Chapter Fourteen
Gabriel found himself in the dark of the desert night. He could hardly make out the mountain that he was just on and could see the village of Shechem. The gates were closed and men were on watch on the walls. Turning around Gabriel saw Abimelech right behind him crouched down and sneaking through the night.
With Abimelech was a much more organized and stealthy army. Gabriel would not have known they were there had he not been right next to them. There was not even a sound as they sneaked up to the village walls. Gabriel followed them and just as they were almost to the gate Abimelech held up one hand to halt the men.
“Look! there are people coming down from the mountains.” A man on the wall shouted.
“You are only seeing the shadows of the mountains. The shadows just look like people.” Another man said as Abimelech's army remained motionless.
“Look, there are some people coming down from that place over there by Land’s Navel. And there! I saw someone’s head over by Magician’s Tree!” The man shouted.
“Why aren’t you bragging now? You said, ‘Who is Abimelech? Why should we obey him?’ You made fun of these men. Now go out and fight them!” The other man said as he climbed down from the wall and back into the village.
“Men! prepare to attack!” The man on the wall said as everyone got off the walls except two men at the gate.
“Three years men, three years we have fought to remove my bloodline. Tonight it ends!” Abimelech yelled as the men stood up and cheered.
“HOOOWAAA!”
“HOOOWAAA!”
“HOOOWAAA!” The men shouted and stomped their feet to strike fear in the villagers hearts. Gabriel could feel the ground shake under his feet. What Gabriel thought was only a few men turned into hundreds all around the village. Abimelech's blood lust for his family and power had formed a army that would scare any man. Chill's and goosebumps rose on Gabriel's skin from the cool night air and the army hungry for blood.
Watching the village, Gabriel saw the village gates burst open in stupidity. The small army inside rushed out to meet Abimelech's.
“CHARGGGEE! Abimelech yelled as the desert floor shook so hard that Gabriel felt weak in the knee's.
“HOOOWAAA!” The men shouted back at Abimelech as they raised from the darkness. Shadow's from mountain side's all around poured down and enveloped the small army that was facing them. Abimelech's mighty army could dismantle the village in no time, nothing inside stood a chance against such a force. Hearing the cling of metal, death cries, and cheers Gabriel looked as the villagers army was being swallowed alive.
“FALL BACK!” A man yelled as the gates burst open again. The only thing keeping Abimelech's army from getting through was a small group of men using the walls and the open gate to protect them. Few of them made it inside the gate before the mouth of Abimelech's shadow army completely devoured anyone outside of the gate. Just as it did the gate slammed shut, buying the villagers mere moments to live.
Looking at his side, Gabriel could see Apollyon standing on a nearby hilltop. He watched the shadow army's murderous blood lust as a groupie to their favorite death metal band. At Apollyon's side's were two giant black wolves with glowing red eye's. Abimelech thought he was king over that army, but it was clear who the true king of that army was. Behind night's curtains stood the shadow armies leader. Feeding their lust for greed and power. Abimelech was simply a puppet in Apollyon's war.
“Fall back men, we will strike the heart not through the chest, but from the neck!” Abimelech yelled into the night as the shadow's retreated to the mountains around them. Gabriel walked over to Abimelech so he could hear the battle plan being discussed. Now with Abimelech was the now 500 plus pound mercenary leader.
“Tell half the men who battled tonight to go home. The rest I want divided into three groups.” Abimelech stopped, feeling the enormous man was not listening. The mercenary leader was looking in the direction of Apollyon and his wolves.
“ARE YOU LISTENING?!” Abimelech yelled as the man slowly turned his head from Apollyon, back to Abimelech.
“Ye...Yes Master.” The man said in almost feminine voice.
“Good! Now divide the rest of the army in three's. Have them hide in the field’s until morning. Then on my signal, they strike and take Shechem and those working in the fields.”
“Master” The 500 pound man said and gave a belly bow to Abimelech. He turned from Abimelech and looked to Apollyon. Making a slit throat motion to the man he nodded to Apollyon and walked off into the darkness. Abimelech and some of his men went down to a field with grapes and in a irrigation ditch they laid and waited for morning. Apollyon walked through the darkness with his wolves and right through the city gate.
Waiting with Abimelech and his men, Gabriel was getting very bored since there was no more activity in the night. He could not help to think what the men were thinking. The morning could be their last sunrise, or one that would infinitely haunt them in old age. Either way morality would die with the rising of the sun that was now creeping over the mountains.
The one thing Gabriel did not expect to see in Abimelech's army was fear. But the young men with many scars looked terrified. Not for self preservation, or losing the battle. They feared what they had become through following Abimelech, they signed a deal with Apollyon. The young men laying in the ditch waiting to shed innocent blood had no other choice.
Fear, of the monsters that they were becoming. The men were not serial killers, rapists, or emotionless barbarians. But young men with a whole life of nightmares and a death of servitude to Apollyon. Watching their faces as the sun glowed on it, Gabriel saw son's, fathers, brothers, and lovers selling their souls to the will of Apollyon. Dragon tattoo’s glowed on their necks as the gates opened letting the villagers into the fields, and the young men into the eternal legion.
“Now!” Abimelech cried as three small army's rose from the field’s. The men followed Abimelech into the vine yards. Women, children, and old men had baskets and were getting food for their family. They stood still in fright as Apollyon proposed his contract to the men charging the villagers. Abimelech struck first almost cutting a old man in half. It was clear that this was a take no prisoners bloodshed.
Joining Abimelech the men cut through the villagers as though they were grape vines. The villager's did not run or even cry in fear. Gabriel watched one boy who looked at him and gently tilted his head. Just as Gabriel saw him a man with a sword covered the image of the boy. Then as the man ran off the boy was no longer an image, but a corpse.
Behind Gabriel he could hear the mighty raven wings. As he turned he saw hell's tormentor in all of her glory. Eye's glowing read hot and arms reaching towards him like claws. Turning to run Gabriel did not look back or down. At his feet were innocent corpses of the village. He would see that there were body's but he did not allow his eye's to fixate on any of them.
Finally he caught up to Abimelech as they ran through the gates of Shechem. Ahead of them many villagers piled into a temple. Just as they ran up to it the door's echoed shut leaving a family trapped between the shadow army, and sanctuary. Turning his head Gabriel saw the blood fly like thousands of vultures shredding flesh. On the steps of the temple laid the young family cut to shreds.
Tilting his head Abimelech looked at the temple. Then he looked up and could see the wooden roof over the stone temple. A huge smile came over his face and he looked back down at the door and let out a vicious laugh. His men looked around at each other covered in blood and confused.
“Follow me to the tree's!” Abimelech said motioning his hand onward. The men and Gabriel followed him out of the city and to a small patch of tree's just outside the gates. Body's from the night and morning littered the landscape around the village. But it was clear that Abimelech was not done with the village yet as he swung his sword and cut into a branch like butter. Once he cut to long branches off a tree he threw them over his shoulder.
“Get branches and follow!
” Abimelech said still following. The men cut what branches down that they could and followed Abimelech back into the city. They marched branches in hand right up to the temple. Abimelech leaned one of his massive branches up against the temple so that one end touched the roof and the other the ground.
“Do just as I did!” He barked at his men. The temple had branches all around it, then Abimelech removed his flint and struck it lighting the branch. Without being told the men did the same lighting the branches all around.
“Now if they want to hide with their god, then they will die there! hold the doors!” Abimelech said as he leaned up against the massive door to hold it shut. The men all did the same bracing it shut. After awhile of branches burning and braking some finally hit home lighting the roof. it smoldered for a few minutes and then turned into a mighty blaze.
“AHHH! LET US OUT!” Men, women, and children cried. Smoldering hot ash rained down on the villagers inside. Then with one violent bang the whole fiery inferno of a roof came down. The screams changed from fear to deaths agony. Some pushed on the door just enough to get smoke to seep out but not enough to strain the soldiers holding it.
Once the cry's and burning flesh were removed from the air Abimelech and his men let go of the door. It swung open as charred body's sprung out with the door in a smoldering flesh pile. The smell was much like Gabriel smelled when the napalm hit in Nam. But inside was small, and large undefinable burnt corpses.
The men walked into the temple and thrust their swords into each corpse making sure all were dead. Gabriel sat outside looking away, and the flash of someone came past him. It was a young woman half burnt with a stab wound. Half of her hair was burnt off but Gabriel could still see light brown strands. Her robes were white covered in ash and charcoal.
“Hahaha! what do we have here?” Abimelech laughed as the woman ran into his arms. Abimelech held her gently for a moment as she laid her head on his shoulder crying.
“Shhhhhh its okay.....But I don't go for religious cunt!” Just as Abimelech finished pushed the woman away and drove his sword through here collar bone and into her heart. The woman fell to her knee's and took one last look at Abimelech.
“I will kill you!” The woman said just as she died. Abimelech removed his sword and wiped the blood off on her charcoal dress and laughed. Blood pooled around Abimelech feet and he jumped back so that he would not get blood on his feet. Abimelech looked at the ruined temple as he waited for his men to finish slaying the village.
Once all were dead Gabriel followed Abimelech in disgust as he walked towards the gate. One of Abimelech's men walked with him as they approached the gate. Gabriel watched as it slowly opened and as it did Apollyon and his wolves were waiting on the outside. Then from just above the gate a woman shined out like a ray of light before them. She wore white robe's and had light brown hair.
Gabriel immediately knew who it was, but how could it be. White wings waved through the air behind her and her eye's went black. It was the woman that Abimelech had moments before thrust his sword in. In her hand was a white stone tablet. She looked down at Abimelech and smiled with black eye's. Then she let the stone fall, with a hard thud it crashed into Abimelech's head. He fell to the ground, still alive but part of his brain was exposed.
“Shhhh it's okay” The woman said. Gabriel's heart jumped in his throat, it was poetic justice for such a foul man. Apollyon was still on the other side of the gate now holding onto his wolves who were clawing to get to Abimelech. They bared their white fangs and pulled against Apollyon who was laughing. Abimelech looked up at the man with him.
“Take out your sword and kill me. I want you to kill me so that people will not say, ‘A woman killed Abimelech.’” Abimelech said as blood pooled around him. The man took his sword out and thrust it into his chest. Just as he did, Apollyon let go of the wolves who ran up to devour Abimelech. Just as they did, Cain and other men ran up and grabbed Abimelech's hands.
“NO!” Apollyon said as the gates slammed shut in his face. Cain pulled against the wolves in a tug of war with a vile corpse. Then two men grabbed at the wolves who then let go of Abimelech. The wolves latched on to the two men and drug them to the ground. Once there a black hole emerged from the ground. The wolves drug the two men into it, Gabriel could hear them scream on the way down.
Apollyon walked right through the gate, but it was too late. Cain and Abimelech's corpse were long gone. Apollyon glared at Gabriel and then he was struck with the jolt into darkness. Gabriel found himself back in the graveyard, at the end of Abimelech's blade. Gargling blood and feeling the cold steel wedged in his throat, Gabriel tried to speak.
“He's here!!” Cain yelled.
“Run!” Abimelech said as he removed the sword from Gabriel's throat. Falling to the ground Gabriel looked up to see the king of his nightmares. Apollyon swung his palm at Abimelech and when it impacted it sent Abimelech flying into the sky. Gabriel could not even see where he landed, he flew that far away. Looking back to Apollyon he had a vicious look of irritation and anger. He ran past Gabriel and toward Cain and heavens abominations. Gabriel turned around to see them, and Cain had not moved. But heavens harlot was running one direction and Tiffany was running the other. Apollyon saw them both and had to decide, who he wanted.
“You! how did you slip my grasps!” Apollyon said.
Gabriel was still gargling blood and as Apollyon made his choice bumps rose all over Gabriel's body. Instead of blood, he felt his heart jump into his throat as he struggled to speak. Apollyon was second's away from catching his lost black sheep.
“Hugggh!” Gabriel said trying to make words with a severed throat.
“Noawg!” Gabriel grabbed his throat in frustration and jumped to his feet.
“NOOOO APOLLYON!” Gabriel finally shouted. Apollyon was inches from grabbing Tiffany. Gabriel had to save her, he did not care about Cain, Abimelech, or the harlot. But something drew him to Tiffany from the moment he saw her. A fire grew inside of him the second they spoke. He had only just met her, but now that he had seen such a beautiful creature. For the first time he had a reason to fight, without her beauty the world would be empty, and weaker.
Apollyon reached out and touched Tiffany's hair with his fingertip's. But as soon as he heard Gabriel he stopped and looked back at him. It gave Tiffany just enough time to run and hide from the king of hell. Apollyon saw that Gabriel was in no danger but had just tricked the master trickster.
“Fool!” Apollyon said.
“Bravo!” Cain said clapping his hands and laughing. Apollyon walked past Cain and got inches from Gabriel's face.
“Now!....Why...Did you do that?!” Apollyon said. The goosebumps on Gabriel rose on his arms once again, but in fear.
“I....I had to, you wouldn't understand!” Gabriel said.
“Why don't you take him?!” Gabriel pointed to Cain.
“I can't take him, god cursed him here!” Apollyon shouted in Gabriel's face.
“Yes, be a good boy and listen to your master!” Cain said. Apollyon quickly turned from Gabriel and headed towards Cain who was stumbling backwards from Apollyon.
“I'm sorry, I, I didn't mean it!” Cain said holding his hands out in front of him as his back bumped into a tree. Apollyon reached his hand out in a flash and grabbed Cain by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
“I might not be able to drag you to hell, but I can, and will bring hell here. So know this Cain, your days of mocking me are coming to an end!” Apollyon said as he let go of Cain and he fell to the ground like an old helpless man.
“Now leave here!” Apollyon said and Cain got to his feet and walked away.
“Now you!” Apollyon said walking back to Gabriel.
“I hold something you want Apollyon, it would be unwise to take her away.” Gabriel said.
“Ha, you are playing with fire you moron. You think they are your friends? you think you and her can ride off in happily ever after? She is MINE, and when I find her I will take her!” Apo
llyon said.
“You have control issues don't you?” Gabriel asked smirking.
“Just know Gabriel, this can be easy or hard for you. You might think you are, but you are not in control and soon when the gates of hell burst open you will know that.” Apollyon said.
“Oh, your not in control either. You have people who escape you, ones you can't even lay a finger on. What kind of a king is that? your not a king, your a JOKE!” Gabriel yelled back. Apollyon got right up into Gabriel's face with fire burning in his eye's he motioned as to grab Gabriel by the neck. Gabriel smiled, for once he saw Apollyon for what he was. Then Apollyon dropped his hand and turned and walked away into the graveyard.
Apollyon's Saint The Collection: Books One through Ten Page 14