Son of the Serpent

by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

  Lot led us in the direction the angels had told him to go. At first we ran and then walked as fast as we could. Lot held a shroud over his wife and younger daughter’s heads, trying to shield them from whatever was happening behind us. The look of discontent on Lot’s wife’s face concerned me. I was compelled to remind them of the angels’ warning again.

  “Let’s not forget what God’s messengers told us,” I said, watching Lot’s wife. “Do not look back toward Sodom, no matter what you hear.” I pressed Plitith closer to me, and we continued our escape.

  Before we got much farther, a thunderous growl made the ground beneath our feet tremble. Plitith gasped and Lot held his wife and youngest daughter closer as they screamed.

  “Keep moving!” I rushed, pushing Plitith along as Lot and the others lagged behind. “You must move faster!” I was no longer a child who jumped at the smallest noises, but the sounds we heard would bring the bravest man to his knees.

  Lot hurried and ran beside us, pushing his young daughter along ahead of him as we hastened toward the mountains. I kept an eye on Lot’s wife. She peered over her shoulder several times, and then she pulled away from Lot, stopped in her tracks, and looked back at the city of Sodom.

  “No, no, no!” Lot cried as he reached for her, but his daughter did not let him go to her. He fell to the ground and sobbed while she tried to lift him.

  “Help your sister and father. Do not look back or allow them to turn,” I whispered to Plitith.

  She held on to me and shook her head. “Do not fear. I will not look.”

  I toddled backward until I was beside his wife. She looked frozen—pale and motionless, her eyes fixed on the city of Sodom. I moved back further to stand before her, my back to the city. I waved my hand in front of her eyes, but they did not blink.

  Then I heard a soft crackling and hissing coming from below. I crouched next to her legs and looked. Her body, beginning with her feet, altered before my eyes, transforming into tiny, colorless crystals. A briny scent wafted into my nostrils and burned. She had turned into a statue of salt. I scrambled to my feet and reached out to touch her neck with one shaking finger. I gasped as she crumbled before me.

  “Dracúl, help us!” Plitith and her sister were trying to get their father off the ground, where he lay facedown sobbing. I ran to them and helped get him to his feet.

  The sun burned orange and sank, and the moon threw its shadow to the earth. “We must hurry.” I took the youngest and put her ahead of us. Lot walked with faltering steps, swaying and tottering as he wailed, so Plitith and I put our arms around him and dragged him along.

  “What of my mother?” Her voice was soft and brittle. Lot and her sister turned their sights to me, also waiting for an answer.

  “She perished the instant her eyes gazed upon Sodom. Her body changed into a sort of crystalline mixture—salt. She was converted into a statue of salt. She crumbled to the ground before me and was carried away by the wind.” Shocked faces stared back at me, and then they wept in silence.

  We continued to advance, walking through the night. By the time we reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.

  The harsh, desolate hills of Zoar stood between the sea and the dark, ominous slopes of the mountains. As soon as we arrived at the mountains, we looked toward Sodom. Esar, in the form of the giant, scaly beast, still rained fire upon Sodom and neighboring city Gomorrah.

  The beast’s growl was deafening and terrifying even from this distance. There was nothing left of the two cities, yet we watched as he continued to breathe flames. Where the evil cities once stood, dense smoke rose from the earth to the heavens, turning the skies first a hazy, pale yellow and then murky gray. Eventually, nothing remained but an intense blackness. The smoke was carried by the winds, and a noxious stench overwhelmed our senses.

  “It is the reek of She’ol!” Lot murmured, pulling his daughters close.

  When the devastation was complete, paradise was a sea of salt and bitumen.

  We climbed farther up the mountain, and Lot took us into a cave. We remained in the cave for several days and nights. One evening, Plitith’s younger sister woke her and took her away to an obscured area on the side of the mountain, behind a bulky shrub. I followed them and hid on the other side of the bush to listen and peer at them through the leaves.

  “Every man on Earth, except for our father, has been killed,” Plitith’s sister told her. “We must lie with our father in order to procreate.”

  Plitith gasped and grimaced with disgust.

  My mouth dropped open at her words, and I moved closer to the edge of the shrub to peek around it, keeping myself out of sight.

  “We must do this, sister! It is our duty to procreate.”

  “No!” Plitith said. “I will not dishonor our father or myself.”

  Her sister grabbed her arm and shook her. “Our father offered you to the Lilituens! They would have torn you apart. Forget our father’s honor—he did not give your honor much thought.”

  “Of what use are we if we do not produce offspring?” Plitith asked. “What is our future going to be like with just the three of us?” She covered her face and wept.

  I no longer wished to remain hidden. I staggered around the bush and stared at them. “What of me? I am a man.”

  Plitith’s sister rose to her feet and scowled. “You are no man. The angels revealed you are the son of demons. That makes you a demon as well. If we lie with you, what sort of offspring will we have? I will not lie with a fiend and neither will my sister.”

  Plitith gazed at me with pity in her eyes.

  I nodded, but all the while my heart felt like one of Sodom’s structures, burning and crumbling to the ground. I felt destroyed by her words, mostly because I knew that Plitith believed them too. A sensation of falling and spinning-down made my body sag. “You are right. I understand.” I trudged away and then stopped and looked over my shoulder at Plitith. “You showed me kindness and invited me into your home, and for that I am grateful. I do not believe every man on Earth is dead, for the angels mentioned the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and not the world. You do not need to lie with your father in order to procreate. Eventually, you will come across other men. I hope you find one suitable.” With that, I continued on my way.

  “Dracúl, wait!” There was an apologetic tone in Plitith’s voice, but I did not stop.

  As I hurried away, she called out to me again and again. I left the mountain and continued to walk until Plitith and the mountain were far behind me.

  Chronicles of Lilith – 6

  As we journeyed through the post-deluge world, we visited several towns and cities. I learned from my previous experience with Sodom and Gomorrah that it was not wise to corrupt the entire populace of a particular settlement, so as not to force God’s hand to abolish it. Thus, my allies and I corrupted only those individuals who had the seed of evil already implanted within. Every place I went I searched for the one, my male counterpart whom the Seers had promised I would meet by chance. They foretold I would know him at first sight, but I had yet to encounter such a being.

  Gremory, Sila, and I chose three ordinary villages to conquer and make our own. We showed our true selves to them and made ourselves their gods. We made them feel protected, and they worshipped and served us.

  The village I chose was built on the banks of a great river, and some of the greatest human minds had settled there. I used these exceptional men and women to build a fantastic city. I called on Gremory to work with these brilliant minds and influence and inspire them to create marvels otherwise unimaginable to them. The architecture, art, and gardens they created were unmatched in their beauty and magnificence. This city had to surpass Sodom in every way.

  I forbade Gremory and Sila to create anything as magnificent in their own cities. Their metropolises were exquisite, with amazing architecture, sculptures, and marvelous advancements, but neither was as astounding as my city, and it had to remain so.

  Monuments we call
ed pyramids, with gold- and gem-encrusted tips, designed by Gremory’s most creative pupils and built by men alongside my demon subordinates, reached the sky. Palaces and cathedrals were designed and erected by skillful artisans. Vast gardens in various shapes, featuring an assortment of flowers, plants, and trees, decorated the front of every important edifice and stood alone in specific public areas. Beautiful statues were erected in both my serpent and angel images, made of marble, alabaster, and limestone. I had created a paradise whose magnificence will never fade in the minds of men.

  I trained only the most brilliant minds in the art of healing, giving them medical specialties and teaching them to make their own medicines. These healers were paid in gold and jewels. They also received kohl cosmetics, henna, food, clothing, and perfumes made from rare oils, myrrh, and cinnamon. What and how much they were paid depended on the sickness of the individual. Of course, I expected gifts from these physicians on the first full moon of every month. I held on to the knowledge of the cures for the most lethal diseases. I still enjoyed the practice, so the healers were instructed to send the incurable to me.

  I often visited Gremory and Sila in their cities. I had to be sure my city remained the largest, most beautiful, advanced, and luxurious of the three. I usually possessed a human when I walked among them.

  On one of my visits to Gremory’s city, I caught sight of a striking young man as he stepped through the city gates. The metropolis appeared jovial, as the people enjoyed one of many festivals in which Gremory was worshipped as a god. His temples filled with gifts, and young men would give themselves to him. People painted their faces and upper bodies black, covered their lower bodies with fur, and danced in the streets in celebration. Those who did not celebrate one way or another were punished. I took the form of a prepubescent girl and wore black paint on my face and upper body and a fur garment wrapped around my lower body, beginning just below my waist.

  The handsome stranger stopped and stared at a statue of Gremory—a hideous thing made of black granite. The sculptor was gifted, as he carved a striking resemblance to Gremory’s demon form. Judging by the stranger’s expression, no doubt he wondered if such a repulsive creature truly existed. I was drawn to this striking man. I was attracted to his long, dark hair and tall, muscular build. His stance was regal, and his ivory skin emanated a subtle radiance. I took a few steps toward him, and as I drew near I began to sense he was no mere man.

  A giggle escaped my lips. Could it be? Could this be the being the Seers envisaged for me? I trembled and grinned from ear to ear like a fool. I took another step toward him, licking my lips in anticipation, and a young man approached him, stopping me in my tracks. They conversed for a while and then walked away together. No! I followed them to a large house and watched them enter. Standing nearby, I stared at the large wooden door he had disappeared into.

  A short while later the young man walked out, but the stranger did not. I trailed behind him, and when we reached a less congested area I rushed him and grabbed his arm.

  “Who was the stranger you met by the gates, and where did you take him?”

  The young man stared at me without uttering a word.

  “Speak!” I said, shaking him. “Answer my questions.”

  Perhaps it was the strength with which I held his arm, or the form of a ten-year-old girl wielding such power stunned him. I did not care; I had to know. “Answer me or I shall crack your arm in two.”

  “Who are you?” he said, trying to wrest his arm from me to no avail. “You are strong for such a young girl.”

  “Answer my questions!” I said, gripping harder as he moaned.

  “I do not know who he is, only that he is a stranger to this city,” he said between groans. I let go his arm, and he cringed as he rubbed it. “He had just arrived when I approached him near the gates.”

  “What did he say to you? Do not lie. If you do, I shall know it.”

  His breath caught, and then he exhaled in a series of short puffs. “I have no need for lying. The stranger said he was just passing through on his way to Egypt. He needed rest, food, and water. I took him to a place where I knew he would get what he needed.”

  “In exchange for what?” I asked, narrowing my right eye as I stared at him.

  Swallowing hard he asked, “What is your meaning?”

  “Did you lie with him?” I held my breath, growing tense awaiting his response.

  “No, of course not! He seemed weary of travel, and he was kind to me. I wanted to help him.”

  I scrutinized him for a while. He trembled before me but seemed sincere. “You speak the truth.” He exhaled in relief, and I shot up, grabbed his head, and twisted it hard enough to break his neck. He sagged to the ground like a wet rag.

  I returned to the big stone house and waited for the stranger to come out. Day turned to night, but I was prepared to wait as long as necessary. Then, as I settled down for the night, the stranger stepped from the house.

  He walked for a while and then stopped before a tribe of goats enclosed in a pen. He looked pensive as he stared at them. I watched him staring at the animals, wondering what he was up to. Then a familiar smell interrupted my thoughts. It was the odor of flatulence mingled with sulfur and the stench of decomposed bodies—orc demons, the lowest kind of fiend, animalistic and dim. They were close by.

  I hid and watched as they approached the stranger, and as I’d anticipated, they attacked him. The stranger seemed to be in a weakened state, unable to fight them off. No, not this one. This being is mine. I had to intervene.

  Chapter 12

  KEMET

  Beyond the mountain range was a vast river, and before leaving Plitith behind I had seen from a high point a great city built on its banks. I decided to visit this city, for it looked fascinating and there was a great likelihood my mother would be there.

  I walked many miles by day and flew in my fiend form by night.

  “Look to the sky!” villagers cried out. “Demons fly by night! Stay in your homes!”

  I was seen in my fiend form on many occasions but I no longer cared. I was low in spirits, filled with despair. I needed to rest, to recover. It was not wise to face my mother in this state.

  I arrived at a walled coastal city. A festival was underway, and the city gates were wide open, so I went inside. Some of the citizens sold food and drink; others played instruments, while many drank, danced, and copulated in the streets.

  My eyes popped wide as I watched the depravity. The people wore black paint on their faces and bare upper bodies, and fur garments covered their lower bodies. I came across a huge black statue of a creature with the head and upper body of a horned demon and lower body of a wolf with clawed feet. It startled me, and I stood before it, gaping.

  “That is the god Gremory,” a young man said with a chuckle as he looked at me. His face and upper body were painted black, and he wore a belt of fur straps tied around his waist over a fabric garment.

  “Ah, another god. You huma… people seem to have many.”

  “You do not believe in the gods?” he asked, incredulous.

  “There is only one God—the God,” I said.

  He tensed, looked around, and inched closer. “You must be careful to whom you say such things. The god Gremory has an extensive cult following in this city. If one of his priests or priestesses overheard you, you would be sacrificed.”

  “Apologies. I meant no offense.”

  “No need,” he whispered. “I am not from this place, nor do I… I believe as you do. What do you seek in this city?”

  “I am passing through on my way to the city of monuments. I seek water, food, and rest for the night.” When I proceeded to go, the man stopped me.

  “Wait. I can help you get what you need.”

  “I thought you said you were not from here?”

  “I am not originally from here, but I have been here awhile and know people who can help you. Come with me.” He beckoned me to come along as he hurried through the crowds o
f people celebrating in the streets.

  I followed him while staring at the people around me. Some stroked my hair, chest, and back as I passed them; others grabbed my arm, trying to lure me away. I swatted them like pesky flies.

  After walking for a while, we came to a sturdy house made of stone and mud bricks. The young man knocked on a wooden door, and an elder opened it, allowing us to enter. There was a central courtyard with several rooms opening from it.

  The young man took a minute to explain my situation to the man.

  The older man scrutinized me. “You are welcome in my home. You may rest here.” He instructed two servant girls to bring food and water, and they scurried away to do his bidding.

  “You are most kind,” I said, bowing my head in reverence. He chuckled, beckoning me to follow.

  “I leave you in good hands, my friend,” the young man said, waving goodbye.

  “Thank you,” I said and followed the older man.

  We sat at a table in the courtyard. I sank into the seat, closed my eyes, and heaved a sigh. Before long, the two girls brought an abundance of food: olives, bread, meat. They also fetched water and wine. I did not realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite. I grabbed bunches of olives and stuffed them into my mouth all at once. Luckily, they were pitted. I ripped pieces of bread and shoved them in my mouth one after the other. Before I was done chewing and swallowing one piece of meat, I was stuffing the next piece in. The food’s juices and oils combined with my saliva and streamed down the sides of my mouth. I looked up to find the old man and the girls staring at me, their faces twisted in disgust. In my feverish attempt to satisfy my hunger I had not noticed I was making a glutton of myself.

  I stopped heaping food into my mouth and swallowed hard. Heat rose from my middle to bloom on my face as I drank water to get what I had in my mouth down. “Apologies, it has been long since I have eaten. Please forgive my rudeness and lack of manners.” One of the girls handed me a handkerchief, and I wiped my mouth and hands.