her seat. ‘You are coming home with me!’

  ‘I will never come with you, never!’ she spat at him and resisted being led.

  ‘Then you will die!’ Nergal pulled a blade, and despite that Noah had been told his glamour had no effect here, he had to intervene. Zeven had the same resolve, but Noah beat him to the warlord.

  ‘Kill her and you kill your unborn child,’ Noah laid hands upon the Nefilim lord’s back, who had his own hands too full to cast the Grigorian off, and to Noah’s amazement the warlord calmed.

  ‘Is this true?’ he queried in a more reasonable tone, although he still pulled Ereshkigal to standing by her hair.

  ‘That is why I requested an audience,’ she replied, the defiant gaze still on her face.

  ‘Then there is nothing left to argue.’ He loosened his grip and slid his hand over her hair, as if patting an animal to calm it before a kill. ‘You will return with me, you will be my wife and have my child.’

  ‘I will not abandon my realm!’ she insisted, whereupon Nergal grabbed her hair again, yanking her head to ensure he had her full attention. ‘You will do as you are told.’

  ‘I will stay here with my Grigorian and Kur,’ Ereshkigal was used to pain and would not be bullied, which was not making this negotiation any smoother. ‘You can take your treasure and you can shove it —’

  ‘Ah …’ Zeven stepped in to address Nergal. ‘Anu told you that you were not allowed to impede our mission in any way, and I’m afraid that pissing off our hostess is an impediment, so please unhand her.’

  Nergal appeared a little stunned by the request.

  ‘Now,’ Zeven added to make himself clear.

  Nergal found himself forced to comply; he let his captive go and stepped away from her.

  Once Ereshkigal was free, she regained her composure and slapped Nergal’s face just as hard as he had slapped hers. ‘You are a child, and a fool, if you think you can torture me into bending to your will.’

  Nergal’s eyes burned with fury. ‘In the land of the living you won’t be so formidable.’

  ‘That is why I am not going there with you,’ Ereshkigal returned to her throne. ‘And if you don’t like it here, then you shall never see this child.’

  ‘No child of mine is growing up in this freak show!’ Nergal insisted, and Ereshkigal stood, affronted.

  Noah had stepped away from the action and was quietly meditating upon sending his love of his own wife to the Nefilim lord, for even if he didn’t have any control over Ereshkigal here, that did not seem to be the case with Nergal. Still Noah needed to be able to block out their negativity and find his happy place.

  Fortunately Zeven noted Noah’s tactic and cut into the negotiations before things got physical again. ‘I suggest a compromise. Your wife-to-be and impending child should be allowed to spend half the year in the Underworld and the other half in the land of the living. Whether you accompany them for their stint here is up to you.’

  Noah had to smile as he heard Zeven’s suggestion, for indeed this was how the legend of the Queen of the Underworld would play out in the Earth legends of the future.

  Ereshkigal seemed to be happy with those terms, but looked to Nergal for his opinion first.

  The Nefilim warlord appeared to be put on the spot. ‘As long as I never have to come here,’ he grouched, ‘but the child stays with me.’

  ‘No deal,’ Ereshkigal decreed, and returned to a seat on her throne.

  Zeven was losing patience. ‘Then you take him for one half of the year, and Nergal takes the child for the next … work it out, this is not brain surgery! Sheesh!’

  ‘The child stays with me for the first five years,’ Ereshkigal proffered, ‘then that arrangement could take effect.’

  Nergal was seething — he was really not one for compromise.

  Zeven knew this and so advised, ‘If you don’t agree you are in breach of your directive.’

  ‘Imagine that?’ Ereshkigal emphasised sarcastically. ‘Nergal unsuccessful in a mission.’

  ‘You weren’t saying that the last time I was here,’ he challenged with a suggestive grin.

  ‘That’s because you faked being charming to get your way,’ she teased him back.

  ‘That wasn’t the least of my talent in that regard,’ he moved to approach her again, but Ereshkigal held out a hand to prevent him coming closer. ‘Agree to the terms.’

  Nergal served her a very amorous grin, as he knelt down before her. ‘But we haven’t finished negotiating yet.’ He pulled her close, and although she pushed her upper body away from him, she wrapped one of her long legs around his.

  ‘I won’t submit,’ Ereshkigal insisted.

  ‘You already have.’ Nergal grabbed her buttocks, as the light from the baton Zeven was carrying faded out completely, and the throne area and its lusty occupants were again shrouded from view by shadow.

  Zeven cast the torch aside and turned his attention to the large golden orb, as Noah quietly approached to whisper, ‘Now is our chance.’ He motioned Zeven to the archway and opposing portholes beyond.

  Zeven didn’t bother going to admire the view, he just directed his intention towards flinging the golden orb into the void.

  The golden orb did not budge, however. A large dragon claw manifested around it, as did the rest of the guardian of the Underworld that was attached. What do you think you are doing?

  ‘Oh, shit …’ Zeven backed up a few paces just to be able to perceive the grand scale of the creature, but Noah didn’t move.

  ‘This treasure is a curse, and it belongs in the dark universe,’ Noah told him, glancing aside to note the Nefilim had not been disturbed from their amusement. ‘It will cause great suffering to all who touch it,’ Noah ventured forward to place his hand upon one of Kur’s claws, clutching the orb. ‘Ereshkigal included.’

  You can’t charm me, little creature, the Dragon’s thought echoed its amusement.

  ‘I know,’ Noah admitted readily, ‘but I am aware that you know a lie when you hear one. Ereshkigal claims
your instincts are never wrong and that you are the wisest soul she knows. So what does your instinct and wisdom tell you now?’

  Kur growled as he bowed his head down low to confront Noah, who stood back palms up in submission. Noah could feel the hairs of his face being singed by the dragon’s agitated breaths, as it mulled over the query. At last, it lifted the orb into the air and with a fiery grunt, flung it through the archway. The two Grigori and Kur rushed to the opening to view the orb plummet down; only the golden ball did not plummet, but spun, posed directly between the two opposing poles.

  ‘Goddamn it!’ Zeven cussed, horrified. It seemed they had the same problem here as they did with the Eternity Gate: there was no living soul attached to the orb from which to gauge a resonance with either this universe or the last.

  ‘Use your psychokinesis,’ Noah suggested.

  ‘Don’t you think I’m trying?’ Zeven stressed quietly. ‘It’s not working!’

  Well, it does make a lovely ornament. Kur expressed his view.

  ‘What are you all doing?’

  Dragon and Grigori turned about to face Ereshkigal.

  ‘Nothing,’ said Zeven, sounding as guilty as a child lying to its mother.

  ‘Kur?’ she queried her large partner, who was blocking her view into the arena.

  It was for your own good, he explained, before Ereshkigal motioned him to move aside and show her what they were hiding.

  When she laid eyes on the spinning ball of gold hovering in the centre of the arena, she had to laugh. ‘You really didn’t think that plan through very well, did you?’

  ‘Get your creature to fetch it out of there?’ Nergal suggested as he came up behind Ereshkigal. ‘And we will take it back to Nibiru with us, and the Grigori too.’

  ‘My dear husband to be,’ she reached back to stroke his face, ‘you know nothing of which you speak, so best leave this to me. Kur, take my Lord Nergal back to Anu. I shall join you there presently to formalise our agreement.’

  With pleasure. The dragon reduced itself to shadow, which went rushing at Nergal.

  ‘Not without the Grigori —’ The Nefilim warlord attempted to protest, but was gone before he could exert any force.