Mosley smirked. “I’m sure it does.”
For better conversation, Cadromel lowered the rest of his form beneath the surface of the pond. He did it slowly to ensure the displacement of water happened at a pace that would not wash the wolf off the side of the embankment and send Mosley down the hillside as it rushed away from the pool.
With Cadromel’s head at a reasonable height, the dragon spoke. “I am a prince amongst gods. Celestria does not know the truth of who I am. She knows I am dragon, but I am so much more than that. Can I trust you, Mosley?”
The wolf nodded. “Of course.”
Cadromel smiled as a dragon would. “I believe you. I’ve watched you live your life, and never have I seen you betray the confidence of those you consider your friends.” The dragon focused his gaze on Mosley’s. “You do consider me to be your friend, do you not?”
Rather than respond right away, Mosley took the moments to search for the proper words. “There have been moments when I have felt we were friends, Cadromel. But if I was to be honest, your presence on Grayham has always baffled me. I have often felt that there was something more to you. Something inside my gut tells me that you’ve led many grand packs and have dominated many territories. I’ve often felt that your glory ... even in the form of the wisp ... felt god-like, though I can’t explain why.”
As Cadromel responded, he shifted to find a more comfortable position. As he did, a series of shallow waves spilled out over the embankment and rushed down the hillside. “It appears your service to Bassorine and your temporary ascension to Ancients Sovereign will work to our advantage. Your mind has been prepared for a friendship such as ours.”
Mosley nodded. “I suppose it has. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t embrace a friendship of this magnitude.”
“Wonderful!” Cadromel exclaimed. “What I’m going to tell you, only 12 others know. I tell you now only because I see an opportunity for mutual advancement, and I see a being who is tired of the lies.”
“I’m beyond tired of the lies.”
“Perfect. Then I shall extend my help. The information you bestowed upon me regarding the Tear is sufficient as payment. I shall teach you how to speak the language of the Titans and how to release the power hidden inside the words. But I fear the task will not be simple. The language of the Titans can only be learned by those who have had their minds prepared ... and as we’ve discussed, yours is ... but only to a point. Not even the Collective can comprehend this language.”
“This must be why Bassorine never spoke it,” Mosley responded. “I didn’t know the Titans existed until I ascended.” Mosley redirected his thoughts. “There’s so much that I remember after eating the nasha, but I can do nothing with these memories since I entered a Promise of the Gods with the Book and swore not to divulge their secrets.”
Cadromel grinned. “Whatever the Book’s reason for making you promise, I’m sure it would be a lie. Perhaps a better question would be: how do you feel now that you know the Collective’s knowledge is limited? How does it feel to know that they cannot speak the language of the Titans?”
It took a moment before Mosley was able to respond. “I don’t know how to feel. Why did this never cross my mind when I was living on Ancients Sovereign? I should’ve wondered about such things. Perhaps my mind was overwhelmed by the games.”
“You cannot blame yourself, Mosley. Allow me to tell you the truth of things. The Collective ... the beings who call themselves gods ... are not gods. They fall far short of the right to use the term. There is only one who sits at their table who has this right.”
As the wolf’s brows dropped between his eyes, Cadromel continued. “My father’s name is Odin. You would know him best as Alistar. When the Collective was formed, Odin took on the form of a being who was beloved by yet another whom you know as Lasidious. My father knew the God Wars on this plane would destroy us if he did not create alliances with those who had fallen from the Heaven of a being that the archangels and demonkind alike considered to be their Almighty—the same Almighty they turned their backs on.
“To accomplish the alliances that he wanted to forge, my father pulled Lasidious’ brother beyond the dark side of one of the many worlds that we had created on this plane and shredded his soul into a million pieces. Only then did Odin assume the image of Lasidious’ brother and approach the Mischievous One to form the Collective.”
“I don’t understand,” Mosley interrupted. “My memory of the gods is intact, and I know that those who occupy this plane were pulled from the Lake of Fire after they failed to heed the Almighty’s commands, but somehow, I knew there were holes in my memory. I’ve always had that feeling.”
Cadromel smiled. “Then you were perceptive. You don’t know the full truth. Not all beings were pulled from the Lake of Fire. When the being whom the archangels addressed as Father decided to impose his judgment, there were those of us who took our followers and left before the carnage began.
“We came to this plane, created new worlds, new solar systems and new galaxies. Our creations were beautiful, laws were established, kingdoms were forged and lives flourished. More than 1,000 seasons passed before three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Zerachiel pulled their fallen brothers and sisters from the Lake of Fire. Unfortunately, when they did, they released the most devious of them all. It was this being, known as Lucifer, who had a hand in bringing forth the wars on this plane, destroying all that we had created with his legions of demons.”
Mosley’s eyes looked more confused than ever. “I know nothing of this devious soul the archangels released. I know the name Gabriel, but I do not know this Michael or Zerachiel. Nor do I know what an archangel is or what one stands for. The Book did not pass this knowledge to me.”
“That’s because the Book isn’t your friend, nor is he your ally, Mosley. You must listen to me. Your mind, and the mind of every being known to the Collective that exists on this plane, has been wiped clean of this knowledge. Normally, the presence of archangels would not be a problem. They were created by their god for noble purposes, but—”
“But if their cause was noble,” Mosley interrupted, “then why is their presence a problem?”
“Because when an archangel falls from grace, they can no longer be trusted. They become seekers of power and acquire a fiendish desire to dominate. It is only recently that I’ve learned that Bassorine and the archangel Michael are one in the same being. To my knowledge, there are only three archangels on this plane.”
“I know Bassorine,” Mosley defended. “If he’s an archangel, then he’s a good being.”
Cadromel shook his head. “If Bassorine is good, then tell me why he lied to you. Why did he allow you to believe he had perished? Why would he have allowed you to ascend and spend your moments with those who would claim to be gods? And why would he want to destroy the same Collective he made you a part of?”
As the moments passed, Cadromel could see that Mosley would not be able to find an answer, so he continued. “Odin and Zeus expected as much from the archangels. They believed them to be plotters ... plotters far worse than Lasidious and even Lucifer himself. The only reason the Collective still exists is because of the Source’s influence over them and our inability to take back what was ours when they arrived.”
The dragon stopped talking and allowed the wolf the moments to formulate a question. But the strength of Mosley’s question was not what Cadromel had hoped it would be. “You said you came to this plane before the archangels arrived and the Collective was formed. Who else came with you?”
“Only those with the power to do so,” the dragon responded. Cadromel stuck out his tongue, cupped its end and then dipped it in the water of the pool to quench his thirst. “In total, 13 of us abandoned our old existence and brought those who worshipped us to this plane. Sixty-seven billion souls were living peaceful lives on many of our masterful creations when Michael, Gabriel and Zerachiel opened the door that led out of their Almighty’s Hell. They released those wh
o would later destroy everything we had created on this plane. These battles would later be given the title: The Great Destruction of Everything Known.”
“What happened next?” Mosley queried. “I can’t imagine what you and the others must have felt like as you watched your creations be destroyed.”
Cadromel chuckled. “Let’s say that peace was replaced with chaos. Let us also say that my father, Odin, and one other whom I shall call Zeus ... yet another name you’re unfamiliar with ... were the only beings in our group who possessed the power to enter the God Wars and fight during the Great Destruction. The rest of us were forced into hiding. We took on new identities and assumed dragon form. We were later introduced to the Collective as Titans by the being whom you know as Alistar ... my father, Odin.”
Mosley shook his head as his brain ran wild with thought. “If Odin destroyed Lasidious’ brother and assumed a position as a member of the Collective, what did Zeus do?”
Zeus took on the form the Collective fears most. He’s known as the Source. Though the Collective does not know his true identity, they fear the Source because they believe he’s the being they once knew as the son of the Almighty ... sent to this plane to be the eyes of his father because the Almighty chose to forsake this plane. A clever deception.”
“I know of the Source,” Mosley interjected. “But the knowledge given to me by the Book of Immortality did not instill fear of the dragon.”
“Of course, it didn’t. To do so would create questions and require lengthy explanations. Gabriel is no better than the others of the Collective, and he has lost his way.”
A fair series of moments passed before Mosley spoke again. “How did this Zeus know what to say to instill fear in the Collective?”
“Zeus knew the Collective’s Almighty before we abandoned our old plane. Because of their relationship, Zeus was able to refer to the Almighty as if the Collective’s deity was his own. Zeus has deceived the Collective, and they believe the Source has crossed the divide between the planes to ensure that they recreate what has been destroyed and provide the souls who wait to live again with a new Heaven and a new Hell. Zeus knows enough about the Almighty to know that he’ll never allow the Collective or those who followed them out of his Heaven to ever see his plane again.”
“So ... Zeus uses this to his advantage?” Mosley interjected.
“Yes. He has controlled the Collective this way for a great number of seasons. As the Source, Zeus threatened the Collective, telling them that their Almighty would take this plane away from them as well if they did not recreate what was destroyed. With the Collective believing that Zeus is the son of the Almighty, and that he has the ear of the Almighty, they’ve been afraid to stand against him. They fear judgment and the full power of the Almighty’s army that exists beyond the pearly gates. They believe this army would be sent across the divide to strike them down if they do not recreate.”
Mosley sighed. “Yet the Collective does not appear to be frightened enough. They still bid for power over this plane, and I’ve seen them conspire against one another.”
The energy coursing through Cadromel’s body slowed as he nodded. “Great power breeds great egos.”
“You can say that again,” Mosley chuckled. “Please allow me the moments to reiterate my understanding of everything you’ve said. You have professed that Alistar was, and still is, a mighty god known as Odin, and Zeus is his equal. Zeus has chosen to hide beneath the scales of a dragon that I know as the Source. Together, Odin and Zeus have masterfully forced the Collective to clean up the devastation they caused during the Great Destruction.”
Mosley paused as he continued to formulate his thoughts. “It’s because the Collective still fears the Almighty that they do not stand against the Source ... a being they believe is the son of this powerful god called the Almighty. They believe this Almighty would send his army across the divide between planes and destroy them all if they oppose the Source who has claimed that it’s the will of the Almighty to have what existed on this plane be recreated.”
Again the wolf paused. “What kind of an army would this Almighty send across the divide?”
“The mightiest army of angels known to any plane. There is no army that could oppose his will. He’s called the Almighty for a reason.”
Mosley smirked. “Then it appears I understand.”
Cadromel nodded. “But Zeus and Odin also live in fear, though their fear isn’t of the Collective’s Almighty. Until recently, my father and Zeus have not had the power to oppose the Collective. The power that was expended to create prior to the Great Destruction forced us all to compromise our positions. Because of this, Odin and Zeus chose not to tempt fate. They have ensured the Collective believes that their Almighty has forsaken this plane, and as long as they listen to the Source whenever he speaks, the Collective will be allowed free will. They will further be given the freedom to create however they choose.”
Mosley cut in. “Why did it take 10,000 seasons for Zeus and Odin to regain the power they would’ve had to control the Collective? Does creation take that long to recover from?”
“Yes, and longer for those who are not as powerful as my father and Zeus. The Collective has been wise, and they have chosen to create at a pace that has allowed them to recover over a short series of moments.”
“Please explain,” the wolf urged.
Cadromel nodded. “You see, when the archangels released the fury of Hell onto this plane, most of us had been depleted of our power. Because of our expeditious creating, we were left unprepared for battle. We were vulnerable and this truth required that we all go into hiding during our period of recuperation. As I have said, only Odin and Zeus were strong enough to enter the fight ... but even they had been weakened and were forced to use caution.”
Cadromel stopped talking. He could see the wolf had a question.
“Are Odin, Zeus and the rest of the Titans biding their moments until they’re strong enough to destroy the Collective?”
The dragon nodded. “We were, but no longer. Word has reached my father’s ears that Zeus has begun to meddle in the affairs of the Collective. Apparently, he has grown tired of waiting and must believe his power has been restored. He has since taken an active role in creating the new Heaven for this plane.”
A puzzled look appeared on Mosley’s face. “If Zeus is creating and not destroying, why is that a problem?”
The dragon chuckled. “Oh, Mosley, I do enjoy your innocence. My father and Zeus entered a pact many, many seasons ago ... long before we came to this plane ... a pact of peace that was to remain steadfast. After this plane was ravaged by war, Zeus promised my father that he would wait until they both agreed the moment was right to act. As of late, Zeus has made himself unavailable to Odin, and he’s begun working on this new Heaven with the most unlikely of beings.”
“Which being?” Mosley questioned.
The wolf could feel the anger build as the dragon growled. “My father believes Zeus is conspiring with Michael.”
Another baffled look appeared on the wolf’s face. “I thought Michael was Zeus’ enemy.”
Cadromel growled again. “As did I. Odin hopes there’s an explanation, but until one is discovered, we must prepare for the worst.”
Mosley lowered to his haunches and scratched the back of his neck. “All this is so confusing. Is there any reason why Zeus would pull away from his agreement with your father?”
“None that would make sense,” Cadromel responded. “But Zeus was once known as a seducer. This was known throughout the heavens both here and on our old plane. If Zeus intends to break his agreement with my father, I would venture to guess it’s for the love of a woman.”
“Why would Zeus break his promise to Odin over a woman?” the wolf wondered. “He would be risking regaining control over what has been recreated because of a muse.”
A voice from behind Mosley responded. “Zeus wouldn’t tempt fate with just any woman.”
Mosley whirled a
round to see who was behind him. A male being was floating above the incline that dropped away from the embankment, and the green glow of the pool was lighting his form. “Alistar,” Mosley greeted. “Or perhaps I should say, Odin?”
“Odin will suffice,” Alistar responded. The Titan looked past Mosley and smiled. “Hello, Thor. I see you’ve decided to spread your wings.”
Meanwhile, on Hell
The Vampire Underworld
Beneath the Mountains of Gannesh
Taransay entered Lasidious’ throne room and took a knee at the base of the steps leading up to it. He was known throughout the vampire underworld as the strongest of them all, second only to Tardon, his king and brother. Like Tardon, Taransay’s hair was black as his eyes, and yet his face was soft and appealing to the female eye when it was cleanly shaven.
Taransay was known by all vampires for his merciless killing of countless demons throughout his seasons, yet he was also known as the only being who had been able to convince the council of demons to enter into a pact of peace. Taransay had used his charisma to persuade Sharvesa’s mother who was queen of the demon council for more than 3,000 seasons to stop the war that plagued Dragonia—a world that all now know as Hell.
“My King,” Taransay said as he dropped his eyes to the floor. “The Vampire Council awaits your presence. They’re anxious to understand your orders to move the entrances into the underworld to the top of the mountains.”
Lasidious stood from his throne and adjusted one of Tardon’s old tunics to a better position. He hated the politics of the underworld, but this was the path he had chosen. It would only be a short matter of moments before he would reclaim his position amongst the gods, and after his ascension, he would no longer be bound by rules. With the sacrifice of his godliness came the release of governance. The laws inside the Book’s pages would no longer be his laws. He loved loopholes and the way the laws had been written.
Walking down the steps, Lasidious placed his arm across Taransay’s shoulders. “I grow tired of the Vampire Council ... don’t you, brother? Perhaps an accident should befall them.”
The Tear of Gramal Page 58
