“Sounds like a good conversation is going on. Let me guess, the end of the world? The great reckoning of man?” Cimitiére asked. Baron Piquant stood silent as he eyed the crowd.
“This meeting concerns the thirty-three Orders of Man. This has nothing to do with the House of Guédé,” the Prophet said.
“Oh but it does. You speak of unleashing those who are harbored in the seven prisons yet, you disregard the authority of those who helped put them there. Because if memory serves me correctly, it was the Barons, not the Order of the Star and Crescent, that put the angels in the cage. You did however, have your part in imprisoning Baron Kriminel,” Cimitiére said staring the Prophet in the eye.
“Baron Kriminel is a menace. Not just to humanity but to all creation. He knows no bounds.”
“But it is not for you to punish him for his deeds. See, I come bringing a proposal. You will release the Baron, otherwise, Lord Samedi will open the gates of Purgatorio and allow the angelic hordes to descend. And from the looks of it, it’s not just Powers and Thrones waiting to rip apart this world. You have yet to meet the Principalities, Virtues and Archangels,” Cimitiére continued.
La Croix looked over at Cesare who was staring back at him not blinking an eye. Solon sat quiet as he played with the key between his fingers.
“Are you insane!? We will never release Kriminel!” Rufus shouted.
“Yeah, his insanity knows no bounds,” Cesare added.
“Haha! Must be where you get it from Priest,” The Man shouted across the table. While he thought his comment was plenty funny, Cesare did not.
“We will not release Kriminel!” the Prophet stormed.
“But you will release angels to come rip this world apart? Do you not know that it is the Royal House of Guédé that keeps you safe? When your spells and conjuring go awry and you summon something you’re not quite sure how to send back, how do you think the balance is restored? Who do you think really answers your prayers, Prophet? They reach us, before it gets anywhere else,” Cimitiére said.
The Prophet frowned, but remained adamant in his stance.
“We, the Order of the Star and Crescent perform no spells and pray only to the one true creator of this world. Our god has no use for a cigar and a top hat. We are not subject to his will,” The Prophet said sternly.
“So be it,” Cimitiére said as Piquant began banging on the floor with his staff. Samedi watched the conversation from his throne room and was disgusted at the pure disrespect.
He went outside and lifted his hands; opening the portal for the angels wide enough to let a few through, then closed it.
“You do not punk me human! We shall see who the god of Malkuth is!” he shouted, as he returned to his throne.
The Prophet stood unwavering, when the left lens of his glasses popped out, falling to the floor and shattering. La Croix began to laugh as he tipped his hat off and disappeared.
“Looks like you just pissed him off. Good luck making peace with them,” Cimitiére said also taking his leave.
The Barons gathered around Samedi's throne to watch the humans handle their message. Cesare and Rufus looked at each other as they could feel a sudden shift in the energies around them.
“Angels are coming,” Cesare whispered to Rufus who looked in the direction of Dante.
The Orders began shouting their discontent to The Prophet, and as he attempted to restore order in the dining room, three angels standing nearly eight feet tall walked in holding prayer beads in their hands.
“Angels?! You pissed off the Barons and they send us angels! Or maybe they were already here because you summoned them!” Cesare shouted, standing in protest.
He pointed his finger at the angel in the center who wore white robes and a silver breastplate with a lion’s face. Ariel, whose pale skin had a soft glow, had long golden hair that touched the floor.
“I will not break bread with an angel!” he shouted, going into a frenzy. Mila tugged on his cape, but couldn’t calm his rage. The very sight of an angel ignited a dark side which was destructive and powerful. Rufus took a deep sigh.
Although he agreed with his Knight full heartedly, he did not wish to let him rile up the other Orders.
“Brother, if we are to see true peace, we must begin with building with those who preceded our existence. Because if it were not for the angels, none of us would be sitting here wearing the seals of these great orders. Magic, would not exist if it were not for the teachings of the Grigori,” The Prophet said in his soft, mellow voice.
“Angels are one thing. Grigori are an entirely different matter,” Cesare banged on the table but Rufus tugged on his cape for him to sit.
“I agree with the Magia. The angels have caused too much strife and damage throughout the ages. At this point our relationship is irreparable,” Matilda said siding with Cesare. Solon sat quietly with his fingers pressed against each other as the leaders expressed their dissendence.
“How dare you speak to us in such a way. We are the Sons of the Demiurge and will not take dictation from a room full of animals. I am Ariel, chief of the Order of Erelim and the Lion of God. We have come to retrieve the Horn of Gabriel, to set the stage for the coming of the Order of Thrones who wait for the sign,” Ariel said, causing silence to fall upon the room.
“Animals?!” Cesare shouted, dismissing everything else that was said. He lifted his hands and summoned the two angel blades which were taken at the door. Clanging them against one another, his eyes turned black as the kundalini began to climb his spine.
“Damn I like this Cesare!” Samedi laughed as he continued to watch.
Ariel had the look of disdain as his gaze fell upon the angel blades. Cesare looked down at them and smiled.
“I call this one Chamuel. And this one Lamiel. Brothers of yours?” he asked tauntingly.
“The Princes of Heaven have also seen our fair share of death. Behold, the great messiah of the human race; a murderous cock!” Ariel shouted, causing Cesare to fly across the table and grab him by the throat.
“It would take nothing for me to snap your neck. Angel. For I am a god, and you are one who serves,” he said, as his body began to go up in flames.
“We all serve Cesare Borgia, and you humans would to good to remember that,” Ariel said, digging his fingers into his abdomen. In the blink of an eye, a great light appeared in the room and those who looked upon it fell into tears. The divine power was too heavy for their vessels and each man and woman in the room fell to their knees weeping. The light blinded the Barons, causing the orb they were looking into to shatter.
“What the fuck?!” La Croix shouted, but Samedi sat quiet, as the tension in his jaw kept him from speaking.
“You know what this is, don’t you?” Cimitiére asked, and Samedi replied with a stare.
***
Outside, the Knights and Blue Goddesses watched from the hilltop as the angels descended upon Temple Eliyon.
“Shit! It’s an ambush,” Lance said, spitting out his cigarette and drawing his guns.
“No wait bro, this is something else,” Adonis said as he watched them perched like pigeons upon a line.
“We wait for the sign. I’m not trying to hear Rex’s shit if we storm the place for no reason,” Adonis said, as he was wishing for some action.
The bright light began to turn colors that were incomparable to any of Earth. Dante stood, creeping towards it as he could see within the light a Paradise. Rufus grabbed him, pinning him down in a chair while attempting to fight the pressure of the divine power in the room. The light suddenly disappeared and energies returned to normal; everyone wiping their eyes of tears.
Ariel threw Cesare across the room causing his flaming body to break through the adjacent wall. Cesare began to flare up, but Rufus ordered him to stand down.
“I said stand down Knight! That is an order!” he yelled as Cesare’s outer flame began to die.
The discord within the room caused Dante to stand up, initiating a calm amongst the raucous.
/>
“It was Parasido. Truly,” he said, looking up towards the area where the light was seen.
“The Dactyl,” Ariel said as he set his eyes upon him. Dante felt his gaze but chose this very moment to overcome his fear of angels.
“There is only one other here who understands my struggle. And this young man is correct,” he said placing his hand on Cesare’s shoulder.
“Since the dawn of time, the angels have masqueraded themselves with the façade of being something good. They have infiltrated the bloodlines to cleanse their own sins with that of humanity, yet, with the sleight of hand they set to dethrone us as the dominate species of this planet. Yes, dear Prophet, they did teach us the arts which we shield within our respective orders, but our magic is broken. As we are. The Order of Magia Chaotica has always acted as the sword of the Order of Dactyls, and we will honor their judgment. But like them, I cannot welcome an angel of any order into my bosom. And I will not share Paradiso with you, for it was created for Man,” he said, as he looked for a way out of the room.
“Dactyl. Tell me. What does his voice sound like? I have long forgotten the serene sounds of his voice,” Ariel said approaching.
Dante freaked out and hid behind Rufus who reached for his blade, but remembered the Mujāhidūn had taken them. His eyes moved back and forth as if time had suddenly slowed down. He could hear the fast beat of Dante's heart as he tugged on his Magia cape.
“Touch him and you die,” Rufus said, snapping out of his daze. Ariel laughed and looked back at the Prophet.
“Honestly, Prophet, your intentions were well received. But you cannot fight the will of the Creator. None of you can. Long ago he placed a curse upon us, one that shall never be lifted. A curse which placed enmity between the seed of man and the seed of Heaven. We shall never be at peace. I will make you all suffer! So you know what Dactyl? Perhaps you’re right. For we are the sons of the flame which hardened the clay of your pitiful vessel. We were creating and destroying worlds long before our Father shit you out of his celestial asshole!” Ariel shouted angrily, motioning for two angels to grab Dante.
He started to run but they grabbed him before he could make it out of the door. Dante took his staff which he leaned upon and hit at the angels, but was caught. They flew towards the ceiling; breaking through and taking to the skies.
“Shit! Is that the sign?” Lance asked.
“I don’t know, but we’ll take it!” Adonis said as he pushed a set of wings from his back. He flew towards the angels as Dante screamed for release.
The flapped hat which he had tied around his face flew off in the direction of Adonis, which he caught. Dante screamed the entire way until Adonis caught up to them; stabbing them in the heads.
Dante plummeted fast, but Adonis caught the old seer with no problem. Lance couldn’t fly, but his gift of speed was of no hindrance. He ran down the hillside and began shooting at the angels upon the rooftop.
They began to scatter as he ran up the side of the Temple, nearing the large hole. The Blue Goddesses shot the scattered angels with beams from their tridents, allowing Lance to get the upper hand.
The angels were fast, but no match for Lance. An angel charged at him with a blade, but Lance grabbed him. The Knight slipped on scattered bits of brick, losing his balance and they plummeted towards the dining room.
The Orders looked up as Lance and the angel tussled towards the ground. Cesare and Rufus were joined by the Red Axes, Sons of Ragnarok and the Armored Fleet as they fought the angels who appeared to come out of nowhere.
Cesare smiled as his brother fell to his feet; crushing the rib cage of the angel beneath him. Quintus ran towards the building, using his Magia to melt a hole into wall, making entrance for the two BGs behind him.
“Hi, I’m Hairtrigger Happy. And I would like you to meet Point and Spray,” Lance said holding up his guns.
The Man laughed at Lance’s entrance while Alexander stayed silent. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette and shook his head as the orders managed to have the upper hand on the angels. Rufus laughed.
“Prophet. It looks to me that your dream will go unrealized today. Now then, by the time Lancelot finishes his cigarette, anything left standing in this room shall meet whatever afterlife you believe in,” Rufus said as he summoned his short sword, resting it upon his shoulder.
“You have not seen the last of me Cesare Borgia. Sweet dreams,” Ariel said as he exploded into hundreds of feathers.
“This is not the way it’s supposed to be,” The Prophet said, as he looked around to see the bodies of dead angels spread across the banquet room.
“But this is how it is. Angels hate us Prophet. There is no salvation for them hence the reason for war,” Babalo said as he stood up.
“Why did you summon the angels Prophet?” Rufus asked.
“I did not. They heard my prayers and came to me just a day ago. They were already here on the Upper Earth. Those that came did not look like these. The Angels which appeared before me came with an olive branch of peace,” the Prophet replied. Rufus scoffed.
“Are there any in this room that summoned the angels? Speak!” Rufus shouted. No one answered.
“Alright. Since everyone's on hush mouth, I will find out who summoned them. There are a few orders on this planet given the power to summon angels. If I have to, I will interrogate old Magia style staring with the Order of Roses, Dactyls, and that sheeple Order of Mopses!” Rufus commanded.
“How do you know they were summoned Rex? They could've simply slipped through by descending the tree,” Baldaar of the Sons of Ragnarok asked.
“They were summoned Baldaar. The Barons are aware of everything that comes in and out of Purgatorio. If angels came to The Prophet a few days ago, where did they come from? That energy which had us on our knees was not any angel I have ever felt before,” Rufus said, but received no response.
“Someone is playing games with us and I’m not in the fucking mood!” Rufus shouted.
The Prophet's face which glowed with sunlight began to dull. Adonis landed in the banquet room as the Orders talked amongst themselves to figure out what the strange energy was and who summoned the angels. Dante was shaking and grabbed for his hat.
“This is your fault! Angels do not act with conscious. They act with impulse. They do what they do because they feel they must, no matter the cost! And you plan to unleash the worst of them? You sir, have the duty of interpreting those visions which I cannot comprehend. I see nothing but death, infernos, everything far from Paradiso Prophet. Angels have always seen us as a bane to their existence. Why then would you coddle them like babes upon your breast? Damn you and damn your mission!” Dante shouted as Miss Chrissy took hold of his hand.
“The prophecy will be fulfilled no matter what any of your contentions are.”
“Who's side are you on?! You Prophets and your damn prophecies. From the very first of you, to the one I'm staring at, all you've ever done is spew ramblings about the end. Damnation. Curses. I spent hours in our Hall of Histories reading these prophecies as I tried to prepare my mind for the coming times. There it was, the prophecy of the 66th prophet; and I shall read it aloud as most of the chiefs are here,” Rufus said pulling a scroll from his robes.
“That is not necessary brother Magia --”
“An edict has been issued from the court of the highest Heaven, against the sons of Adam. That they have called for their doom because they have eaten from the tree of knowledge, danced with the accursed fallen and obtained the secrets of the angels of Heaven. The crime for evolving into Satans, and acquiring occult powers, is expulsion from the Heavens. And death be to those who practice sorcery and soothsaying,” Rufus said rolling it up.
“Well let me see, that’s just about everyone in this room. Everyone but you, Prophet. Because the Order of the Star and Crescent is not a magical order like those who sit around this table. Your “blessed” by the Demiurge himself. Isn’t that right? So you would place condemnation on the rest
of us,” Rufus said sternly.
The Prophet looked upon him and his face went pale. He swallowed hard as Chrissy shot an evil glare at him.
Dante's hands were clammy and she could feel the old man trembling beneath his thick robes.
“Get out of this Temple. All of you!” he shouted, as the Mighty Mujāhidūn unsheathed their diamond swords. The Prophet commanded everyone to leave, but had his eye fixed on Chrissy.
“You point a sword at me Prophet, it had better cut something that will keep me from killing you,” Adonis said, as he pointed his guns.
Hercules, Phrixos and Atlas were the last remaining at the table; looking as though they were waiting to be served.
“So, about that steak,” Hercules said as he stared at the two opposing orders.
Solon walked up to Nicky and whispered something in his ear, causing Cesare to redirect his attention.
“Gentlemen. Let's not make war. Now is not the time,” Mila said. She and the BGs escorted Dante out of the building while Lance was just about done with his cigarette. Solon followed the ladies out, meeting eyes with Mila.
“Perhaps you chose the wrong day to ascend Mr. Dante,” he said, staring coldly.
“Perhaps. Let us pray that this is the last of it,” Dante replied.
“Not likely,” Solon said, re-entering the temple for one last word with the Prophet.
Rufus and the Knights walked out to meet them and Quintus was ordered to take Dante back to the Parthenon.
“No! I will not tuck tail and run. I have run my entire life from these angels. I've had enough! I will stay here and fight!” Dante shouted.
“No you will not. Me and the Knights will protect you-”
“Am I not my own man!? Teach me to wield my own sword!” he shouted, as he grabbed Rufus's blade.
He began swatting at the air, swinging the sword and crying his eyes out, as he thought of the hundreds of years he lived in fear because of them.
“I hate them! I will kill them all!” he shouted, falling off balance.
The Knights stayed silent as Dante completely broke down before them. Mila grabbed the sword and he fell into her bosom.
Knights of Enmity: The Barons Have Fallen (Descending Fires Book 1) Page 18
