The Nephelium

by Nathan Parks

  Joan always kneeled in the same spot; she had done it for so long that she knew exactly where that spot was. She would kneel, bow her head in reverence to her God, and meditate on the knowledge imparted to her by her mother. Soon the sun would rise, and the morning rays would stream in through the window, bathing this young faith warrior in warmth and light. She would describe it later “as if at that moment the essence of Jah Himself had entered in, and I felt that every empty spot in my soul was filled to capacity.”

  On that particular day soon after her thirteenth birthday, Joan had made her way, as she always did, to the church. She knelt, as typical, and the sunlight began to come through the window. She felt her soul begin to swell as usual, but this time there was something different. Her eyes shot open, and she raised her head quickly. The familiar smell of dirt; musty moss; and damp, wooden benches was no longer there. Instead, a sweet smell danced upon her senses; and her eyes fell upon a muscular, angelic warrior standing in the rays of light.

  It would be the first of many supernatural visitations that Joan would experience, and soon she would be told of her true identity. Her parents, unknown to most, were of a race of supernatural beings known as Nephelium; and as a young Nephelium, Joan had been chosen for a very special mission.

  History has told part of the story of Joan of Arc, and the Watchers have recorded the rest.

  Glossary

  Accuser –

  A Fallen found within the House (Clan) of Adremalech. They cause paranoia and schizophrenia within mortals. They are able to torment a weakened Eternal. They have been used to break down many of the Watchers (see Watchers, The Brotherhood of) who have turned on the Alliance and their own sect.

  Alliance, The –

  The Alliance originally was a group of Eternals known as the Host. The Host consisted of Eternals ranked as Guardians, Warriors, Intercessors, Messengers, or Healers. It was the Host who fought against the rebels in the War of the Serpents. Once the rebellion was cast down (see War of the Serpents), the Host took a vow to protect mortals. They began to make themselves known to select mortals and revealed to these individuals the supernatural war that was being fought to dominate and subdue their kind. The joining together of the Host, the Watchers, the Jerusalem Breed, and humans brought about the need for a new name: the Alliance.

  Arch Council –

  The governing body of the Eternals. Originally, the Arch Council consisted of Lucifer, Gabriel, Michael, and Metatron. After the War of the Serpents led by Lucifer (the Morning Star), Nemamiah was chosen to replace Lucifer. The Arch Council reside upon Scintillantes.

  Assassin –

  A Fallen found within the House (Clan) of Adremalech, trained in the art of killing and hunting without leaving a trace. Originally, the Nephelium were known for this; but when the Nephelium were shunned from the clans, other Fallen took their place. Many clans still quietly and secretly use the Nephelium.

  Darkin –

  A Fallen that can be found in any clan, which serves as a bodyguard to a clan Overlord.

  Demon Dog –

  A type of Halfling that is also known as Lycanthrope or Werewolf. They typically take on the form of a malicious canine form, but are able to manipulate themselves to appear as a human. They are the foundation of the mythology of vampires.

  Eternals, The –

  Original beings brought forth from the thoughts of Jah; those whom humans have called immortals. Their existence is beyond comprehension of the human mind, for the minds of mortals are limited in their design compared to an Eternal. The Eternals originally existed on Scintillantes.

  Fallen, The –

  The rebellious Eternals who “fell” (were expelled) from Scintillantes after their defeat during the War of the Serpents and led by the former Arch Council member, the Morning Star. After their exile, they took up residence within the shadows of mortal man. Fighting broke out among the Fallen; and inner conflict, struggles, and desire for power caused various segments to break off into their own clans, each group recognizing and following their Overlord (see Overlord), previously known as their General.

  Human history formed around the rise of cultures and religions that embraced these Overlords and their clans. As each house (clan) began to grow and flourish, stories began to be shared among travelers, historians, and children at night about creatures of the Undead (see Undead) that could manipulate shadows. Mortal man would give these stories labels such as Vrykolakas (Vampires), Lycanthrope (Werewolves and Demon Dogs), and Banshees.

  The Fallen ranks are made up of, not only the Overlords, but also Possessors (Soul Slayers), Assassins, Warriors, Nephelium (see Nephelium), Imps, Demon Dogs, Halflings, and the Undead.

  Note: The Fallen, in reality, hold no true infinite allegiance to one house. The blending of classifications given within this Glossary is defined as they were during the War of the Serpents, but different classifications may be later discovered blended within the houses (clans).

  Familiar –

  A mortal who has chosen to pledge their loyalty to and follow a particular clan.

  Guardian –

  An Eternal whose purpose of existence is to guard and protect individuals to whom they have been assigned by the Arch Council. They were originally members of the Host, now known as the Alliance.

  Halfling –

  A unique classification that came about only after the exile, due to the requirement of a mortal. This classification is found within the House (Clan) of Hecate. A Halfling is many times confused with a Possessor; Undead; or, sometimes, a Nephelium.

  A Halfling comes about when a Possessor not only takes over the living body of a Familiar, but when that Familiar allows a Soul Slayer to imprison or even destroy that Familiar’s soul. Within this submission, the Possessor taps into the spinal cord and brain cortex of the Familiar and takes full control of the Familiar; in essence, the Familiar becomes a Fallen, but not immortal. The body will live longer, giving the impression of immortality; but being a true Eternal is not able to be achieved by a mortal.

  The classification of Halfling is from where many legends of Vrykolakas (humans who were changed into Vampires) came.

  Healer –

  An Eternal whose purpose is to attend to those wounded, immortal or mortal, who work with the Alliance.

  Host, The –

  Rarely any reference to the Host will be found today (see Alliance, The).

  Imp –

  A Fallen which has only been around since the exile. An imp can be found within any clan and, truly, has no thought process or will of its own. Their sole existence is to do the tormenting directed by a clan member or leader. Many Alliance members will refer to them as the “mosquitoes of the immortal realm.”

  Intercessor –

  An Eternal whose purpose of existence during the time of the Host was to go before Jah for the cause of other Eternals; similar to the mortal designation of a mediator. There are not many who left Scintillantes to join the Alliance. This designation within the Alliance has fallen more to the Guardians and Messengers.

  Jerusalem Breed –

  During the fall of Babylon, Rephaim, one of the original Nephelium, was rescued by Leah, a Guardian. He was delivered to a Jewish family who took him to Jerusalem; thus, the descendants of Rephaim are called the Jerusalem Breed.

  In Jerusalem, Rephaim was raised and taught in the ways of Jah. He was given a choice to nurture his Fallen heritage, or to embrace the way of Jah. He chose the latter; and in so doing, he set up within the Alliance a faction of Nephelium who would work beside the will of Jah throughout mortal history. Many heroes throughout mortal history, who were able to do that which seemed impossible and, thereby, change the tide of evil in favor of innocence, were Nephelium (see Joan of Arc in the Appendix).

  Because of their importance and because they were half mortal, each of the Jerusalem Breed was given a Guardian. As time marched on, many of them chose to blend into mortal roles and requested not to have Guardians. These i
ndividuals lived as humans, and as the ages rolled on, many did not even pass on to their children the understanding of their supernatural heritage. Many mortals today possess powers that they do not understand–do not understand because they are not aware that they are not fully mortal.

  Messenger –

  An Eternal whose purpose of existence is to relay information and Intel among different Alliance (see Alliance, The) units and between the Alliance and the Arch Council (see Arch Council, The).

  Nephelium –

  The Nephelium fall under both the Alliance (see Alliance, The) and the Fallen (see Fallen, The). The Nephelium were born from a union of the Fallen Overlord Marduk and his priestess. In his quest for power, Marduk organized a plan to impregnate his priestess to bear his offspring. His offspring would be half Fallen and half mortal. His belief was that he would have them raised within the mortal realm of man; and, as they grew, their true identity as part Fallen would be hidden. This would ensure their rise in power among mortal man. Then, when the right time came, his offspring would be revealed for what they truly were; and mortals would surrender to them, giving his clan the ultimate power over this realm and over mankind; thus, over all Fallen.

  Six children were conceived: Rephaim, Emim, Anakim, Horim, Avim, and Zamzummim. During the fall of Babylon the children were exposed, and Marduk was stripped of his clan and exiled to the Abyss. His children were raised outside of all clans. However, as they got older they were shunned by all clans and were scattered to the ends of the world. They were given no authority, and many Nephelium began to blend into the mortal world, leaving behind the clans. They did exploit their supernatural heritage and used their supernatural side for darkness and self-preservation. Many clans still use the descendants of the original Nephelium to do their dirty work to which they do not wish to be tied.

  All of this does not apply to the descendants of Rephaim (see Jerusalem Breed).

  Overlord –

  An Eternal who held a position of power within Scintillantes before the War of the Serpents. Each held a position of leadership during the rebellion in Scintillantes; and, upon exile, each became a clan leader, also known as an Overlord. It is believed that the original five Overlords, Marduk, Adremalech, Dumah, Carniveau, and Mantus, were Generals within the rebellion.

  Later, Hecate would replace her husband as she betrayed him for power within his clan. Marduk would be exiled and his clan stripped from him.

  Possessor –

  A Fallen found within the House (Clan) of Hecate who, upon agreement/submission of a Familiar, possesses the living body of a mortal. A Possessor is many times confused with an Undead or a Halfling. These three classifications are very similar. A Possessor embodies and controls that which the Familiar allows, but does not fully take over, as in the case of a Halfling (see Halfling).

  Scintillantes –

  The immortal existence of the Eternals. To explain Scintillantes to mortals is very difficult. Mortal man’s mind and thought process works within set boundaries, and Scintillantes is outside of those boundaries. It is like attempting to describe a color to one born blind or harmonic unity to one born deaf. To the mortal man it is best described as the planet or realm where the Eternals live. This does not describe it fully, but must suffice for now.

  Soul Slayer –

  A Fallen found within the House (Clan) of Adremalech that many mortals know as a Poltergeist. A Soul Slayer’s responsibility revolves around entrapping the soul of a mortal and allowing a Possessor full control of the shell of that mortal. They also thrive on the soul terror of mortals, that terror that a mortal feels to the point of his death; thus, the origin of the term, “scared to death.”

  Undead –

  A Fallen found within the House (Clan) of Hecate. This class of Fallen is commonly mistaken for Possessed (see Possessor). The key difference is that the Undead or mortal bodies, in all reality, are dead; but because of an agreement between the clan and a Familiar (see Familiar), the mortal body is used as a host by a clan member or Soul Slayer. Usually, they are known by mortals as Zombies and are also found in many voodoo cultures.

  War of Serpents –

  In the Age of Lustrata on Scintillantes, Lucifer had convinced five leaders within the Eternals that Jah had become distant and disconnected to the reality of Scintillantes and that they would be able to lead a coup, which would allow them to share the authority and power to better the lives within Scintillantes. The attempt turned into a full blown war. This war would take its toll on numbers of Eternals and Scintillantes itself. Eventually, the rebellion was squelched, and the leaders and their rebels were exiled.

  Watchers, The Brotherhood of –

  Before the sect of Watchers was organized into a Brotherhood, individuals carried out what would become the duty of the Brotherhood later. No one is truly sure when the Brotherhood started. It is known that the true organization of what it is today came from a group of 12 men who, after the death of the mortal embodiment of Jah, realized the importance of not only recording what happened with the Eternals, but also to ensure certain artifacts were hidden away.

  The Oath of the Brotherhood holds each Watcher to secrecy; even members of the Alliance are not fully aware of what is known or written down by the Brotherhood. The Watchers have not only recorded happenings, but many have been given prophetic visions and have recorded these. A struggle with which the Watchers deal is bringing all the information together to see if they are able to decipher a bigger picture to it all. It is not the job of a Watcher to change the course of history, but simply to record and annotate what they discover and watch it take place.

  The Fallen have manipulated many Watchers over the ages in an attempt to find many supernatural artifacts that are guarded by the Watchers. Watchers, who have turned and betrayed the Brotherhood and survived, become Watchmen, who are kept within the circles of the Abyss in order to record its occupants and that which is done there.

  Excerpt from The Eternals, Book Two: The Vapor

  “Will you leave?”

  “You don’t deserve me! We are more than you can control. You are mere spittle from the hairy lips of a ravished dog.”

  “Then you control me? ALL of you are controlling me?”

  “You are weak! I am strong, and we don’t have time to waste on weak, human flesh! If we leave you, then you are nothing. I am you; we are you; and you are nothing but what we allow you to be. Nothing!”

  A wretched figure scratched at the dirt that surrounded him in the small cave in which he found himself. The dust was thick around him and threatened to choke out the small light that was able to filter in. It caked the inside of the man’s lungs. He hissed and howled like an angry cat. His body was hunched in a “C” shape, his extremities gnarled and covered in open sores and gashes. What hair he did have covered his head in patches, and his eyes were clouded.

  Human and animal excrement was smeared throughout the rock haven; and shards of bones jutted from the earth, uncovered from their burial place by the ravishing, raging fits thrown by this depleted human.

  “We do not have time to waste on such weak human flesh . . .”

  “You don’t have time to waste? YOU!” he howled and hissed, biting at himself.

  He ran himself full length into the sides of the sepulcher.

  “You made me this way! You made me what I am.”

  “No,” a voice stated, oozing in sarcasm. “We did not. Your Creator gave you a weak body; I just attempted to use it.”

  The man began to thrash wildly around, slamming his body against jagged stones that protruded from the walls. He scrapped around for bone fragments marred with teeth marks from where he had gnawed at them before and began to stab at his legs and arms.

  “Get out! Leave me!”

  Laughter! One laugh and then others joining the laughter. It drowned everything out; he became like meat under a tenderizer as he pulverized his body against anything that would take the weight of his body. Oh, how he wanted to
just beat the voices out! Get the voices to silence themselves!

  “I was a well-respected citizen--a leader!”

  “I respect you. We respect you!”

  More laughter

  “Leave me now!” the man screamed.

  He ran from the entrance of the tomb, scattering bones and holding his arms up in front of him to block the sun from burning his eyes. Its heat upon his naked skin was almost too much to bear. The air about him was stale and washed out. His peeling and blanched skin screamed at the sun’s relentless rays. None of this mattered; only getting what was inside him to come out was important.

  “Kill yourself; and then you won’t have to deal with me,” the voice so subtle and sultry stated somewhere from the middle of his existence. “Go to the tomb of the warriors; and impale your ragged, wretched body upon the spears there. We will help you.”

  “LEAVE ME!”

  His mouth opened; and bile and saliva spewed out, leaving a trail in the dirt and grime upon his face and down his chest.

  “I am the Destroyer, the essence of seven within one! You are my pet. Nomen mihi Legioest, quia multi sumus!” (Translation: My name is Legion, for we are many.)

  About the Author

  Nathan currently lives at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado. When he is not writing or spending time with his family, he can be found enjoying the beauty of the state in which he lives.

  Nathan started writing when he was very young. As he grew up, he became fascinated with novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Perretti. He found himself writing, many times, because he struggled to find books that would hold his interest. He wrote for a brief time for his college newsletter and also wrote skits and small plays for local youth groups. For a few years, Nathan stepped away from writing, but life experiences brought him back to allowing the characters’ stories to unfold on paper.