Son of the Serpent

by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

  “A ship such as you describe has never been built. How will you carry out such a task?” I asked as I rocked side to side, wringing my hands, unable to stand still.

  “God has provided me with detailed instructions. And despite having three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—who are young and strong, He has also sent powerful angelic beings to help us.”

  I was jarred by the mention of angels sent by God. I looked at Asmodeus, Gremory, and Sila.

  “It is time we left this place,” Asmodeus said, his eyes darting in every direction, looking for signs of the angels.

  “Yes,” I said. “I have obtained the information I needed. It is time to leave.” I nodded once to Noah, and the crowd parted to allow us passage. As soon as we were a short distance away, the crowd began snickering and yelling obscenities at Noah and his family again. I did not care. I got what I came for.

  *

  We returned to the great house King Ubara-Tutu had provided me.

  “Sit and make yourselves comfortable, for we have much to discuss.” I signaled to some of the servants to bring us food and drink, and when the food arrived I told them to close the doors behind them and not to disturb us for any reason.

  “We must devise a plan to escape this great flood,” I said without further ado.

  Sila had shifted into a hyena and was devouring a roasted pig leg she had knocked to the floor. “Surely you do not believe the ramblings of that old fool,” she muttered between bites.

  She was making quite a mess, but I tried to ignore her appearance and revolting behavior. “I do believe Noah is a prophet of God, and I also believe that a catastrophic flood is coming,” I said, frowning at the hyena before me. “If we do not figure out how to escape it, we shall not survive.”

  “Then it is true?” Sila’s mouth was full, and she spit out half the masticated food as she spoke.

  I slammed my fist on the table and got to my feet, heat rising to my cheeks. “I cannot stand to look at you in this form any longer! You disgust me. Shift to your human form immediately!”

  The hair on the hyena’s neck and back stood on end, and Sila emitted a raucous cackle before shifting into her human form. The short sandy coat with black spots was the last trace of hyena to disappear from her human body. “You know I do not enjoy eating in my human form,” she grumbled, frowning at me.

  Asmodeus chuckled. “I am certain you have eaten more than your share already, my dear.” Sila crossed her arms and glared at him.

  Gremory ignored the two and leaned toward me. “What makes you so certain that this man speaks the truth?”

  “Last night I had a vision. It was the most vivid vision I have ever had. Everything Noah said about the rain, the water rising, the floods, and the great wooden vessel were in my vision.” I trembled as I spoke.

  Gremory, looking pensive, leaned back in his seat.

  “What are we to do?” Sila whispered, her face pale and her lips trembling. “We cannot survive a world of water.”

  Asmodeus got to his feet and began to pace back and forth, his shoulders hunched and his body taut with nervous tension.

  Gremory looked at Sila, raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Perhaps you could shift into some sort of aquatic animal and survive in the ocean?”

  “Aquatic beings are my least favorite… well, after wolves, since they are the enemy to my kind.” Sila stared at her shaking hands. “Besides, it is not as simple as turning into an aquatic being. I cannot remain as such indefinitely. Sooner or later I would turn back and drown.”

  Gremory made a steeple of his fingers.

  “Enough!” I said at last, beckoning them to come closer. When I had their attention, I began to disclose my plan.

  “We know Heaven is divided into three realms: Heaven Most High, where God resides; Meta Heaven, where He develops laws and passes judgments in His throne room; and Floraison, where the angels reside. We also know each realm is located in its own dimension.”

  “This is common knowledge, Lilith,” Asmodeus said. “What are you getting at? You know it is impossible for us to return to Heaven.”

  I scowled at him. “Yes, of course I do! You did not allow me to finish my thought.” He waved at me to continue, and I rolled my eyes at him. Asmodeus always had to put up an argument. I was growing tired of the constant struggle. “We also know there are portals linking Earth to other worlds—other dimensions. We can escape into another world.”

  Gremory leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. “That is a good plan. The only problem is, we do not know the precise locations of these dimensional portals, and even if we did, how would we know we are not entering a world that is even more dangerous than this one?”

  When looking at Gremory in his young, wide-eyed, female form, it was difficult to remember that he was one of the most intelligent beings in this world. He had brought up a valid point. There were planes of existence which could only be crossed by one’s soul. What happened to the flesh when left behind? There were also terrifying worlds where beings like us would be slaughtered or imprisoned.

  “Long ago I found a passage that led into one of those dimensions,” Asmodeus said, smirking at me. “We can pass through and hide there until the flood dissipates.”

  When I remained silent, Gremory filled the void.

  “I am aware of these other earthly dimensions, one of which is used by the holy angels to imprison fallen angels,” he said. “How can we know that this realm you speak of—this other dimension—is not the fiery prison where our kind spend their days suffering and in pain until the end of days?”

  Sila gasped and bit the heel of her hand.

  Asmodeus’s arm curled around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “I know of the prison you speak of, Gremory. I also know where it is located. In the realm I spoke of, we would be safe until the flood passes. I can take you today, if you like, but there is something I desire in return.”

  I exploded out of my seat and narrowed my eyes at him. “How dare you? You tell us where this portal is located at once!”

  He sat straighter and snickered. “I shall take you to the entrance of this world, but first you must renounce your search for this mysterious being, the one you think is meant to be your mate for life.”

  My eyes burned with hatred for him, but I was determined not to give in to my emotions. There would be plenty of time for that later. “Very well,” I said, shrugging him off. “It shall be as you desire. We do not have much time to waste. We must make plans to travel to this passage.” I offered the most sincere smile I could conjure up. Why not tell him what he wants to hear, if it will save us from the impending flood? However, I shall never cease to look for my mate, and as soon as the chance arrives I shall deal with Asmodeus for his treachery.

  He patted the seat next to him and I sat by his side, avoiding eye contact lest he discover my deception. “There is something you should know,” Asmodeus said. “The portal to the realm where we shall be safe is located within the fiery prison’s dimension.”

  “What?” Gremory burst out of his seat and threw his hands in the air. “Are you out of your mind?”

  Sila covered her face with both hands.

  “We must listen to what Asmodeus has to say. Please continue,” I said.

  “We must be in our natural forms when we enter the prison. The passage to the other realm is not far from the prison’s entrance.” Asmodeus drew in a long breath and then continued. “Once in the other realm, we will not be able to change from our natural forms, and since angels pass through there often, we will have to remain hidden.”

  “Oh no!” Gremory said, pressing his hands to his cheeks. “I cannot stand the thought of lingering for who knows how long in my natural form.”

  Sila threw her head back and laughed. “As hard as it is for you, it is much harder for us. Believe me! We are the ones that have to look at your hideous, shadowy, demon face and body. You have the lower body of a wolf in your demon form! Wolves have been—”

&n
bsp; “Enemies to your kind for centuries!” Gremory interjected. “I know, I know! You remind me of that every chance you get.”

  I shook my head and massaged my temples. “We must focus on our plan of escape. You two are always bickering! Put your differences aside, at least until we have a solid plan.” I took a deep breath to compose myself. “Please go on, Asmodeus.”

  “The portal to the prison’s dimension is located in a cave in the mountains northwest of here,” he continued. “We must leave at first light. Once there, we shift to our natural forms before we enter the passage. As soon as we are in the prison, we must move quickly to the entrance of the other dimension before we are seen by the keepers of the prison.” Asmodeus swallowed hard. “If we are caught, there is no escape, but if we make it to the other dimension we shall be safe.”

  I stood and measured the others with sidelong glances. “So that is it then. We have a solid plan. Let us get some rest, for we shall leave at dawn.”

  *

  Asmodeus, Gremory, and Sila spent the night at my house, and we were up before the sun. We flew high above the clouds. The sun’s rays did not have to travel as far to torment us, but at this height mortals could not see us.

  We reached the mountain Asmodeus informed us about. Since there was no one around to see us, we remained in our natural forms. We found the cave. It was well hidden, and if not for Asmodeus’s knowledge of its location, we might never have found it. We slipped in and skulked in the shadows, following a maze of tunnels until we finally located the portal. It was difficult to perceive. A human being would not have been able to see it.

  We looked at one another. Fear was etched on our faces. “We are taking a huge risk, but not as huge as staying in this realm and facing the flood,” I said.

  “Why not hold hands?” Sila said. “Perhaps that way we could remain together in the next dimension.” We did so and walked through the portal together, as one.

  The moment we crossed to the other side, we were shrouded in sweltering heat. The scalding air was thick, making it hard to breathe. It enclosed us from all sides, choking the moisture from our skin, muscles, and internal organs. It seemed like every fiber of my being was withering away. The result was indescribable pain.

  Asmodeus grabbed my hand and pulled me along. “We must hurry!” His voice sounded low, distorted, as if his words were stretched beyond capacity. We rushed and the others followed close behind.

  Asmodeus stopped before a cascade of liquid fire.

  I looked at the lava fall and then at Asmodeus. “Why have we stopped?” He continued to stare at the melted fire. I forced my eyes shut, and then opened them after a few seconds, understanding what we must do.

  “This cannot be,” Gremory said as his eyes rolled skyward in disbelief.

  “We… we’re supposed to pass through there?” Sila gave a bitter laugh while shaking her head.

  “That is the only exit,” Asmodeus said. “If we choose to live, this is what we must do. Besides, if we go through it quickly the cascade will not cause much damage.”

  “Why is it I find no comfort in your words?” Gremory blustered and walked in a circle.

  “We must do this at once, before the keepers notice our presence,” Asmodeus said, his eyes flicking in every direction. “I shall go through first. Follow without delay.” He took a few steps back and ran through the cascade of molten rock.

  “Go on, Gremory!” I urged him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the fiery portal. His hands trembled, but he too stepped back and ran through. Sila and I remained.

  “Would you like to go first?” I said.

  She nodded and swallowed hard. “I am afraid if I let you go first, I may not go through at all. Perhaps we can do this together?”

  I took her hand and pulled her as far back as we could go. My heart pounded as I focused on the exit from the prison. My concentration was broken by the echo of footsteps and a strange chatter. Judging by the look on Sila’s face, she heard the sounds too.

  “We must go through now!” I ran, yanking Sila along, squeezing my eyes shut as I crossed the fiery fall.

  We fell to the other side, writhing, cringing, and wailing from the pain of our injuries. The hair at the top of my head was gone, and my scalp was partially melted, as was my forehead. My left eye had popped out of its socket from the heat’s pressure, and my neck and shoulders were charred. Sila had similar wounds.

  I looked up to find Asmodeus and Gremory standing over us. They too had sustained serious burns to their head and shoulders. They reached out to us. I took Asmodeus’s hand, and Sila took Gremory’s. I scanned my surroundings. We were in a tunnel of light.

  “Is this the dimension you spoke of?” I asked Asmodeus. I was feeling wearier by the moment, as though I was leaking vigor. In spite of that, my body was healing, and I was in less pain.

  He nodded. We followed him until we reached another portal, where he stopped. “We must enter this portal alone—one at a time. We shall meet on the other side.” As soon as the words left Asmodeus’s mouth, he marched through.

  “Go on,” I said to Sila and Gremory. “We shall see each other soon.”

  When they disappeared beyond the portal, I prepared to go through. I trembled with an awful foreboding, but I had no choice. There was no going back into the fiery prison, and I did not want to remain in this tunnel of light forever. Thus, I stepped through and was immediately wrapped in darkness.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I reopened them my sight had adjusted a bit. A faint light shone from far above the ground. Enormous boulders floated about, casting imprecise shadows. Some were the size of an adult male lion’s head and others the size of houses.

  “Asmodeus, where are you? Sila? Gremory, are you here?” I called to them again and again as I made my way across the dim, shadowy area. “Speak up so that I may follow your voices!” But there was no sign of them. I was alone.

  A voice in my head instructed me to choose a boulder and sit on it. I found a rock with a flattened top low to the ground. The moment I sat on it, it began to float higher. Higher and higher it climbed until I sat above every other boulder. Soon, I rose above the light and there was nothing around me. This elevation was absent of sounds, colors, smells, and air—I drifted on a boulder in an empty void.

  My mind began to tingle and burn, as if a powerful acid ate away at the ignorance in my mind to make space for something else. My head throbbed. I tapped, rubbed, and kneaded my cranium, trying to rid myself of the pain, but it persisted.

  The void in my head began to fill with true awareness. The headache went away as I gained the ability to understand with perfect clarity the suffering I had inflicted on my victims. One by one they appeared in my mind’s eye, and I understood the anguish and pain I had caused them and their loved ones. It was unbearable.

  “Please, make it stop! I beg you!” I screamed into the void, but my insight was only magnified to the point where the physical and emotional pain I had caused others became my own. I was trapped on this rock in total darkness, with only my victims and their suffering to keep me company.

  When my son, Dracúl, stood before me, looking the way he did on the day I killed him, my heart almost stopped beating. He gazed at me with wide, doleful eyes overflowing with blood tears. I understood the love he felt for me—so much love. Why? I had only shown him hate. Then I sensed his fear, his immense sorrow and disillusionment. I was his mother. I was callous and cruel and had betrayed him.

  The agony and shock etched on his face as he realized his suspicions were true—his mother did not love him—ignited an inferno in my chest. There was so much love in his heart, for someone so young, and in the brief moment before I took his life he suffered an eternity. Now I suffered as he did.

  “Help me, please!” I wailed. “I cannot bear another moment of this!” My eyes darted in every direction. There was no ground, no sky—only gloomy darkness. I was trapped in a nightmare unlike any other.

 
What would happen if I hurled myself off this rock? Would I fall forever? I no longer wanted to feel, because my feelings were my son’s anguish and pain. I desired death. I screamed and wailed. I beat my head with my fists and pulled my hair in an effort to clear my thoughts, but it was no use. I flung myself from the rock and tumbled through the void for centuries, or at least it seemed so to me. As I fell, my mind became obscure and then it went blank; I lost consciousness.

  *

  I awoke on a dusty road, rocks digging into my ribs. There were voices around me, calling out to me. As the fog in my mind cleared, the faces of Asmodeus, Gremory, and Sila appeared as they crouched around me.

  I sat up slowly. I blinked several times, trying to focus in this new light, and looked around. This place was the exact opposite of the one from which I had fallen. This world was white and bright. White, gritty particles covered the ground, with shiny white rocks and pebbles scattered throughout. I sat on a pathway flanked by polygonal columns. They were white as snow, so geometrically perfect that they did not seem natural but look like a giant might have created them. “Where are we?” I tried to stand, but my legs gave out and I fell on my rear.

  Asmodeus helped me to my feet. “We are in the realm I spoke of, but we must hurry to our hiding place.”

  We remained in our demon forms, although not by choice. Had I been given the option, I would have preferred that we be in our human forms. In this world we had lost the power to shift into other life-forms.

  We followed Asmodeus as he led us to a place he said would be safe to wait out the flood. I grabbed his arm. “What was that dark place with the floating boulders?” I said to him.

  “I am not quite sure. What I know is we cannot come here without first passing through there. It is like a fee one needs to pay in order to gain entrance into this world.”

  “You did not warn me of this dark place. Why?” I asked, my anger boiling. “The effects of the dark world still linger inside me, like a bad taste in your mouth that does not go away.”

  “What difference would it have made had you known?” he said.