“My ancestors told me there were people before Adam and Eve and I never believed until now,” Mer-Alz-Azkiban said, somewhat coming to my defense, “I know someone who would know more about Lilith than anyone here.”
“Who would that be?” I asked.
“My mom,” she said and raised an eyebrow to me.
“No surprise there,” I said, “I will go to Gomorrah later today and talk to her.”
“She won’t talk to you, but she will me, so I will go with you.”
“If that’s what you want, I don’t care, I need answers and if I don’t get the, Derium and Mylicious won’t stop.”
“I will get them, I need to rest though. I will find you when I wake,” she said.
“I will be working on Al Hubarb’s hut,” I said and looked at her.
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“I feel like I need to, it’s my fault it got destroyed,” I said then felt something hit my foot. It was Wretch and he brought me an axe. I just gave him an odd look as he trotted by me and neighed.
The group dispersed, and I went to work chopping down an Ulmus tree. I then took and cut some logs the best I could and then some planks, it was hard to do with an axe, but I believe I had done an okay job. There weren’t many nails around in the village, so I used a peg design that was shown to me. As I was putting the pegs on, Wretch brought me some potatoes to eat, which I did gracefully.
“Wretch, we are going back to Gomorrah later today, what do you think about that?” I asked him, and he just neighed, “Yeah, me too my friend!” I had finally repaired the hut later in the day and then Al Hubarb himself said he was going to lay down as did most the village except me.
I ate some more potatoes and then Mer-Alz-Azkiban came up to me, “Shall we go? It’ll be late in the day by the time we get there.” She put on her hijab
“That sounds good, I really need to talk to your mom, see what she knows, see if she will help me. She didn’t take too kindly to me last time I was there.” I said and looked at her.
“She doesn’t take too kindly to anyone, and I wasn’t with you. I do have one question; how do you ride your donkey?”
“You don’t, you sit on him and let your feet dangle over the side,” I walked over the Wretch and showed her what I was talking about. I sat upon Wretch like a stool, my feet dragged a little, but Wretch was tiny and not meant for riding, or much of anything, I thought. I still didn’t know to this day why I didn’t use my speed to get there faster, but I was still learning about myself.
I gathered up a small bag of potatoes to eat along the way, Mer-Alz-Azkiban packed some vegetables and some dried fish. We made our walk towards Gomorrah. Mer-Alz-Azkiban snacked here and there on her vegetables and didn’t really say much. I ate potatoes like apples and took in the scenery.
“May I sit upon Wretch?” she asked.
“If he lets you, why is it you’re covered up? And why didn’t I have to cover up? I did last time.”
“Its customary for women to cover in Gomorrah, unless they’re indoors and it is also customary that all be covered before entering the Hall during the meeting, another one of Abakanazar’s rules.” she said.
“Odd, I hadn’t noticed before,” I said, not lying either, I was simply too busy to notice.
“Most men don’t,” she said.
The day drew on and soon we were in Gomorrah. I admired my potato field before we walked into to Hall, tying Wretch up beforehand. As usual, Abakanazar was in there.
“Welcome friend and friend of his. I’m glad you’re back.” He said.
Mer-Alz-Azkaban took off her hijab and got a strange look from Abakanazar, “We’re here to see my mother,” she said.
“She’s off hunting, you can wait in here. Not that it’s any of my concern, but why are wanting to visit her. Last time I checked you weren’t talking.”
“Have you heard anything about Lilith?” I asked, taking the last bite of my potatoes.
“Odd you ask, our villagers that were attacked were asked the same thing. I haven’t though, well nothing but rumors and stories when I was a kid. I take it though that since they’ve asked, and you are asking, there must be some truth to her.”
“There is and Derium and Mylicous aren’t going to stop until I find her,” I said.
“But haven’t they stopped? I’ve only heard of minor attacks unlike here, Sodom and Zoar. They’ve seemed to back off since you’ve arrived,” he said.
“Yes, they’ve tried luring me away from the two villages but knowing I’m here and there, they have stayed away, except Derium. He came back last night and tried to feast from a baby,” I said.
“That’s horrible, please tell me he didn’t’ succeed.”
“He did not, Roldian acted fast and scared him away,” Mer-Alz-Azkiban said and gave me a look that told me not mention Lucifer.
“Your mom will be back shortly, she would know more about it than anyone around, she’s been around a long time,” he said.
“She’s been around almost a hundred years,” Mer-Alz-Azkiban said, puzzling me.
“You don’t look that old,” I said stating the obvious.
“She had me when she was fifty-five, plus witches age slower. We may not be immortal like some, but our imprint on this Earth will last just as long,” she smiled and her eyes caught a gleam of light
“You are……” I started to say.
“A bitch?” she said suddenly and Abakanazar laughed.
“No, I was going to say beautiful, but I guess now isn’t the time for such talk,” I said as some color came to her cheeks.
“I have some business to attend to, so if you both don’t mind waiting at Mer’s mothers hut please,” Abakanazar said.
Mer-Alz-Azkiban wrapped her face back up and I let her take the lead. When we walked outside, Wretch was gone again.
“Wretch is gone,” she said.
“He does that from time to time,” I said to her looking into her eyes.
“Where do you think he goes?”
“Off to do donkey stuff I assume,” I said and that was the end of our conversation until we reached her mother’s hut. There were strands of herbs hanging on the outside and some herbs growing around the outside as well. There were two makeshift seats, so we sat and waited.
“Mother has always been a good hunter, I honestly think she enjoys killing things,” she said.
It was a while, I’d say probably three hours before her mother showed up. She had two people carrying a long, single stick, it was loaded with what appeared a smaller version of the rodents around Sodom. There was a good twelve feet between the two people holding the stake. They all three had smiles on their faces, but her mother was the only woman out of the group. That seemed to be the ratio there, one woman per two men.
She stopped when she saw Mer-Alz-Azkiban, “So child, the chicken has come back to the roost.”
“I guess you can say that, I just came back for some answers,” she said to her mother.
“I see you brought the white-one,” her mother said and gave me a hateful look.
“The names Roldian, I just have a question for you,” I said.
“And why should I help you?”
“Because the attacks won’t stop unless he has answers, they’ve simply moved on for now, but they will be back, I had to fight one off just last night,” I said.
“What do you want to know?”
“Have you heard of Lilith?” Mer asked.
“I have, back in my younger years, I was just becoming of age. I heard rumors here and there of her, how much of scarlet she was, how she was like him,” she nodded to me, “Then one night I heard an awful screaming, I watched as this fireball shot out from Mount Sodom and landed right over there,” she pointed to a spot in the middle of the lake, “Ever since then, the fish won’t swim up this way and over there,” she pointed to area that was somewhat nothing but sand with bits and pieces of grass, “That use to be the most beautiful garden. A b
ig tree grew right in the center, there were smaller fruit trees and everything you could ever think of would grow there. After that night the garden started dying off.”
“Mother you never told me any of this,” Mer said, hurt in her voice.
“You didn’t need to know it, it wasn’t witch related, so I didn’t share it.”
“Do you think what happened in the lake, had anything to do with Lilith?” I asked.
“I bet my witch’s intuition on it,” she said and took her hijab off.
“Mother you’re in public.”
“So, if Abakanazar says anything to me, I’ll shrink his penis smaller than what it already is,” she laughed as so did Mer-Alz-Azkiban.
“I’m going to have to go in to the lake and see,” I said, catching odd stares.
“What if she isn’t there?”
“I don’t know, I keep looking, find older people, maybe even try asking Jehovah,” I said.
“Ha, the make-believe God, as if he would listen to you or any of us. He wants the acknowledgement of a God, but doesn’t want to do the work,” her mother said, and I got angered.
“I beg to differ!” I said with anger in my voice.
“You would dear, if you only knew what I knew.”
“And if you only knew what I knew,” I said.
She just smiled and went into her hut, a warm breeze blew, and the smell of the herbs filled my nose, there was, definitely, lavender hanging up. We tried to follow her in, but the door was locked.
“Mother come one, let us in,”
“Nope, I gave you what you want and since you’re not here to stay, best be on your way.”
I shook my head and walked away, wondering where Wretch had gone. I walked to the edge of the lake and felt its eeriness. Then I felt like I was being watched and looked to the left of me and there stood Lucifer.
“Do you think she’s out there?” he asked me.
“I believe so, or something is, I can sense it.”
“See when Jehovah buried her, he took away my ability to sense her, I haven’t felt her presence in a long time,” he said, I could tell he was upset.
“I will go into the lake, but how will I know if I find her?” I asked.
“She would be the most beautiful person you had ever saw. She had the voice of an angel, she’d be calling out, but I wouldn’t be able to hear her. I think that will be the case until she’s free of her tomb.”
“I will do this for you,” I said.
“Who are you talking to?” I heard Mer-Alz-Azkiban ask. I turned and looked at her and when I turned back to look at Lucifer he was gone.
“I guess myself, if there is ever such a thing,” I said.
“There is, mother does it, I do it, I think just about everybody does it.”
“I’m going to have to go in to the lake, there is something in there I can feel it.” I said, “and as I stand in this spot, I feel it stronger than ever before.”
I could to, something was drawing me in, the mere mention of her name seemed fuel some invisible energy, so I stepped into the water.
“Aren’t you going to take you clothes off?” Mer-Alz-Azkiban asked jokingly, but she was right, so I did. I disrobed right at the edge of the lake, tossing my clothes to Mer-Alz-Azkiban, who wasn’t shy about staring at me.
“Have you rolled rocks your whole life?” she said suddenly.
“No, why?”
“Because you look like you have, you look as if you’ve been chiseled from white, stone.”
“Perhaps I am,” I said and took a step forward. I could feel the water’s coolness against my leg. I took a couple more steps and was waist deep, then soon the water was over my head. I seemed to stick to the bottom of the lake instead of float. I wasn’t for sure if I was headed in the right direction, but then I heard, “Over here” in a whispered, echoing voice. It was coming slightly from the right of me. I shifted direction, the bottom started to become mushy. I squinted to see, but there was nothing in front of me and my hair was floating all over the place, getting in my way. I breathed in and I could feel my body adapt to being underwater.
Bottom dwelling creatures starting to become visible, but only when they swam nearly in front of me, large turtles and a fish that almost looked like a catfish, except it was longer and the top part of its tail was whip like. I noticed they never crossed a certain point in the lake. They would swim up to a certain point and it was like they would hit an invisible wall, then turn around and go back the way they came.
“CLOOOOSSSERRRR!” I heard the echoing whisper say.
The plant life at the bottom of the lake started to wrap around my leg. I would simply just kick them off. I walked what seemed like, miles under the water. The ground was getting softer and softer with each step. I didn’t think I was going to find anything when I stumbled upon a large rock. I couldn’t see all too well, but it felt like it was more than a rock.
“Taaaake me tooooo land,” I heard the voice say. I wrapped my arms around the rock, it was so massive, that my arms couldn’t reach all the way around it. I pulled with all my might and it came loose from its spot. I had a difficult time carrying it back, not so much because of its weight, but its size as well. Any sign of light had disappeared and I was walking blind back to the shore, or at least I hoped I was.
I finally made it to the bank where, Mer-Alz-Azkiban had a fire going, it was dark out, so it helped guide me. I sat the stone down and looked at it. It was roughly three times my size. It had a face to it, twisted in terror and cover in algae.
“Oppppeeeenn meeeee!” I heard the voice say.
“Did you hear that?” I asked.
“Yes, but how do you open a stone that size?” she asked and handed me my clothes back and I dressed quickly.
There must have been some villagers that saw me come out of the lake, because they started to gather around and look. One took off and came back with a crude pickaxe and handed it to me. I steadied my arms and then took a swing. The axe shattered upon impact. Then off in the distance, a storm started to brew, I looked over at Mer-Alz-Azkiban and she had a worried look on her face.
“Maybe I should try something that won’t break,” I said.
“Like what?” Mer-Alz-Azkiban asked.
“Myself,” I said looked back at the stone. I brought my fists up and slammed then down on the stone, but nothing happened, which angered me. I brought them down again, pain shot through me this time, but it didn’t stop me. I then, started throwing punches, left and right, the pain getting to be too much. That was until one punch, I grazed my knuckle across the top of the stone and cut myself open.
I saw my blood for the first time, it was red just like any other blood, but mine had a sparkle to it, like it was mixed with diamond dust. One little droplet fell upon the stone and it cracked the stone. A great, white light from within shone out, blinding me. The storm picked up as well, lighting strikes were happening left and right, the villagers scattered and went to their huts, but not I and Mer-Alz-Azkiban.
I managed to squeeze one more drop before I healed up, the last drop hit the stone and when it did, it acted like dynamite, the stone exploded, sending shards of it everywhere. Merz-Alz-Azkiban went flying back, as so did I. I hit the ground hard and laid there for a second with my eyes closed and when I opened them, I saw the most gorgeous female I had ever seen.
She looked to be carved from the very stone she had just come from. She was naked and perfectly proportioned, her skintone was pink though instead marble-white like mine. She had long blond hair that was braided along her hairline and tucked back behind her ears. Her eyes were the brightest green, almost like her body was an earth and her eyes were the jewels the Earth possessed. Her teeth were as white as fresh bone, her lips were full, both on her face and between her legs. I felt a pull towards her and got up.
“Are you?...” I went to ask but she interrupted me.
“Lilith? Yes, I am,” she said, her voice sounded much like mine, just a little so
fter. She walked towards me a little bit and I stepped back, “Don’t be afraid of me,” she said, then proceeded to kiss me. Naturally I pulled back and she smiled, “I have much to teach you.”
Then, lightning struck, right between us, sending me flying back and landing hard on the ground again. My first concern was Mer-Alz-Azkiban, she was standing just inches from us. I got my bearings and looked for her, it took me a good minute to find her floating in the lake, face down. I raced out to her and grabbed onto her, then raced back to land.
Her clothes were charred, and she had charred flesh across the right side of her face and down the right side of her body. Her eyes were open but lifeless, I didn’t now what to do, then I was pushed aside by Lilith.
“Do you want me to save her?”
“YES! OF COURSE, I DO!” I shouted.
“You will owe me,” she smirked and raised an eyebrow.
“I DON’T CARE, SAVE HER!”
Lilith knelt beside Mer-Alz-Azkiban, then leaned over and kissed her and not just a normal kiss, she was all tongue. Then, she reached down and touched the scorched, right breast of Mer-Alz-Azkiban. I watched as light radiated from the hand and lips of Lilith and all the charred flesh flaked away and new skin appeared. Mer-Alz-Azkiban took in a deep breath and her eyes fluttered before she realized she was being kissed and fondled, but all she did was pull away and give a sideways stare.
Lilith got up and extended her hand to Mer-Alz-Azkiban. She took it and Lilith helped her up, then looked at me and smiled again, I felt her influence on me, “You owe me now, and I will call upon you for it. First, I must find my father.”
Then, I watched as she changed form, her teeth grew into fangs, her long blond hair disappeared, and her eyes turned a bright yellow. Wings sprouted out of her back and with a thrust of her wings he was off. I watched until she turned into the night sky and I could see her no longer. I then turned my attention to Mer-Alz-Azkiban.
The Godsend Backfire: The Beginning Page 4
