The Elder Prophets (To Absolve the Fallen Book 2)

by Aaron Babbitt

  Sara shuddered as a winged beast swooped down and, using its wings like swords, decapitated a man, then flew high into the air to drop the carcass onto another group of fighting men. “No,” she said decidedly. “I don’t think I want to go any closer.”

  “Not so sure where you are now?” Alex asked solemnly. “I promise you that you’re safe here. It may not look like it, but this is only a memory. Actually, it wasn’t very long ago. It’s a day that I won’t ever forget.”

  Sara pointed to a man-sized pillar of fire moving through the crowd, attacking the monsters. “What is that?”

  Alex nodded acknowledgment. “That’s the demon you’re looking for, Jeremiah.”

  “And that?”

  He followed her finger and stared for a couple seconds at the cloud that floated above the heads of the combatants. “Metatron...our enemy.”

  She observed the cloud’s movement. “It devours everything.”

  Alex said nothing. Both of them watched the cloud move closer to them, leaving only piles of bones in its wake. Sara looked below them, and she noted that three people had just been fighting nearby. They had slain a winged monstrosity. One sat on the ground, cradling an arm wound. Another sat next to him. The third held long hookswords and faced the cloud.

  She stared at the seemingly uninjured one on the ground hard before asking, “Is that Matt? I didn’t recognize him at first with blond hair.”

  “Yes. Dylan is next to him, and Lao Shi has the hookswords—all prophets.”

  “That...Metatron intends to kill them, doesn’t it?”

  Alex nodded. Sara looked back to the cloud; it had moved very close to the prophets, stripping flesh from bone and disintegrating demons completely as it went. The one Alex had called Lao Shi stepped in front of the cloud and shouted something, giving the others a chance to run. Metatron rolled over Lao Shi without even losing momentum. Just then, someone appeared between the prophets and the cloud. Without hesitation, the cloud moved on. However, having engulfed the new figure in darkness, the cloud stopped. The vision went dark.

  Sara and Alex found themselves sitting in comfortable chairs, facing each other. They were in a small, white room, alone, and with no other furniture.

  “Sorry, I’m not as good at this as I’ll probably get,” Alex confessed.

  “Where are we now?”

  Alex looked around curiously. “We’re still in my head. Sorry the decor is lacking. I’m kind of winging this.”

  “Okay,” Sara said, standing up and moving toward a wall. “I’m sufficiently freaked out.”

  She felt along the walls for tiny, hidden hinges, latches, handles, or a slit in the wall that might indicate a door. All four walls, however, were perfectly smooth, and her hands couldn’t identify the material she was touching.

  “I can take you back anytime you want,” Alex told her. “I just thought you might want to talk in private.”

  She stopped searching and returned to her seat. “You’re telling me that you have telepathic powers, and we are in your head right now? This is all an illusion of your making?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right...Well, then you should have no problem getting me a glass of water.”

  Alex looked a little perplexed. “It wouldn’t be real.”

  “Naturally.”

  Alex shrugged. “Sounds simple enough.”

  He closed his eyes and sat motionless for a couple seconds, then opened his eyes and looked at her, waiting.

  “Well?” she asked.

  Alex motioned to her left. She looked, and a glass of water floated at arm level, next to her chair. She ran her hand all around it, searching for what could be suspending this glass. Finally, without even touching it, she turned back to him.

  “It feels so real here,” she whispered. “It doesn’t feel like I’m...”

  “In someone else’s head?” Alex finished for her.

  “Sure.”

  “To be completely honest, I’m surprised I could pull off this much. I wanted something basic, and this came to mind. Like I said, you can go back if you want. I don’t mean to scare you. I just thought it might be good for you to have a little proof. There are so many things you need to know, and I think what I have shown you will give you a good place to start forming questions.”

  “I’m one of you?”

  “Yes, you’re a prophet—if that’s what you mean. I could feel you walk onto our property.”

  Sara looked into her lap. “I always knew there was something weird about me. Sometimes, I thought I was going crazy because it started as just, you know, like a feeling, a feeling I would get when I really wanted to find someone or something. I was afraid that, if I told anyone about it...they would think I was crazy, too. I went into police academy with a naive dream of making a difference. My ability just became a tool of the trade, and I didn’t think much more about it—until I met Jeremiah.”

  “You’re not alone. You have friends you don’t even know all over the world. The demons are scary, but we aren’t powerless. I won’t say that you should stay; you have to make your own path, but we will never turn you away.”

  “I appreciate that,” she said sincerely. “About that battle you showed me, who won?”

  Alex looked sad for a moment. “We got what we went for, but I don’t think we won.”

  “I understand. I think I’d like to go back now.”

  Alex nodded and held out his hand. She grasped it, and she felt her eyes flutter open, her real eyes. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out the table and the people who had been sitting around it before she took her little trip. Alex was still holding her hand.

  Everyone around the table sat, waiting for some kind of explanation. But neither Alex nor Sara offered one. The two detached their hands; their eyes were locked.

  One more question occurred to Sara. “You were the one in the end, weren’t you? You stopped it.”

  “I didn’t stop it,” Alex corrected. “I just gave it something to think about.”

  ***

  Renee sat on the couch and stared at the television silently. It was just like he had predicted. She hated him, but she loved his new drug. She needed it to feel whole.

  “You will help me throw a party,” Yuri told her. “All teenagers in Kingstone are invited, and we’ll have it here.”

  “You’re crazy. There are ten thousand people in this town, at least eight hundred just in the high school. How do you plan to fit that many people in this house?”

  “I hope you were this dense before and that this is not an unfortunate side effect of my drug,” Yuri retorted spitefully. “Of course, I don’t have room for eight hundred people. They won’t all come. And this property is fairly secluded. The spillover will go to the yard. We’ll build a bonfire; I’ll order some kegs. I’m sure a party is a party whether it’s in St. Petersburg or Kingstone.”

  Renee could feel her body temperature rising. She really wanted some more of the drug Yuri had been giving her. “I cannot very well walk into their school,” she insisted. “And tomorrow is Saturday; they won’t even be there. How do you plan to tell them?”

  Yuri changed the channel on impulse. He couldn’t believe how much of American society revolved around televisions. “There will be a basketball game tonight at the high school. You will go and determine which children would be best to spread the word about our exciting party. Then, tell them about it. The really popular ones will be the best advertisement, and they’ll all be in the gym tonight. That’s who I’d suggest.”

  After a full minute without conversation, Yuri looked over at the girl.

  “Ah, I get it,” he said as if he’d had an epiphany. “You need a fix before getting started.”

  Smiling, he took a vial out of his pocket, unscrewed the dropper from the top, and drew a very small amount of blue, almost florescent, liquid into it. Wordlessly, she watched him. Her heart began to race in anticipation; her skin started feeling clammy.

  Yuri continue
d, “This time, you’ll have to come get it.”

  He opened his mouth, and two drops fell on his outstretched tongue. Without hesitation, Renee leaned over to him. Firmly, she placed her lips on his, and her tongue desperately searched for the precious substance.

  The kiss, Yuri decided, was certainly not passionate and not really even that enjoyable, but it was thorough. It was worth it. Next time, he’d have to put a drop on his dick.

  ***

  Salmar held Sara’s head lightly, and through his hands flowed the healing magic of his tribe. He could sense her fear, pain, and fatigue slipping gently away. The journey Alex had taken her on may have answered some of her questions, but it had been more than a little nerve-racking. The Elder Prophet, sensing her discomfort, immediately volunteered his services. And Sara was forced to grudgingly accept, though she was glad, now, that she had.

  “And you say these demons are in Kansas City?” she asked when Salmar had finished.

  “They’re everywhere,” Matt corrected, “but I’m sure there will be a disproportionate amount here real soon.”

  “I think Jeremiah wants me here,” Sara couldn’t believe she heard herself saying. “I suppose this is where I’m most needed. But I really don’t know what I can do against these things...demons.”

  “We all do what we can,” Elizabeth told her. “Right now, our primary concern is protecting this town and Alex.”

  Alex considered the implications of what Elizabeth said. It occurred to him that his decision to protect his parents and the people of Kingstone may well have put Elizabeth in harm’s way. This new fear of her getting hurt or (God forbid) dying on his behalf suddenly made him doubt himself and his actions.

  “Didn’t you say there was an angel?” the detective asked.

  All eyes at the table turned to Alex, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts.

  “Yes,” Matt confirmed after a moment of concerned bewilderment. “An angel protects this house.”

  “And you all protect it...”

  “Right.”

  Sara thought for a moment, before pondering aloud, “What do all those other prophets in the town do?”

  Matt looked at Elizabeth for help, but she only shrugged her shoulders. By now, she had begun to worry about Alex. He suddenly seemed very withdrawn and disengaged. She touched his hand, bringing him from his reverie. Startled, he smiled uncomfortably at her.

  She mouthed, “Are you all right?”

  His false smile dropped away, and he nodded unconvincingly.

  “We don’t know,” Matt answered.

  “How many are there?”

  “There are between seventy-five and a hundred.”

  “And many more are on the way?”

  “Yes,” Matt agreed.

  “I imagine you have names and possibly numbers for the ones who are here.”

  “Some of them came with cell phones, and we have a name for every prophet who has checked in here or we’ve found in town in the last several days.”

  “Good. If you give me a copy of the list, I’ll scope around town for prophets.”

  “What will you do when you find them?” Sophie inquired.

  “I’m still working that out,” Sara admitted. “We are going to need a prophet police force. This house may be safe, and the people around it are safe, but if there are seventy-five or a hundred other prophets in Kingstone, they’ll be completely vulnerable.”

  “I think she has a point,” Zeng Wei affirmed.

  “Thank you,” Sara continued. “And we could set some phone line aside for a prophet 911. My cell phone doesn’t get any reception out here, or I’d volunteer it.”

  “I’ll get a line set up for it,” Elizabeth volunteered, turning away from Alex to be part of the conversation again.

  “I’m also excited about this plan,” Matt added. “Make sure to coordinate with me; I would be happy to help you with any resource I’ve got.”

  The other prophets agreed that Sara would be ideal to recruit and lead this task force, and, again, they waited patiently for Alex’s approval.

  Sensing their attention focused on him, he looked up. “Yes. She would be the best for the job. I’m sorry. I can’t concentrate right now. I think I need to rest. I’m all right, and please tell my parents that when they come out of their room.”

  Alex excused himself, stood up from the table, and walked to his room.

  The others watched him go in silence. Quietly, the Elder Prophets looked at each other. Their thought was the same. This hero was beginning to crack. If his faith could not be renewed or this war did not end soon, he may become useless to them.

  Matt and Elizabeth also exchanged glances. Their shared feeling was helplessness. Alex was in a place neither of them had ever been. The only thing they could do is be there and do their best to take his mind away from his debilitating responsibilities.

  ***

  “This town,” John informed the two men walking toward him on the sidewalk, “is off limits to demons.”

  “I didn’t think it would be this easy to find you,” one of the men replied, ignoring the implied command. He grinned maliciously.

  The trench coat hanging loosely on John’s shoulders fell to the ground, revealing a katana hanging in a scabbard at his side. “I didn’t think it would take you this long.”

  A couple who had seen and recognized John had decided to ask him for divine intervention regarding a sick son. However, when the sword was shown and his intentions became clear, they stopped in the middle of the street and stared.

  They weren’t the only ones. Groups of people stood and gawked. One person, though, was ready for it.

  It was just like he’d said it would be. And Rita had paid very close attention. From a distance, she and the cameraman watched events unfold. They were just far enough away that they could hear and see. John had warned them to come no closer. Every once in a while, she would check to make sure the camera was filming. Content that it was and that the man running it was competent, she would turn back to the action.

  The speaking demon looked amused. “Battle? Right here on the sidewalk? The prophets really have changed their strategy,” he mused, looking over at the other demon, who only grunted his agreement.

  “One last chance,” John warned, pulling his sword. “By order of the Elder Prophet Council, the League of Hunters, and Alexander Tanner, you are hereby commanded, upon pain of exile from this plane, to leave Kingstone and never return.”

  The demons made their decision. In a flash, their bodies changed to reflect their cruel and twisted nature. The speaking demon’s skin turned to scales. His fingers sharpened into claws. Spikes forced their way through the back of his shirt, along his spine, and a serpentine tail formed beneath him.

  The other demon’s transformation was less grotesque, but much grander. Its body grew eight times the size it had been. Muscles the size of branches formed, layer on top of layer, across the giant’s body, and it roared in rage and pain.

  Then, the bystanders decided it was a good time to scream and run. Everyone, that is, except for Rita Conway. Even her cameraman bolted. After cursing him, she ran to the camera and held it focused on the sight before her. This exclusive coverage would significantly boost her career, maybe even earn her an anchor position.

  The devils charged the lone prophet. The ground shook beneath the giant, and the serpent leapt into the air. John waved his hand in front of them, causing the space between him and the demons to ripple. For a second, they were frozen—the lizard-man in the air, and the giant on the ground. The noise, the rumbling, the screaming, everything had stopped. It was as if everything in existence paused to watch a literal battle, one-sided as it may have been, between good and evil. Then, with a wave of John’s hand, the rippling air and the frozen figures were gone.

  John sheathed his sword, and the masses that had once been fleeing, stopped to size up their new hero. This would be a story they could tell their grandchildren.

  He tu
rned and strode directly toward the spot Rita stood recording everything. Arriving at the camera, he stopped and looked directly at Rita.

  “You have some questions, I’m sure. I will answer two.”

  Rita walked out from behind the camera, confident, despite her almost complete lack of hands-on experience with cameras, that the tripod would hold it still. Her place was in the view of her audience. Besides, this gave her a few precious seconds to look presentable and choose her questions wisely.

  “Why is Kingstone so important?” she finally asked when she stood face-to-face with John.

  “This is not the first time Kingstone has been a battleground between demons and prophets. In fact, it will probably always be under contention. But the answer, I believe, to your question is that this place is what we call a Foundation. They exist all throughout creation, places where the creative power of God is the strongest. You could even say they hold the universe in balance. This is not just the only Foundation in the United States; it is arguably the strongest on this planet. Every square mile of this town, and then some, is holy ground.”

  After the pause that signaled he was done, Rita asked her next question. “Who is Alexander Tanner?”

  “You asked two good questions,” John replied. “Alexander Tanner is the unifier of prophets. In time, his forces, of which I am merely a herald, will be called upon to protect the world. Alexander Tanner is your salvation.”

  Then, John simply turned and walked away.

  ***

  Metatron was pleased with himself. Total prophet fatalities for the day, all over the world: one thousand fifty-two. Demon fatalities: nine. And two were eliminated by that John.

  From watching the footage, Metatron could only assume this prophet sent the two demons directly to Hell. Of course, that is the end result of all demons, but to open up a portal between dimensions was unheard of.

  Nevertheless, the prophets would have to do much better than that if they wanted to win this war. Banishing two demons was a minuscule feat next to the destruction of three large, prophet safe houses. True, many of them had fled, but Metatron knew there would always be more chances to kill them later. They would all run to Kingstone and Las Vegas. Then, his prey would be all too easy to slaughter en masse.