Mordeth shook his head "but it also could be longer than you think..." he watched the images in his head of his battle with Azreil. he healed wounds throbbed by memories of them
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Thank you Scythe. "Take one last look at your shining Heaven, Imperius. For soon, nothing of it shall remain, but my laughter..."
Ekeiel finally reahced teh Celestial at the doors of Heaven.
''I am not here to stop the demon's army anymore. I will do this on a proper time. But tell me, what is your ultimate goal in this battle? Not what you have said to me earlier. What is your personal goal?''
Verin pulled both blades from Azreils chest and launched into a tackle, swinging the blades up in a two handed grip, both blades together, he plunged them for Nakirs chest.
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A long time have I waited for this, my little green friend!
Azreil spun away and placed a botted foot on Verin's back "pathetic angel! you all are weak, just like your so called 'god'!" he laughed and forced Verin face down on the ground
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Thank you Scythe. "Take one last look at your shining Heaven, Imperius. For soon, nothing of it shall remain, but my laughter..."
The Celestial looked out over the mass expanse of tents and camp fires. The war was over, hell had been destroyed. The surrounding calm was surreal. Even the aurora of good that permeated through each soldier-angel did nothing to alleviate this strange apathetic ambience. It was grey and for the most part, very dead; lifeless. The Celestial in full armor stood over a foot of Ezekial and nearly twice his width. But now he stood at his level arms crossed in nothing but tattered robes and a torn toga. His torso displayed out through the rips and holes and what little could be seen was usually marred with burnt marks and scars of old wars past. His face was young but weather worn. It might have easily been anywhere between a good 100-500 years old. But if he was a mentor of Metatron, he would have been far older.
The celestial sat down next to the standing Ezekiel. He rested on his locked arms as he spread his legs out forward. His wings seemed to awkwardly bend against the ground in this strange position, but he didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. All this had only a few moments after Ezekiel's question had been asked. With a sigh the angel spoke, "We don't have 'personal' goals." He shifted a little letting a wing get clear to stretch out some more. "Personal goals blind the user to the greater good of things. A tunnel vision on one objective blockouts the grand spectrum of objectives that need to be reached as well." He raised a pointed finger out towards the camp and said, "it feels strange. Evil still exists but the universe is taken back at such a drop of concentration of it, that it is, ironically, going through withdraw. Only until they are done away with will the universe have a better balance of itself." He smiled now recalling his hand where each one made way to cushion his head from the hard ground. He bent his right leg as his wings sprawled out around him. "Nex is innevitable. That was his only request. The all things must pass through him. We all recieved one. I asked for Understanding. To have him, above all other virtues as mine. And on many occasions I have come across his gentle nature and have become enthrawled with his wisdom. But we all must contribute towards our request. Nex must carry the burden of every soul he meets, and I must carry the weight of this onerous task. Of wiping the sleight clean and beginning again." He rolled over, his back facing Ezekiel, his wings adjusted as well folding around his sides as a make shift cover, "And It's Ruhiel. I could never compare to Metatron."
He turned away and looked at the scenery. It was true. Everything was in a hold. What seemed colorful at first went grey, and stillness of the air was asphixiating. No sound was made, an echo, deep in the night, resonated as to say all was over. Evil could not be felt. Ezekiel closed his eyes, and took a breath. The air passed through its lungs, he could feel it, but when entering his thorax, was sucked of all his oxygen, as if to keep Ezekiel from breathing.
Opening his eyes again, he understood what Nex had tried to tell him all this time. Everything was as it should, and yet...
Turning back, facing Ruhiel.
''You have failed in your success... for what is dead is bound to come back, in all sorts of forms.''
He walked towards Ruhiel.
''You have destroyed evil's figure, but not evil itself. It will come back, and stronger than before. For with this violence you brought, a penalty is now bound to happen.''
Sitting next to Ruhiel, Ezekiel adopted the same position as him.
''What has transcended here was only the beginning. The real battle is about to start, you have unleashed an irreparable breach, one that must now be followed to the end. Alas, i have no choice but to side with you, for if we battle now and one of us dies, everything will fall apart, and the world will be facing evil and death like never before, without anyone capable of stopping it.''
Ezekiel closed his eyes again.
''Personal goals are a way of making one stronger, if used correctly. You will not harm the fire fairy, of name Gean, for she carries my child, and the hope of the celestials on this earth, for I know beleive I am one of you. The road my parents has sent me on, which now seems so long ago I barely remember, was to arrive at this conclusion.''
Waiting for wind to blow in his hair, to feel nature's right touch again, but it never came.
''You will leave Mordreth, ancient hell commander, alone. He is to raise my son when I will leave this earth, and return with the other celestials. That is why I did not die. That is why Nex sent me back. I wasn't destined to die as a human, nor an angel or demon.''
And there they were, not one speaking to another for a long time, and it seemed that, from anywhere on this planet, no other two beings were as clam as them, preparing for what was to come, what was asked of them.
Ruhiel smiled, Oh Ezekiel, what does Nex see in you? he thought sitting back up. He ruffled his wings a bit before looking back at the camp. "You'll never know you've failed until there is no longer an opportunity to succeed. Do you see this? None have ever amassed an army this great in all of time's existence. I have not failed in destroying evil. True her form is disfigured but not her identity. But I never intended her complete destruction. Right now she is weakened, and in one final act of desperation she will strike with her darkest entity yet. But that is the point. To drive her to the point of extinction, and before her eradication we shall steal the seed of her beginning. The 'blackness' to this circle of life. Then and only then will we be able to create the new world. But it must be balanced. It needs control first."
An angel came swooping up the hill side and delivered a message to Ruhiel. After a series of whispers and nods, Ruhiel stood and motioned for Ezekiel, "the beast has awakened. We ought to move quickly."
Ezekiel got up, and followed, whispering to himself.
''Let us hope you are right and I am wrong, but what I see coming is more than we mere can handle. For I truly do not beleive such evilness could be destroyed this way.''
Ruhiel seemed to look back as though reading his thoughts, "Don't worry, we wont be doing this alone."
They both arrived at the camp's head quarters. A large tent housed most of the hybrid generals who were still wearing their armor when Ruhiel and Ezekiel walked in. Much of the camp was angels scattering and scrambling to get ready and therefore there was much chaos. But within this tent where only the hybrids stood with maps and compass' infront of them, composure and discipline were the only two components to be felt. "Where was her last contraction?" Ruhiel asked diving straight into the statistics of the scenario.
"30 kilometers away from hell. Towards the black mountains. It is strange thou...." but before he could finish Ruhiel cut him short, "Because the contractions aren't complete so we don't know exactly where she's hiding." The angel nodded in agreement at a statement he wished wasn't true.
"That means that she's either half-way through her delivery, or..." some of the hybrids looked away at the mere thought of the second possibility becoming a reality, "she is fading within herself." Noticing some udder bewilderance in Ezekiel, Ruhiel choose to address it before proceeding further. "Evil is a mother that breeds evil. When an evil entity comes into existence, almost like a sonar 'ping', eminates from its origins. This helps to keep the balance between good and evil. The evil is born and the good hunt it. Some evil escapes, others aren't so lucky. But evil is a cunning creature, and leaves her first born to defend themselves while she quickly escapes. After the summoning, she is left in a critical state. How she manages to move in such a state is beyond me." He paused for a moment to look at the map. "The Black Mountain's range is far too large to divide our forces to seek. To scale it would be impossible." The explanation of the mountains was aminly directed for the enlightening of Ezekiel, "the Black Mountains were designed as the border line of Hell. Large and ominous in it's form, it was 'meant' to keep creatures and humans from escaping. Countless qualities makes this mountain range a danger beyond comprehension. It makes sense that she would hide here, but not defend herself. Even she can no undue what God has done..." and in that moment everything for him seemed to click.
Looking at Ezekiel and the rest of the hybrids he ordered, "go and help the other angel's prepare. Do not enter into this tent under any circumstances. I'll join you shortly." The hybrids shuffled out orderly and quickly leaving Ezekiel that last to leave the tent, "you worry too much Ezekiel. The worst that can happen is that we die." And with a humerous smile on his face he directed Ezekiel out through the opening where once Ezekiel had stepped out seemed to merge into one, shutting out the world completely. Ruhiel closed his eyes and summoned Nex once more, "Nex, it it time..."
Gean nodded and looked down at the baby in her arms. "I know... I'm just trying to have a little hope for this world... Everything we worked hard to create is being destroyed." She kissed little Ezekiel's head and looked up sadly at Mordeth.
Nakir gasped and fell to her knees, cluching the blades in her chest. The explosive orbe slowly faded as she watched what was left of her blood slowly drip off the hilt of both swords.
Ezekiel did not like to be given orders, but in this matter, he knew far less than Ruhiel, and decided it was best just to do what was told of him, at least until he knew what would eventually take place. He did not intend to follow blindly like any soldiers, but what Ruhiel has revealed to him, if true, was incredible. The heart of evil, under everyone's very nose, and no one had the power to feel it? As he assembled the angels, they followed his commands without question. It was strange to him that it was this way, after fighting some of them not so long ago. Perhaps he gained respect, perhaps something else.
And so it went. As he thought of Gean and of his son, it gave him courage to pull through with this.
He stood on the edge of a misty lake- on the edge of the water sat a small boat, in the boat a wraith- similar to Nex but of smaller stature and he wore no hood over his skeletal head.
As Nex approached the Boatsman bowed his head.
"Welcome my lord" he hissed in a graspy voice- he was not used to talking. Nex looked at the Boatsman, the dark grin returned more sinister than before.
"Save your courtesies- I have no use for it!" Nex raised his scythe and thrust it towards the Boatsman- from its end errupted a bolt of fire which engulfed him, his arms flared in the air as he shrieked in pain before diving into the waters....never to rise again.
Nex put his foot onto the edge of the boat and shoved it into the lake...he then jumped aboard and using his scythe punted off from the ground...he flipped a small coin into the water and then sat down as the boat glided into the mist.
*If I'm awake in an hour I'll decide then, otherwise goodnight!* Do you have 'THE' PM? So we can continue, I have had so many other PM's I've lost it.))
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A long time have I waited for this, my little green friend!
Nex walked up the stony banks of the island. He hit his Scythe against the door of a small stone building. A few seconds later it creaked open...noone had opened it.
In the centre of the room was a small wooden table on it was a bundle of black coins and a set of scales...
"It is time." croaked a voice from the shadows. Nex turned to face the place where the noise had come from.
"Yes," he said "time to fulfil our part of the bargin.
From the shadows emerged a tall thin man...with pasty skin which seemed to be rotting away...like decay. His long legs carried him to the table in two steps- he picked up his scales and held them to his chest.
"Can you still ride, Death?" screeched the man, his voice was high and grated. Nex pointed out of the door.
"I think that we will find out soon...but we have no time for that now...we must gather." The man snorted his disapproval he quickly walked out the door, striding ahead of a following Nex.
"Why do you disturb my peace...and not even give me the pleasure of my steed?" snapped the man.
Nex smiled again, "What would this little party be...without Pestilence?"
Pestilence turned and grinned...and laughed "then let us leave my little safehaven...there is no need for the boat...I can transport us" He pulled a small device from his robes and cast it on the ground, the entire safehaven dissolved around him. the world around them started to come back into focus...they were in the tent, Ruhiel stood before them.
Ruhiel smiled broadly. It had been eons since they had gathered. And to him, these beings were always a sight for sore eyes. He gazed down at a sand dial which was slowly emptying out from the top. "He should be arriving at any minute." And sure enough, shouts and grunting could be heard off in the distance outside of the tent.
"Get out of my way," came the curt command of War. His mighty red steed stomping the ground in a relaxed trot as his its seemed to wave like tongues of fire and the mist that spewed from his nose seemed like smoke. War's red beard and hair matched the color of his horse. Both were intricately woven to bring a little order and cleanliness to what seemed to be a hopeless weatherworn appearance.
"Move it you scrawny little worm," he kicked an angel on his back that didn't move out of the horses way soon enough. He caught Ezekiel's gaze but thought nothing towards his character thinking him just another angel. When he finally reached the tent he dismounted and withdrew his sword. In one clean slice he split a side of the tent down to completely to make an entrance to his burly figure. "For a second there I thought I was the only one here. Where are your horses?" his voice was naturally a booming one so the tent seemed to echo his words.
"In time, War, in time. Right now I have summoned you all because I have now the power to bring an end to this madness once and for all." He pointed to the place on the map Evil had been presumed to be. "Here she lies men. In all her weakened state.
"Wait a minute" War was confused looking at the borders of the mountainside, "where are we?" Ruhiel pointed to the center city of hell, where Satan's palace once stood. "This is hell?! What happened here?!" Ruhiel smiled looking up from below his brow not raising his head very much, "I conquered it," Ruhiel replied most cynically. War was speechless. He seemed to stutter in utter bafflement at Ruhiel's response.
"I have amassed all the armies of heaven, but the Archangels have chosen to remain at Heaven's Gates. Where their help would be much obliged, I understand their conservative nature. And so that is why we are here." Ruhiel looked up from the map to look at the three beings standing before him. "Death, Pestilence, War, and I, Conquest, we four riders of the Apocalypse were summoned by God to bring order to man's madness. But the madness lies not in he, but in the demons who forced him to fall. But the madness lies not in them either, for where they not once among us? Were we no greater then angels outside this tent? But God rose us and made us this deal: 'care for man and keep him still. Let him not rise foolishly against me but find mercy in conquest, faith in war, humility in pestilence and me in death. And so shall this be his repentance until the end of time.'"
"And of which of us turned our Good Lord away? And 'Lo' he said, 'that you accepted by my command I give you this reward: stay faithful, converge not towards the shadows of evil, and when man finds peace I will grant you your one heart's desire.' Here, lies man's peace." He slammed a compass into the point where Evil was figured to be hiding, "and here lies our reward for our loyalty to this pact. No more madness, no more blood shed, no longer a need for us to carry our titles, but rather peace at long last and rest for us all."
He paused and looked down at the map, his hand was shaking, his body was anxious, and his mind was uneasy. Evil was a being far beyond the four celestials. Far beyond all of the legions of heaven. But united they stood a chance. With Nex's secret they might win.
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Jul 29th, 2008 07:28 PM
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