Chapter Thirty Five
Storm clouds drifted away as they could see ships all over the frigid sea drifting to shore. All it would take was just a few of the ships to defeat what was left of the Celts. Morrighan looked on with a scowl at the oncoming ships. It was clear that in her heaven, or afterlife she never accepted defeat or faced retreat. Now it was the only logical move yet she was holding her ground and her warriors looked on in horror. Ships were just a few hundred yards away, yet she would not make the call.
“Eraaah! Fall back, we have no other choice...” Morrighan shouted as her and the other gods quickly began riding away. Gabriel was left behind in their dust cloud. As the Celt warriors were running in every direction. Gabriel was not pulled along with Morrighan. The power of the pendant was nothing like his curse of seeing the past. Gabriel just watched as the Celt kingdom crumbled apart to Apollyon's army. It was the first time he could see how vast and powerful it had become.
In a single battle the Celts were turned into a fleeing band of gods. Warriors were in such a hurry that they even left behind most of their weapons. Crashing into the shore, demons poured out of ships. Some were so eager that they jumped from the ships before reaching the shore. Though the waters were still frigid. They swam with all their might, but after moments they would slow down until they were just drifting in the sea.
Demons ran across the shore and into the forests. They would move quickly at first but lacked endurance. After long they were wandering the forest like the demons just drifting at sea. So many ships had built up that there was no longer any room for more ships. So many had to turn around and head for a clear section of the coast. Still as far as Gabriel could see were ships and demon swarms. It was an army meant to not only destroy mankind, but the gods.
“Midgards calling.” Gabriel said pressing down tightly on the green jewel. He had to see if Jack and Alexander had made it out of the city and into safety. In the the blink of an eye he was standing amongst a pack of demons. With them in chains was Alexander while Jack was bound with rope. Thick smoke was all around and Gabriel could only tell that they were walking in the city streets, somewhere. Jack's face was covered in black soot. While Alexander was not looking quite as rough he still wore some of the soot.
Gabriel could tell just by looking at them that their fight had ended. Jack fell to the ground with exhaustion from walking. A large demon grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his feet. The demon pulled his other hand back as if he wanted to hit Jack.
“Wait, they must be able to speak!” One of the demons shouted. The one holding just made a slight shrug and then hit Jack across the face. Jack went limp for a moment and the demon let go of his hair dropping him back to the ground.
“Walk!” The demon shouted. Jack did not even open his eyes or attempt to move. Gabriel was not sure if he was just exhausted or unconscious. Lifting him up the demon threw jack over his shoulder and the began walking again. They walked for hours through smoke and past burning buildings. It was hard just to breath let alone walk in the dense smoke and fumes. Shadows from over head started flying by, and swarming all around them.
Demons on their fly creatures flew down and landed all around them. Steward jumped off the back of one of the creatures. He was so small that he needed another demon to hold the reins of the beast. Taking a moment Steward stretched out bending and twisting from side to side. With a slight grin he walked up to look at the two captives. Tilting his head he first examined Alexander, then walked around to get a glimpse at Jack.
“This one is dead!” Steward shouted as his eyes bulged. The demon holding Jack set Jack down on the ground very gently.
“Look it breaths!” The demon holding Jack said.
“Kill him.” Steward said pointing at the demon who had been holding Jack. Two demons on flying creatures dropped in from the smoke and ripped the demon up into the air. He was gone in a flash as the other demons looked up into the smoke and watched him vanish.
“Get this one on my Stermbak.” Steward said pointing at his flying creature. Demons gently carried Jack over to the Stermbak and place him on its back.
“Him too.” Steward said pointing at Alexander. Alexander took it upon himself to walk over to the Stermbak but with his chains he could not climb onto its back. Running over Gabriel waited for the demons to place Alexander on its back. As soon as Alexander was on Gabriel had just enough room on the back of the Stermbak near its tail. The tail was a single tail but at the end it split into two tails. It resembled that of a two headed snake that Gabriel had once seen. Except instead of scales and snake heads it was just fur much like a double ended lions tail.
“The one is not here?” Steward said looking around at the other demons on the ground.
“No, sire..” One of them said. Steward motioned for the Stermbak to take to the sky. The acceleration of the take off made Gabriel's head quickly jerk back. Losing his balance he fell back but reached out and was able to barely hang onto Alexander.
“Kill them all.” Gabriel could hear Steward say just as they left the ground. Flying above the smoke Gabriel could see more demons on Stermbak's flying down to the ground.
“ARGHHH!” Gabriel could hear cries from the demons fade into the distance as they flew very quickly over the city. Until finally the city had vanished and it was just them flying over an open mass of water. Gabriel looked around to see how many Demons were with them and there were only about a half dozen. Not enough to repel an attack but then again what would be able to attack them up there in the sky. All mechanized machines had no power unless the gods rigged them with some sort of power. Much like the ships that Apollyon had used to attack Europe’s coast.
After flying for almost the whole day, a small island came into view below them. The Stermbak stopped flapping its wings and glided down onto the island paradise. Gabriel was relieved to get off the Stermbak's back. It was a very uncomfortable ride and a balancing act so close to the back end of the beast. Looking around Gabriel could see that the island was almost untouched by the war. All except all the carcases of fish that had washed up on the shore.
It was so beautiful and peaceful that Gabriel walked away from the demons and tried to forget that they were even there. He had never been on an island like this and laying down on the warm sand and listening to the waves crash on the shore was heaven. Looking up in the sky he could still see some resemblance of the war. A few comets and fire balls flew by but nothing like the chaos back on main land. Gabriel closed his eyes and just took in the sun.
“I could stay like this forever!” Gabriel said as waves crashing silenced the demons. Gabriel drifted off into a light sleep and paid no attention to what was happening to Jack or Alexander. It only lasted a few minutes but it was the most refreshing thing he had done since the war started. Everything had been moving so fast that little moments like this were not happening. It was all pain and suffering, but now he felt a slight moment of peace.
Commotion from the demons woke Gabriel up before he could sleep deep enough to dream. Opening his eye's he sat up and looked around and could see Stermbak's diving into the ocean and coming up with fish. The Stermbak's flew to shore and let go of the live fish just above the demons. They were having a feast of fish and even Jack and Alexander tried their best to eat the raw fish. Every other fish the Stermbak's would instantly devour in the air.
As Gabriel was watching the Stermbak's he could see something flying far off in the distance. As it got closer he could tell it was Apollyon on his giant flying creature. It was twice the size of the Stermbak's and had two heads rather than just one. Its wings sent sand flying across the beach as it landed. The Stermbak's stopped fishing and flew back into shore and the demons rushed over to help Apollyon off the giant beast. Apollyon first approached Alexander and gave him a smirk and held out his hand to greet him.
“Hello sir!” Apollyon said shaking Alexanders hand. Right after shaking Apollyons hand, Alexander sat back down under a palm tree with Jack. Apo
llyon stared at Jack for a moment, his eyes in a trance on the green pendant around Jacks neck. With a smile his trance broke and he held out his hand towards Jack. Jack held his hand out from his seated position and refused to get up and greet Apollyon.
“Forgive me, I am too far beyond any forms of formality.” Jack said and Apollyon lowered his hand.
“Why do you seek forgiveness? Without your sins you would be nothing, since that is all mankind is.” Apollyon said looking back over at Alexander.
“Well now that we know each other.....” Apollyon paused to see if he could get a laugh but none came.
“I am looking for a man by the name of Gabriel and I believe that you may have been in contact with this man?” Apollyon said still looking at Alexander.
“No....Name doesn’t ring a bell.” Alexander said with a painful grin.
“Hmmm what a shame I thought you might be of use.” Apollyon said walking over to Alexander. Apollyon spread out his fingers and placed his palm over the top of Alexanders head. At first it was just enough pressure to hold Alexander down but then Apollyon began to squeeze digging his finger tips into the back of his scalp.
“Ahhh!” Alexander cried as blood began running down his head.
“Pop!” A loud cracking sound rang out as Alexanders skull snapped in two. It was almost like an egg being squashed and bone split through the skin on Alexanders head. When Apollyon let go Alexander smashed into the sand. Blood ran from his open skull and Gabriel thought he was dead but his eyes were still blinking.
“Now we may have skipped the introductions but I have been the tormentor for centuries now. I can either show you a lifeline of pain, or of bliss. See I will still hold a place for all of gods foul creatures once he is gone. So what will it be? Pain or bliss?” Apollyon said holding out his hands to Jack.
“Pain for punishment brews hatred not remorse.” Jack said in a different voice.
“I have punished your kind since the first one of you. Though I never wanted your remorse.....It was your hatred that has fueled me.” Apollyon said pausing.
“Well very well.” Apollyon said placing his hand on Jacks head.
“I know who you seek.” Jack said in a different voice. Apollyon left his hand on his head but did not squeeze.
“Gabriel?” Apollyon said.
“Yes.” Jack replied.
“Well why didn't you just say so?” Apollyon said removing his hand and walking away.
“Take me to him.” Apollyon said walking back towards his creature.
“I did not say I knew where he was.” Jack said stopping Apollyon in his tracks.
“The devil gave me a tour of his home the day I was born. Ever since I have walked its halls and rooms searching for the way out.” Jack said in a different voice.
“How many of them are you?!” Apollyon said turning around fiercely and with a scowl.
“I am a freak show, not with deformed flesh but a deformed mind. Where side shows run nightly with performers of memory and crowds of emotion.” Jack said in another voice.
“Well the show is about to end!” Apollyon said storming towards Jack.
“Is it in my nature to sin or in my desire? If it is in my nature then will you forgive me for existing?” Jack said just as Apollyon was feet away from him. Apollyon stopped and thought for a moment.
“Now you mock me?” Apollyon said with a much larger scowl than before.
“I would kill you but I think that would only end your suffering. Maybe I will find a use for your mockery!” Apollyon said looking at the pendant on Jack's neck.
“I will leave this world overdosed on creativity. My heart will stop with an explosion of imagination. Leaving my soul to endlessly chase my shadows into the oblivious night.” Jack said in yet another voice. Apollyon sat down in front of Jack and just stared at him.
“When did you last see Gabriel?” Apollyon asked looking Jack in the eye's.
“Who are you talking to? Me or them?” Jack said in his own voice.
“All of you! When did you last see him?” Apollyon said trying his best to keep his composure.
“The city that burned.” Jack said.
“Where did he go?” Apollyon said.
“He said he was turning himself in to you to save us..” Jack said looking down at Alexander who was now dead.
“So that makes us all allies.” Apollyon said extending his arm to Jack. Jack shook his hand and nodded.
“I never thought about what's on someone’s mind. I have been so entertained by my own madness that I didn’t stop to think about yours.” Jack said in a different voice. Apollyon let go of Jacks hand.
“I will take good care of you! Here drink!” Apollyon said tossing a small bottle of whiskey at Jack. It was like Apollyon had planned for this moment and had a bottle just waiting in his tunic. Jack popped off the top and with one chug downed the whiskey. Shaking his head, Jack wiped his lips and threw the bottle down.
“Whooooow!” Jack shouted still shacking his head.
“I poured fuel of the finest whiskey on this monster, thinking that the chains of sanity could hold it down.” Jack said in a strange slurred voice.
“Lets let the monster out shall we?” Apollyon said holding out his hand in the direction of a Stermbak without a demon on it.
“Come with me, an entire kingdom of gods should be being buried by my legion as we speak. Then you and I shall go and find Gabriel!” Apollyon said getting up from the sand.
“See I have been in need of some good entertainment.” Apollyon said getting on his flying creature. Jack stumbled behind and got on the back of the Stermbak slouching over in a drunken stupor. Gabriel just laid back down in the sand and watched them fly away.
“So what if they find my body in that trunk. I will just stay on this beach, after all its the nicest place I have found in this hell.” Gabriel said tucking his arms behind his head and closing his eyes once more. The waves tuned out the last of the demons who eventually left, leaving behind Alexanders body. Gabriel thought they would eat Alexander as they did with most corpses. Yet it was poetic justice, the serial killers body left to waste away in the sand.
Alexander felt as though he had to honor the corpse of those he killed. Now there he was dead and dishonored by the devil himself. Gabriel could not even find an ounce of sadness for Alexander. He felt sad that Jack was in Apollyons clutches but he most likely always was anyways. Now Gabriel could be free of them and anyone else from his past. Though he wondered what might happen to the other kingdoms, it still did not matter enough to leave the beach.
Gabriel stayed on the beach all day taking cat naps and enjoying the sun. When night came he laid under the stars just watching the sky. The night revealed the battle of the universe, stars crashed into each other. Gabriel could even see what appeared to be mars orbiting a black hole. It seemed so close yet so far, the red planet was as bright and close as the moon. It spun around in a circle orbiting the slowly moving black hole.
The light of stars would vanish into the black hole. Studying it, Gabriel could see it was darker than the space in the sky. Watching it he hoped that it would come and swallow the earth. That would be enough to end it all, then he remembered his talks with Apollyon and Cain. About how he did have the power to end everything. The only reason why he didn't then was the hope for mankind. Now it was clear there was no hope for them when it came to the divine.
Thinking ahead after the war, depending on who won. Man would simply be the entrainment for the gods. Then again maybe they always were. If one of the old kingdoms won the war then they would not understand the modern world. It was clear they already did not understand it anyways. Apollyon would most likely just make slaves of everyone and everything. But what about god? The christian god that Gabriel had yet to see.
Was he just waiting on the benches to come in once the game was over. The bible spoke of the revelations but was this what it all meant? Maybe the savior would come but what would be left to save? Sinners a
nd old gods that were his enemy. He didn't save Sodom or Gomorrah so why would he save the world now. None of the thoughts were anything new to Gabriel yet he still did not understand when and where god would fit in.
Focusing his attention back on the sky Gabriel watched as the black hole devoured mars. It went in slowly, and slowly it was torn apart. As the slowly lowering an apple into a powerful blender. Piece by piece it vanished into the massive hole until there was nothing left. The hole then began shrinking down smaller and smaller. Then it was just a speck in the night sky that turned from darkness into the light of a star. It now looked like any other star in the sky.
While watching the meteor shower war, Gabriel drifted to sleep. Opening his eyes he could see it was still dark, and he found the star that once was just a black hole. Now it was glowing brightly and almost twinkling. It reminded him of the song twinkle twinkle little star. It even seemed as though it were getting closer. Until finally Gabriel was certain that it was and it was coming straight for earth. Sitting up Gabriel braced for impact it seemed like it was coming right for him.
But it couldn't be a star he thought. It was still way too small to be a star and still shining bright. Now it looked like a street light getting closer rather than a star about to hit the earth. It came right for Gabriel and the light landed somewhere on the beach near him. Getting up Gabriel ran around looking for the where the light had landed. Running up the beach Gabriel could see a figure standing just at the edge of the water.
It was the small multicolored creature from his dreams. On his head was a crown of thorns and a thick beard like Jesus. In his hand was a staff and he held it up to part the sea. Dropping the staff to his side the sea went back down to normal. Where the sea had split a white whale came up and blew water out of its air hole. Just behind it was a small boat with more little creatures throwing harpoons at the white whale. They just bounced off and floated next to the whale. Gabriel now knew that he was dreaming again.
“What was real, if Moby Dick was written before the bible would we worship a white whale?” The creature said walking out across the water. He walked across the rolling water as though it were ice.
“Or would we still worship the man who could do this?” The creature said holding out his arms and bowing.
“So are you saying Jesus was fiction?” Gabriel asked.
“Are you saying there is not a white whale?” The creature said back walking back to shore.
“No I am sure there is an albino humpback but his story does not make him a god.” Gabriel said.
“I am sure there was a Jesus but does a story make him the son of god?” The creature said.
“I don't know, I didn't know there were gods before all of this. Now I know, what I don't know is if there is the christian god.” Gabriel said.
“It doesn’t matter now does it? I do not know if there is anything divine. I do know it will take divine intervention to save mankind.” The creature said pointing at the creatures in the boat who were now jumping in the ocean after the white whale. After all the creatures had left their boat it drifted off to sea. Gabriel watched as they desperately swam for the whale while their boat vanished from their reach. Just as one got close to the whale it went under and they were left fighting a strong current. They tried swimming back to their boat but eventually they had to give up the struggle and let the sea take them away.
“You jumped in the sea to see something no one else has. Just because you are on this island doesn't mean you can just forget the white whale. He is out there waiting for you to finish what you started.” The creature said as Gabriel woke up to the sound of whales clearing their air holes. The light of day was shining down on his skin once more. Gabriel sat up and watched the waves crash for awhile. He knew he could not just stay on that island.
There was nothing he could do to stop Apollyon though. Unless he could somehow get god to join in on the fight. Or warn the old kingdoms of what was coming although the Celts now knew what they would be up against. Gabriel walked up and down the beach throughout the morning thinking of how he could play his part in stopping Apollyon. The pendant was somewhat useless since he could not interact with the world he was seeing.
The knowledge was useless since he was inside of a trunk halfway across the world from the other gods. He tried thinking of ways to get to them but he couldn’t think of a way without getting caught. The second he left the trunk it would just be a matter of time before Apollyon found him again. All strategy’s were failing him and things seemed hopeless. Schemes of hiding on ships or stealing a flying creature or device seemed far fetched.
Making a raft would only make him stranded at sea. So really all he had was the pendant and his curse of being immortal. All hope was quickly lost as Gabriel sat down on the beach under a palm tree. Holding the pendant he looked at each of the gems trying to decide where to go. It really was the only option if he did not want to end up Apollyon's slave. Which brought up a new thought in Gabriel's mind. Had Morrighan and the Celts been captured or killed yet? Taking one last breath of the sweet island air Gabriel pressed his finger to the red jewel.
“Frigga?” Gabriel said in a muffled voice. Now Gabriel was on the back of Morrighans horse ridding at full sprint. What was left of the other gods were also with her but Gabriel could not see what was left of her kingdom.
“We must stop the horses are suffering!” Rhiannon the horse goddess shouted from behind Morrighan. Morrighan did not listen and continued to push on at full sprint. They were riding down an old dirt road Gabriel could see a few pastures off to the side but there was not much else out there.
“Morrighan! The horses!” Rhiannon screamed as load as she could as she brought her horse to a halt. Morrighan's horse crawled to a stop as well and fell down under her weight. Gabriel crashed into a ditch next to the dirt road. It wasn't a hard fall but enough to scare the hell out of him. The horse laid on its side still alive but panting for air. As Gabriel got to his feet he could see a demon on his Stermbak flying in to attack them. Morrighan held out her hand and a black flame came up from the palm.
At first it was flickered and rose up like a flame from a candle. Moving her fingers with slight twitches Morrighan fashioned the flame into a ball. It swirled around faster as she twitched her fingers more rapidly. The Stermbak started to dive in for an attack and as he did Morrighan tossed the fireball at it. Smashing into it the Stermbak was engulfed in a black flame. The demon tried to jump off but he too was covered in the flame. They struggled for only moments as they crashed into the ground and then their bodies smoldered motionless.
“The time has come, to the north is the Nords, to the south the Greeks, to the west is the demon legion, and to the south east is the Egyptians. We must go to the other kingdoms to find help against the one they call Apollyon.” Morrighan said.
“Then we go on foot.” Rhiannon said pointing at the panting horse.
“The closest kingdom is the Nords, though they are warriors like us, they won't seek any allies. The Egyptians are much too far away and the Greeks sit between us and them. So first we will speak with Zues though he may refuse our allegiance. He is an arrogant god, but maybe he will see that we must combine our might. Then after Apollyon is gone we can fight amongst ourselves.” Morrighan said as she started walking into the field and leaving the horse behind.