Celestria pulled her head away from Alistar’s chest and smiled. “I’ll do just that. Thank you for putting up with me.”
Alistar gave a nod of understanding. He wiped the tears from her eyes and then vanished.
A moment later, Celestria’s mood changed. Her theatrical sorrow was replaced with determination. “You’re a fool, Alistar. My trust in you is gone, and your attempt to pacify me has failed. The moment has come for me to take vengeance on Lasidious.” The Goddess of Beasts vanished.
Meanwhile, Anahita’s Shack
Sitting at the table, Anahita’s right leg bounced as she watched the Archangel Gabriel pace. He had worn a path in the dirt from the door to the mirror near the rear wall of the shack.
“Gabriel, Helga’s moments are few,” Anahita said impatiently. “I can feel it. Ever since you got back, you’ve been stalling. You’ve got to do something now, or she’ll be lost forever.”
The archangel stopped next to the door and turned around. “I have a way to proceed, but I fear my decision may have been a poor one.”
Confusion spread across Anahita’s face. “What are you talking about?”
Gabriel took a deep breath and exhaled over an extended period of moments. “When Michael and I discussed the consequences of rejoining the pieces of your soul, we anticipated that you might demand that I restore the part of you that you had come to know as Helga.”
Anahita shrugged. “Yeah, so! Is there going to be a problem with that? I thought you said you could do it.”
The archangel walked to the mirror, turned around and then made it half way back to the door before he stopped. “I can provide Helga with a body of her own, but there may be side effects.”
Frowning, Anahita rebutted, “Whatever they are … they can’t be any worse than losing her.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You don’t understand. What you’re asking me to do is no simple task.”
“Then explain it to me. What’s so daunting about it?”
Again, the archangel began to pace.
After three lengths of the shack, Anahita barked, “Would you stop that already?” She stood and pulled the extra chair to the center of the room. “Sit!” she ordered. Seeing that Gabriel was going to object, she reiterated, “I said, sit!”
Once the archangel complied, Anahita retrieved her chair, placed it in front of Gabriel and then took a seat. “Now look me in the eyes, and tell me everything I need to know.”
Gabriel rubbed the stubble of 2 Peaks’ growth. “As you know, Helga and BJ were each a third of your soul that were reunited with yours to make you whole again.”
Anahita held up her hand. “Skip to the part that I don’t know.”
The archangel frowned. “Allow me some leeway. What I’m about to describe won’t be simple to understand.”
Anahita leaned back in her chair and shrugged. “Go on.”
Gabriel stood and moved behind his chair. “Now that BJ’s third has been consumed, I can no longer separate Helga’s third.”
Seeing the look on Anahita’s face, the archangel lifted his hand to stop her from speaking. “Don’t interrupt me. You can ask questions later.”
Anahita held her tongue and nodded.
Dropping his hand, Gabriel continued. “Since I cannot separate Helga’s third, I was forced to find a soul who was willing to sacrifice their existence in order to allow parts of Helga to exist.”
“What do you mean by ‘parts?’” Anahita blurted as she leaned forward.
Gabriel frowned. “That was a question.”
Leaning back, Anahita bit her lip and motioned for the archangel to continue.
It took a moment for Gabriel to collect his thoughts. “Since I can’t separate her third, I’m left with the tedious task of rummaging through your mind. I must separate Helga’s thoughts, memories and anything salvageable that makes her who she is and then find a vessel for these elements to control. Further, this vessel, or new mind if you will, must be a willing host. The host must sacrifice themselves and allow me to shove their memories, their thoughts and anything that makes them who they are to the back of their mind. Only then will there be room for Helga to take over.”
The archangel rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. “Michael and I discussed this process. We determined that I would need to unite the host-mind with a new body and the soul that once existed inside that body. To do this, I would need to go to the only place where bodies are not burned after they’ve passed.”
Again, Anahita leaned forward and broke her silence. “I thought every body was burned across the worlds.”
Gabriel shook his head. “I thought we agreed you would save your questions until later.”
“I’m sorry.” She leaned back in her chair. “I was just saying.”
The archangel took a moment to organize his thoughts. “For the most part, you’re correct. The beings throughout the worlds do burn their dead. But there is a race on Trollcom that doesn’t believe in ascension by fire. They believe in preserving their loved ones. They bury them in crypts deep within the mountains.”
Gabriel turned, walked to the large barrel filled with water and retrieved a mug full. He consumed the entire glass before he reclaimed his position behind his chair. “I had to find a body that was compatible with the host-mind.”
Anahita raised her hand and shook it as if she was in school.
Gabriel smiled. “You may speak.”
“Why would anyone agree to suppress all that they are so that someone else can control their mind? It doesn’t make sense.”
The archangel nodded. “I suppose it wouldn’t.” He took a seat. “Allow me to explain. After you demanded that I fix Helga, I left in search of a host-mind. Because our moments were short, I only spoke with 10 beings who have since passed.”
Anahita interrupted. “Let me guess. You’re going to tell me that this group of folks had nothing to lose by saying yes since they were about to kick the bucket anyway.”
Gabriel returned to the barrel and responded as he refilled his mug. “Yes ... and no.”
“What do you mean?”
“I say yes, only because I did speak with beings who thought they had nothing to lose. And no, since they were all unwilling to allow me to manipulate their minds because they didn’t fear their passing.”
“Okay. So what did you say that caused them to change their minds?”
The archangel grinned. “They feared what awaited them in the afterlife.”
“What do you mean by that? I thought the souls of the dead ended up inside the Book of Immortality. I thought…” Anahita paused. An awkward moment passed as she stared at Gabriel.
The archangel questioned, “What is it? Is something bothering you?”
Anahita stepped forward and touched various areas of the archangel’s body.
Gabriel grabbed her hand. “What are you doing?”
Walking across the room, Anahita retrieved a mug of her own and filled it with water. She responded after taking a swig. “When you showed up the other Peak, you appeared as the Book. I thought all souls were placed inside its pages after their bodies expire.”
“They are.”
“Well ... if that’s the case, then where did all the souls go when you changed into the angel that you are now?”
A look of understanding appeared on Gabriel’s face. “Ahhhhh! You want to know what I did with them.” The archangel snapped his fingers. An image of a good-sized book with a dark binding appeared on the seat of his chair. It possessed the features the gods gave the Book of Immortality when they were sitting inside the Bloody Trough Inn on Southern Grayham. The Book’s arms were folded, its eyes were shut, and it appeared to be sleeping. The hasp that kept its cover closed was secure and locked.
“This is the true Book of Immortality,” Gabriel confessed. “When I am in my angelic form, the Book appears as if it’s asleep within the Hall of Judgment on the god world, Ancients Sovereign. The Book will remain asleep until I abandon this form and co
ntinue my existence within its pages.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and the image of the book vanished. “Beyond that, I won’t explain further. It would take too long, and there are too many details. For now, we should focus on Helga.”
Anahita growled. “You frustrate me.”
Laughing, the archangel redirected the conversation. “Needless to say, the 10 beings I approached changed their minds.”
“Wait! You’ve got to tell me what you said that they feared.”
“As you wish. They became willing participants because they feared the torment that they would experience once I threw their souls onto the Hell that now exists on this plane.”
“Hell? What Hell? What are you talking about?”
The archangel held up his hand. “The moment has returned for you to listen and not speak.”
Anahita crossed her arms in a huff. “So, talk already.”
Placing his empty mug on the counter, Gabriel returned to his chair at the center of the shack and took a seat. “The gods have separated Dragonia from the rest of the worlds. They have given it a new star and increased its overall size. The minds of the beings who live on the remaining worlds have been recalibrated. They now believe that Hell has always existed, just as they believe the dragon world has always existed. Though they don’t know where Hell is, they fear it, and they believe that living a good life is the only way to avoid it.”
Anahita had to speak. “Hold on a moment. I haven’t created a Heaven yet. So where does everyone believe their soul goes if they live a good life?”
A look of irritation appeared on Gabriel’s face. “They believe they’ll ascend to be with their god in the heavens.”
Anahita shook her head in disgust. “That’s terrible. How could the gods allow them to believe there’s a Heaven when there isn’t one?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Perhaps you should ask the gods once you’ve ascended.”
The part-human, part-angel’s brows dropped between her eyes. “So what really happens to the souls of the good after they pass?”
The archangel stood from his chair. “We should change the subject. Speaking of this aggravates me.”
“Oh, no! You’re not getting off that easy. I want to know what happens to them.”
Gabriel closed his eyes and took three, long, deep breaths. “For those souls who serve gods with good natures, they ascend to the Book’s pages. They experience a pleasant existence as they wait for a real Heaven to be created. Upon completion, I’ll release their souls upon it. It’s there they’ll stay until the moment arrives for them to be given the opportunity for rebirth.”
“Hold up! Why would anyone want to leave Heaven?” Anahita questioned. “Especially the one I’m going to create. It’s going to be a marvelous place.”
The archangel grinned. “I doubt they’ll want to leave, but the opportunity will be provided nevertheless.”
“That seems like a waste of energy, but whatever.” Anahita extended her wings to stretch. “So what happens to those beings who are good people but serve gods whose natures aren’t so good?”
Gabriel reached down with his left hand, grabbed the back of his chair and squeezed. The wood cracked. “Now that Hell exists, their souls will find their way there. During their journey, they’ll receive temporary bodies that cannot perish. Upon their arrival, they must pass through the atmosphere that surrounds that world. They will fall from the skies in a tormented blaze until they land in the deepest seas. The salt water shall sting their scorched flesh as they are forced to migrate to land. This will be just the beginning of their suffering.”
Anahita’s face tightened. “That’s downright awful. They serve their god loyally and then get punished for it.”
Releasing the back of his chair, Gabriel walked to the door, opened it and then commanded the darkness beyond to vacate a vast area around the shack. “Perhaps we should change the subject since there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Anahita joined the archangel at the door. She studied the monstrous collections of mass that floated in all directions around the shack. “Then let’s talk about the 10 beings who became willing hosts. You’re saying they became willing only after they learned of the torture they’d experience on Hell. I’m surprised you told them the truth.”
“I had to. If I hadn’t, they wouldn’t have agreed. But as I said before, I fear my choice may have been a poor one.”
“Your choice in what … minds?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because out of those 10 minds, I only found one body capable of merging with one of the 10.”
“That’s it? Why not just keep the mind in its own body? Why not put Helga’s memories into a complete package? Why not just use that person’s soul as well?”
Gabriel shook his head. “If only it were that simple. We do not have the moments available to us for an explanation. Helga would be lost by the moment that conversation ended.”
“Figures,” Anahita grumbled. “So out of all the 10 bodies that were buried, only one will work with the mind from the being who agreed to be sacrificed? Is it really that hard to match up a mind with a body?”
The archangel frowned. “If you can do better, I’d be more than happy to step aside. But don’t forget, you’ll need to find a soul that can be attached to both. And Helga’s elements must be capable of merging with all three.”
Anahita elbowed Gabriel. “Nobody likes a smart ass.”
The archangel chuckled.
A short silence followed before Anahita spoke again. “So … you could only find one. If I’m guessing correctly, you’re worried because this mind is powerful.”
“Yes. That’s part of it.”
“Well, whatever the other part is, I still think it’s worth the risk.”
“Your confidence is calming.”
Anahita squeezed Gabriel’s arm. “I have that effect on folks.” After poking the archangel in his side, she continued. “Tell me about the body you found. Will Helga be beautiful? Is she going to get a good soul as well?”
The archangel tried to fight back his grin, but he was unable to hide it.
“What’s so doggone funny?”
It took a moment before Gabriel was able to stop smiling. “The soul Helga will receive is a good soul, for sure, but whether or not she’ll be considered beautiful or not will depend on the being who looks upon her. As I’ve said, I was only able to find one body.”
Anahita’s lips pursed. “Spit it out. What are you getting at?”
Gabriel was hesitant to continue.
“Don’t be stalling. I said, spit it out.”
The archangel walked away from the door to put some distance between him and Anahita. Once he was at the far end of the shack, he turned around.
Anahita had her arms crossed and her foot was thumping against the dirt. “Well?”
Gabriel took another deep breath. “You must remember that this was the only body that I could find that was compatible with the host-mind and the new soul.”
“Spit it out!” Anahita demanded.
“Okay! Ummmm … Helga’s new body will be that of a dwarf.”
“A dwarf?” Anahita shouted. “You chose a dwarf?”
The archangel lifted his hands in front of him in defense. “Hold on. That’s not all. The dwarf is also male.”
The thumping of Anahita’s foot intensified as Gabriel continued. “During this dwarf’s last life, he was a bit rugged. He had fiery-red hair, dark brown eyes and a large mole on the right side of his nose.”
“Helga would rather die than have a big, old, ugly mole on her nose. Every woman hates moles.”
“I can fix the mole,” Gabriel rebutted, “but you must remember that this is the only body that was capable of uniting with the host-mind. Helga will just have to adjust to her new anatomy.”
Anahita stormed across the shack and stopped in front of the archangel. “You can’t put a woman’s mind inside of a man’s body. Won’t that make her
gay or something?”
“Perhaps. This would be similar to other beings that you thought you came across in the memories that Michael and I implanted about your life on Earth. In some of those memories, there were individuals who felt like they were trapped inside the wrong body.”
Anahita gasped and took a step back. “Oh, my gosh! So some folks really are born gay. That’s crazy. And to know it happens only because of the manipulating the gods did with their minds, bodies and souls and such. This whole god thing is about as twisted as you can get.”
After many long moments of Anahita pondering her Earthly memories, Gabriel broke the silence. “Perhaps the moment has come for me to begin the transformation. Are you ready?”
Anahita walked to the mirror, grabbed the frame on either side and stared at the reflection of her eyes. “Helga, can you hear me? C’mon old girl. I know you’re in there.”
When Helga did not respond, Gabriel placed his hands on Anahita’s shoulders to rejuvenate Helga’s portion of their spirit.
It was barely enough. After a few moments, Helga managed a weak response. “I can hear you, Child, but I fear I may not be able to for long.”
Anahita let out a sigh of relief. “I thought I’d lost you. Gabriel said he could help, but you’re going to have a penis when you wake up. Are you okay with that?” She grinned at their reflection. “Just think. You’ll be able to pee standing up. How lucky are you?”
“Oh, Child ………….. I …”
“Helga. You okay?”
No response.
“Helga. Talk to me, girl.”
Still no response.
Gabriel placed his hands on the outside of Anahita’s arms. “She’s weak. I better hurry. I need you to lie down on the cot.”
Anahita did so without question.
Ancients Sovereign
The Book’s Hall of Judgment
3 Peaks Later
When Celestria entered the hall, her chest was heaving. She had spent the last 3 Peaks searching for Lasidious to give the Mischievous One a chance to explain his actions, but she had been unable to find him. Her voice was filled with the anger that overwhelmed her emotions. “Gabriel!” she shouted. “Show yourself! I demand an audience!”
The Tear of Gramal Page 38
