The Creation: Chaos Rising

by Art Gulley Jr.

  She placed a gentle hand atop his forehead. "I understand, my friend. May your time in Heaven be forever sweet."

  "And may your life in Hell be equally fulfilling," Khaleed responded. He flashed the Desomor one last smile then closed his eyes. Moments later, his body went lax.

  "Farewell Guardian," Dichotomy whispered to Khaleed's spirit shifting through the Crossroads.

  A soft glow emanated from Mayhem's eyes, and a wreath of Celestial fire engulfed Khaleed's body, reducing it to ash.

  "So I take it we're heading to the Sphinx to look for the Staff?" Cara spoke after the flames had died out, and Khaleed's remains were scattered across the sands by the desert winds.

  Mayhem's eyes flared brighter. "And to seek vengeance," she roared, disappearing along with the rest of the team amidst a flash of blinding light.

  Chapter 42

  "This place is amazing!" Dresden's awed cry echoed through the night as he gazed up at the Sphinx's imposing bulk. "Though I can't say the same for your methods of transportation," he added grimly, still feeling the after effects of his Celestial jaunt to Egypt.

  "Why don't you let the Lady juice you up like she did us," Malakai suggested according Lie a respectful nod. "Then you wouldn't feel the effects at all."

  Lie gave the disheveled Cardinal's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Carl must remain un-Touched if he is to wield the Staff. Now then," she turned her attention to the Sphinx. "Let us see if we can put Khaleed's information to good use."

  Dresden stood back while Lie, Joey, and Malakai began to search the monument's massive, front left paw which, according to the information stolen from Khaleed, was the location of a hidden entrance to the secret underground chamber that held the Staff.

  A brief sandstorm, created by the Halfling's deft manipulation of the local winds, had cleared the area of the spattering of locals and tourist, allowing Lie and her henchmen to search unimpeded.

  Their efforts quickly yielded results, and the fitted stone that made up the entrance was revealed. Time and the desert had long since eroded the mechanisms that once operated the ingenious door, but a blast of Celestial lighting from Joey took care of the problem.

  After allowing fresh air to circulate, the four explorers carefully made their way into a dank, narrow passageway; Lie's glowing form providing light for Dresden to see.

  An hour of steady travel brought them to the chamber's entrance, but the way was blocked by a massive, rectangular stone wedged tightly in the entryway. Joey and Malakai set about investigating the ornately carved slab while Dresden took a moment to study the artwork carved into the corridor's surrounding walls.

  "A pity the other Elders are not here to witness this," he lamented sliding his fingers across the various symbols and hieroglyphs. "Like me, Calvin was an Egypt enthusiast. A detailed study of this place would have brought him great pleasure."

  Lie took hold of his free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I empathize with your remorse, but their fate was of their own choosing."

  Dresden returned the gesture. "I know, Lillian." The Cardinal smiled at the shy expression that always appeared on the Halfling's face when he used her birth name.

  As their relationship progressed, Dresden had quickly decided continual usage of Lie's self-proclaimed title just wouldn't do, stating that is was hardly a fitting name for such an amazing woman.

  For Lie, such consideration along with his frequently expressed accolades of adoration were a source of great pleasure, and her attraction to the wizened Mortal continued to grow; much to the delight of the ever-watchful Kaela.

  "It's just such a waste," Dresden remarked, drawing Lie's attention guiltily back from her musings.

  "What is?"

  Dresden nodded toward the stone. "Hiding these Talismans away; such power could've easily righted the wrongs of this world. I just can't understand why God wouldn't want us to use it?"

  Lie's green eyes filled with compassion. "The same reasons he's refused to reveal the Truth of the Creation to your kind, and banned the majority of my Celestial kin from Mortalia's borders. He doesn't feel the Mortals of Earth are mature enough to handle such burdens."

  "And yet according to the ancient scrolls we're the so-called Vanguard Race of this Realm." Dresden's voice took on a mocking tone as he pantomimed a pair of quotation marks with his fingers. "Puppet Race would be a more apt description."

  "That's what we're trying to change," Lie soothed as she leaned closer and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Once we have the Staff we'll be able to stand on an even footing with The Watch, and force concessions concerning the governing of the Realms."

  A thoughtful look appeared on Dresden's face. "Is the Staff really that powerful?"

  "In the right hands it can be."

  While Dresden pondered the significance of her statement the air reverberated with Malakai's triumphant shout.

  "I think we've figured this rock out!"

  Lie and Dresden quickly made their way to the entrance where Malakai and Joey were waiting, their bodies braced against the offending block. "Alright Joey we need to apply even pressure on each of these ankhs." Malakai indicated the ancient symbols of life carved in sharp relief at each of the slab's four corners. "You ready?" Joey nodded ascent and the two men placed their hands and feet on the appropriate spots. "We push on three; one, two, THREE!"

  A soft glow formed around their bodies as they leaned hard against the stone's smooth surface. For several seconds nothing happened then, with a loud groan, the massive stone slid in several inches, and crumbled into a thousand pieces.

  "What the hell?" Malakai cried, shielding his eyes from the sudden shower of dust and debris.

  "Must've been some type of pressurized seal," Joey commented fanning the clouded air with his hands to get a closer look at the slab's remains. "It looks like this block was made out of mortar." He ran a hand over the cut stones that made up the door's jamb. "I'll bet the weight of the Sphinx kept the slab compacted. Once that pressure was removed it couldn't handle the expansion and broke apart."

  "Looks like all that time watching the History Channel paid off," Malakai teased.

  "Knowledge is power," Joey grinned back unperturbed. His obsession with documentaries on ancient cultures had long been a source of ribbing from his colleagues. "I'm just wondering why they didn't use granite for this door. That's how the ancient Egyptians usually sealed these secrets rooms."

  "Granite would not have allowed them to set their clever trap," Lie announced.

  Joey focused sharply on her. "What trap?"

  "The one Khaleed managed to keep hidden during my probe." The Halfling nodded toward the slab's remains. "Take a closer look at those fragments. This construct was permeated with some type of toxin."

  Joey gazed upon the rubble with increased respect. "It's probably Lye," he speculated. "The ancients were fond of corrosives, and from what I hear," he gave his Mistress a mischievous wink. "Lye's pretty damn lethal."

  The Halfling chuckled. "You heard correctly,"

  Dresden gave the entryway a dubious look. "Is it still potent?"

  Lie shrugged. "Probably, but you needn't worry." The glow about the Halfling's eye intensified, and a field of light surrounded the Cardinal. "This shield will filter any toxins from the air around you."

  "What about them?" Dresden nodded at Joey and Malakai.

  Lie grinned. "The Celestial energy in their bodies protects them from earthly poisons."

  "The dynamic duo at your service," Malakai quipped flexing his arms and chest."

  Lie's grin deepened at his foolery. "Indeed you are. Now if you would be so kind as to lead the way." She indicated the chamber's dark entry.

  Malakai snapped her a cocky salute then stepped through the doorway. "Damn this place is huge!"

  The dusty hall they entered was easily the width and height of a college gymnasium. Increasing the glow of their bodies filled the room with an ethereal light, and Malakai released an awed whistle at the sight that gre
eted them.

  "Somebody sure had a lot of time on their hands," he whispered and Joey nodded in stout agreement.

  The interior walls were covered with thin sheets of dark granite; numerous hieroglyphs, symbols, and pictograms inscribed on their surface with meticulous precision. A closer inspection revealed the carvings to be a visual telling of not only Egypt's rich history but that of several other ancient cultures as well.

  For Dresden, a professed student of history, the carved sheets represented the find of a lifetime. "Look at all of the varying languages," he uttered as he moved from sheet to sheet. "Aramaic, Egyptian, Latin, Greek, and...Oh my!" He ran his fingers over a vertical row of angular characters. "This is Angelic script!" Similar rows of lettering seemed to bisect each panel, separating the various writings into specific groups.

  "That is the Tongue of Celestia," Lie informed him after examining the carvings. "I suspect at one time this chamber served as a teaching hall.

  Dresden turned startled eyes on her. "For who?"

  "The ancient Mortals of this region; if you notice here," She indicated a section of the wall further down. "These carvings are a visual representation for the raising of the Great Pyramid. The Celestian script underneath gives a written account along with its translation into the Mortal tongues relevant at the time of this chamber's inception."

  Dresden's awed gaze touched briefly on each panel traversing the chamber's length before resettling on Lie's expectant face. "Was that sort of thing common back then?"

  "Extremely; though I am not familiar with this particular hall, I do know that there are numerous other structures very similar to this one where my Father and his Brothers used to instruct their chosen Mortal Scribes. That is how the land of Pharaohs came to be built with such splendor. Of course that was before The Almighty's ban on such interaction," she added sourly, thinking back to the chaos said decree caused among Earth's fledgling populations.

  Dresden made no reply as his eyes continued to devour the tablet's offerings. The wealth of knowledge they represented was staggering, and the Cardinal once again found his ire rising toward God for his callous treatment of the Human Race.

  How many men, like himself, had devoted their entire lives to the propagation of what they thought was His way? How many selfless historians and archeologists had wasted their time and resources scrambling around the world trying to piece together Mankind's fragmented history from bits of antiquated scraps, when it was already neatly recorded in halls like this? How many innocents had perished, and were continuing to perish, in the name of religious doctrines and ideas whose very foundations were predicated upon a universal lie?

  This ruthless manipulation of the Human race, of all Mortal races, must stop! Dresden was glad that his eyes were finally opened, despite the cost of that awakening. The death of the other Elders still weighed heavy on his heart, but he would ensure that their sacrifice would not be in vain!

  "Is this the prize we're after?" Joey's raspy voice sounded from the far end of the chamber where he and Malakai were standing in front of a shaft of white light that ran from floor to ceiling, creating a narrow illuminated column.

  Lie's gaze fell upon the long cylindrical object floating within the light's confines, and her pulse quickened. "It is indeed!" She propelled herself and Dresden to the other end of the chamber.

  "I thought it was made out of wood," Malakai noted the Staff's silvery finish when the four were together again.

  "This is the Staff's original form," Lie explained, her green eyes glowing with excitement. "Once paired with a Mortal, a Talisman reconfigures itself to the wielder's specifications."

  Joey turned incredulous eyes on her. "Are you saying that thing's alive?

  "It does contain a degree of sentience. I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Lie's warning halted Malakai just as his fingers were about to penetrate the shaft's pulsating mass. "The Staff and the field surrounding it are anathema to all Celestially Touched beings, save for the Almighty and his Horsemen."

  Dresden swallowed hard, his heart rate increasing as he took a tentative step forward. "I guess that's my cue." He took a deep breath, and slowly pushed a trembling hand into the shimmering column. He took firm hold of the Staff, and cried out at the surge of energy that tore through him.

  Years melted from his face as the energy permeated every pore of his body, eradicating the debilitating effects of age, giving him the look and bearing of a man in his prime.

  Dresden's mind underwent a similar catharses, his awareness expanding geometrically as the secrets of Existence were laid bare before him; making him feel small and insignificant in the face of the swirling mass of life, energy, and matter that was...The Creation!

  "It's....it's so vast..." he muttered when the metamorphosis was over.

  "Are you alright, Carl?"

  An incredulous smile lit Dresden's face. "I'm better than alright, my love!" He drew the Staff from the column and held it aloft; the light generating from its gleaming surface casting eerie shadows throughout the chamber. "I now understand your reverence for this treasure. With this we can wake the world from its collective ignorance and change the course of Human history!"

  "Such decisions are not yours to make!"

  The hard voice ringing from the chamber's entrance instantly drew their attention to the remains of the doorway where Dichotomy, Mayhem, and their Mortal companions stood waiting.

  "Looks like Khaleed called for backup," Malakai said with a chuckle as he and Joey moved to intercept the interlopers. "Hey Cara," he greeted his former colleague when he recognized her amongst the group.

  Cara froze, her eyes nearly popping from their sockets. "Mal...Joey...But...how? I shot you!"

  Malakai's sinister cackle echoed through the chamber. "Yeah you did! Lucky for us we made a new friend." He jerked his head in Lie's direction. "She fixed us up and gave us a job."

  "One more suited to our talents," Joey's raspy voice chimed him, his even white teeth bared in a feral smile.

  "Since when does being a sadistic bastard require talent?" Cara spat, her sinewy muscles tensing as she readied herself for combat.

  Quinlan and Sanders took up flanking positions beside her, and Malakai released a hearty guffaw, pointing his thick index finger at the two Seekers.

  "Well look who it is; Sandy and Quintessa! You pansies ready to get your hands dirty?"

  "Do not let them goad you," Dichotomy cautioned his seething companions. The blended being turned his baleful glare on Lie. "Curious company you're keeping these days, Lillian."

  "One could say the same of you, Caleb," Lie retorted with a nod at Mayhem. "I see you've even recruited my uncle's favorite pet."

  The Desomor's eyes narrowed to slits of Celestial fire. "This pet is about to tear you a new one for what you did to Khaleed, bitch!"

  "I doubt that," the Halfling snapped, the glow about her eyes intensifying as the two groups slowly converged on one another.

  "ENOUGH!" Dresden's cry halted everyone. "This bickering is pointless!" He focused on Cara and the Seekers. "I trust your new allies have made you aware of the Truth about our world?"

  "They have," Cara replied not taking her eyes off her opponents.

  "Then why do you persist in supporting the cause of such a callous lord; one that would leave you ignorant of your true purpose and position in the universe while he and his angels sit arrogantly on high, laughing as we dumb Mortals strive to adhere to the stifling doctrines of a false faith?"

  "The Almighty is not arrogant," Dichotomy's angry cry echoed through the chamber before Cara or the Seekers could respond. "Nor is he callous!"

  Lie released a bark of laughter. "So speaks the Creation's primary puppet! Look at you Caleb: from Desomor to Celemor to Celestial abomination. Your entire life is testament to the sordid games the Almighty continually inflicts upon his so-called children!"

  "NO!" Dichotomy screamed, his form wavering. "We are what we are because of the choices we made!"

 
"You are what you are because of the choices that were made for you!" Lie fired back. "All of you are!" She focused her sizzling glare on Mayhem and the three Mortals. "Each of you standing here once structured your lives in accordance with the Mortal interpretation of those putrid Tenets, sacrificing much in the process; and for what? Your whole belief system is based on a lie; one that your creator could've easily clarified but chose not to!"

  The Halfling's expression softened and her voice took on a seductive lilt. "Why not join us? We have an opportunity to free the masses from the sham of their reality; to show those who would sit in power and judgment over us all that we have the right to forge our own destinies based on our designs. No longer need we bow down to the whims of a fickle Creator."

  "But at what cost?" Cara asked, abandoning her defensive posture, and turning her full attention on Lie. "What you say about God and his deception is true, and I won't deny the betrayal I felt when I found out. But I don't believe he deceived us out of spite; nor do I believe he intends for us to remain ignorant."

  "But Cara," Dresden entreated, taking a step toward her. "How can you possibly say that after everything you've seen and heard?"

  "Because of Nina," Sanders' deep voice intoned before Cara could respond.

  Dresden turned hard eyes on him. "Nina?"

  "Her entire message is one of self actualization, and looking past the restrictive borders of religious doctrines in order to forge a more personal relationship with God." Though he spoke passionately, the Seeker's eyes remained locked on Joey and Malakai's subtly shifting forms.

  "Originally, you and the other Elders labeled Nina as a heretic," Cara pressed. "You said her stand on organized religion went against everything the Church stood for, but I think it's just the opposite. I think God's using Nina to gradually usher in a new age of understanding."