The Vapor

by Nathan Parks

  “For several days there were debates, talks, and a lot of arguments and disagreements; but on the sixth day, it seemed that an agreement had been reached. Many who had been exiled would be allowed to return to Scintillantes. Many of the Clan leaders would not be allowed back right away but a pathway to their returning had been discussed. The Council Hall was full, and the power of the ages was to be restored.”

  Chad stopped him. “Power of the ages?”

  “Everything that exists is formed from energy, Chad,” Leah explained. “That energy was generated from two deltas. Imagine two pyramid-type stones that were made to balance perfectly upon each other, point-to-point. Together they formed almost an hourglass shape.”

  “Wait . . . I thought all was formed by the existence of Jah . . . or something like that.”

  “In a way: Jah created the deltas,” Zarius stated. “As I said, you will need to forget what you know and embrace what you do not know.”

  “Sorry,” he apologized to Zarius. “Please continue.”

  “One Delta remained within the care of the Arch Council. Leah, this would be the Ancient Ones, not the Arch Council you know today.”

  “I have heard stories about the Ancient Ones but nothing of value. It seems no one will talk about them,” she stated.

  “And for good reason. To talk about them would expose more than those in power wish for anyone to know, and there are only a few who do.”

  “You are one?” It was as if a lightbulb went off in her head. “That is why you chose to remain hidden throughout the ages?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please continue, Zarius,” Gene softly spoke as he sought to keep the conversation moving forward. “As you stated, there is a lot to share; and I will say that our time is limited.”

  “So, to show unity, each group represented were to join their deltas. There were three: one for the Ancient Ones, one for the Clans, and one for mortal man. When joined together, the two for the Eternals would balance point to point, one upright and one pointing down. This was to show equality. The one for mortal man was clear and hollow. It was larger and would encase the other two. This was to show that mortal man, when joined with Eternals, created a complete fullness of all that existed.

  “Paschar represented the Ancient Ones. He came forward into the center of the room where there was a black onyx pedestal. Interwoven around this pedestal was a glowing, blue light. On top were grooves that indicated where the Ancient One’s delta was to be placed. He placed it pointing upward; and as he did, there was a hum like one chord of a grand musical being played. The blue light began to overtake the delta, swirling around it and making it glow.

  “I remember Mantus was next . . .”

  “Mantus?” Leah interrupted. “You mean the Overlord of the Abyss?”

  “Yes. He came forward with the delta that had been taken by the Clans during the War of the Serpents. He turned it with the point facing downwards, and it balanced perfectly upon the other. The glowing blue light from the pedestal began to move upward and engulfed both deltas. The song became fuller and harmonious.

  “At this point, Climitriaus, the head of the Brotherhood of the Grigori, came forward with the third Delta that would encase the other two. Paschar stopped him, though, and stated that in order for the other two Deltas to become unified, they must be sealed with the blood of the Ancients.”

  “Grigori?” Chad asked.

  “They were the predecessors to those you know as the Watchers,” Zarius explained.

  “Yeah, so I’m already kind of bored and yet weirdly intrigued. I mean, are we talking about a bad fantasy novel or can we skip some of the history lessons?” Serenity asked. “What does any of this have to with us now?”

  Zarius realized that his wife’s passion for antiquities may have rubbed off a little too much, so he thought for a moment on how he could shorten his story.

  “Something went wrong. It is believed that the vial used was not a mixture of blood from both orders, the Ancient and the Clans. You see, if only one type of blood was used, then whatever blood was used would create a different, unbalanced reaction. The blue light turned red, like fire; and there was an explosion. Almost everyone was killed or seriously injured.”

  Leah’s faced showed an expression of bewilderment and yet of understanding. “That is why we have the Arch Council we have today? The Ancient Ones did not survive?”

  “Michael and Gabriel were the only Ancient Ones from the Arch Council that survived . . . they and almost every Clan Overlord. Mantus was severely burned but survived. That also was when it was believed that the Brotherhood of the Grigori ceased to exist. We now know that a few survived, but they went into hiding; and the sect grew from there in secret.”

  “So, what you are saying is that the Overlords switched the vial of blood; it was only the blood of the Fallen that was poured over the Deltas?” Chad asked. “That is why the resulting reaction took place and most walked away without injury?”

  “Yes, I believe so.”

  “But wasn’t Pashcar an Ancient One? Wouldn’t he know what was in the vial? Why would he use it?”

  “You are right, but it is my belief that Michael was the one who gave him the vial.”

  “Wait! What?” Leah sat up straight. “Why would he do that?”

  “You are talking about Michael the Archangel, right? I mean like the big guy that so many people here think is close to Jah?” Chad asked.

  “Chad, I am . . . and to answer your question, Leah . . . because he is not who you think he is.”

  “What do you mean by that?” She couldn’t believe she was wanting to defend the very member that had made it his goal to put her away in a corner, but to listen to someone who had betrayed everything she had fought for insinuate that Michael was working with the Fallen was beyond anything she could stomach. “Do you even know what you are saying?” she fumed. “You are talking about one of the greatest who has ever served on the Council! For ages, he has mentored so many Guardians and has kept the Fallen from destroying mankind!”

  “I do know, Leah. If there is anyone who should know, I should.”

  “Oh, really? Why? Because you can clearly remember what home is like? You can remember what everyone was like before you threw it all away?”

  “No . . . because he is my brother.”

  The room went deathly quiet. No one said anything as the words that Zarius had spoken sank in.

  “Ok, so, didn’t see that one coming,” Serenity stated as she walked over to a table that held different whiskeys and scotches. “On that note, I think I’m going to pour myself a drink! Anyone else?”

  Chad held up his hand. “Yup . . . maybe even a double.”

  Leah sat stunned. Things were starting to become clearer. It all started to make sense. There was a reason Michael had held the Alliance back so many times. There was a reason she had felt as if they were behind the eight ball at times. If what Zarius was saying was true, then all this time they had been dancing to the music of the Fallen; and no one even knew.

  “What you are saying is . . .”

  “Unbelievable?” Zarius finished her sentence. “I know. He has relied on it all this time . . . relied on its being unbelievable. He also was relying on me to stay in hiding.”

  “Why now? What made you come forward now and then to think we would even believe you?”

  “I didn’t think anyone would believe me, and I still question if those who need to believe me will. Why? Well, because I believe he may be forcing my hand without knowing it.”

  “How so?” Serenity asked.

  “The Deltas are powerful beyond mortal understanding. The one that mortals held, the casing, was ceremonial. You don’t need it, but if someone were to get the other two and have the vial that was supposed to be used that day, . . .”

  Leah gasped, “They could open up a way for the Fallen to overtake Scintillantes!”

  Zarius nodded. “Oh, even worse than that!”

  “What i
s worse than that,” Chad asked, “or do I dare even bring that up?”

  “I believe that with both Deltas in the wrong hands, life can be created. It would be created within the image of the one holding the power of the joined Deltas.”

  “Wait!” Leah was starting to see a picture that she did not want to think about. “With the right blood, Legion could be freed! The prophecies!”

  “Legion? Like the voices and creatures inside Tori?”

  Now it was time for Zarius to look confused. “Tori?”

  “We found a young girl who appears to be possessed, yet unlike anything we have ever seen before, and . . .”

  Serenity interrupted her partner. “The name Legion keeps coming up when we are dealing with whatever it is that seems to be inside of her.”

  “If Legion was freed and he had the Deltas, then it would mean the end of everything we know. We could not stop the Clans!”

  Leah gasped. It seemed as if she had not even heard anything past her portion of the conversation over the last minute or so.

  Gene sat back. As he spoke, his voice was calming, steady, and strong. “Each of you be quiet for a moment. Chaos creates confusion. Confusion creates fear. Fear creates a void that is very hard to overcome. Stop for a moment and breathe. We can change nothing at this point. What we can do is plan. What we can do is work together. What we can do is focus.”

  “Gene is right,” Serenity spoke as she sipped from her newly-poured glass of whiskey. She handed Chad his. “We keep talking about the Delta-whatever things . . . these comic-book stones of power . . . and the fact is, we don’t know if they are even around anymore!”

  Zarius laughed a little bit as he grabbed his bag that he had earlier placed beside him on the floor. “Actually . . .” He reached in and pulled out a pyramid-shaped black rock with ancient carvings on each side. He placed it down on the desk in front of Gene.

  “AND OF COURSE HE WOULD PULL OUT A MAGICAL PYRAMID!” Chad groaned.

  “This is what I meant by Michael forcing me out of hiding without really knowing he was. He believes I have it, but he is not sure. He came to visit me to test the waters. I don’t think he believed that if I did have it, I would expose myself. I have no doubt that my brother would kill me for this.”

  “Well, now that we have gone all Cain and Abel,” Serenity laughed, “anyone else want to confess to anything else?”

  Leah sat quietly. She was focusing. She needed to know more about being a Vapor. What she did not know about being a Vapor, she made up in knowing how to take on the Fallen. She may have lost a lot, but there was even more she had not lost. War was coming, and she knew that she had to be ready. Sure, she may have lost her team; but she could feel around her another team growing.

  “My suggestion,” Gene said as he leaned forward, “is for us to take a break. Most of us just heard things that we never knew, and others are worn out for sharing things we may not have been ready to share. We take a break. Let me check on the comings and goings of Eden, and then we can get back together. There may be nothing we can do right now. Much of what we have discussed has been speculative, but we need a break.”

  They all agreed and slowly left the study, each in their own thought.

  ◆◆◆

  Eve wasn’t sure on whose car she was sitting and, frankly, she didn’t care. She kept a watchful eye on the building in front of her . . . more specifically, the second-floor window to the left.

  She had stopped and got a deli sandwich about an hour ago, but that was long gone. She looked down at the wrapper and then reached over and stuffed it in between the windshield wiper and the windshield. “Technically it isn’t littering,” she laughed.

  The front door to the building in front of her opened, and a young man in his late 20s with sandy hair and beard walked out. He was looking down at his phone and then stopped as he looked up. He shook his head and walked across the street to where she was sitting. He looked over at the food wrapper. “You?”

  “What?” Eve responded. “I don’t recognize it.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well?”

  “I haven’t heard anything from his apartment today. I would imagine he is passed out again. He had a pretty bad rage moment yesterday.”

  “When?”

  “I told you! Yesterday!”

  She jumped down and hit his shoulder. “Come on, Byron!”

  “Brian”

  “That’s what I said, Byron.”

  “Eve, seriously! Most people would have given up on him a while ago and just let him be.”

  “You have known me for . . . how long?”

  “Well, you did my first tattoo about seven years ago.”

  “And in that seven years, have you ever known me to be like ‘most people’?”

  “Nope, that is why I like you.”

  Eve laughed and poked a finger in his chest. “And that, Byron, is why I like you.”

  She spun around with her back toward the building and looked him up and down. He had hit on her a few times, but she never could find the attraction. He was a nice guy and all but just no real attraction. Then, of course, that was all before the whole supernatural stuff came forward. He didn’t know about that, and she planned on keeping it that way.

  “Well, I’m late for work and you have a drunk man to save.” He gave her a hug and headed down the sidewalk.

  Eve watched him for a moment. He was a guy who would treat a lady right, but she didn’t need any distractions . . . and there was that attraction thing: it just wasn’t there.

  Eve headed across the street, walked in, and then walked up to the second floor. She paused at the door on the left and listened for a moment. There was nothing but silence, and she was pretty sure she already knew what she was going to be walking into. She reached above the door, found the “hidden” key, and then unlocked the lock.

  ◆◆◆

  Michael stood looking at the minimal furnishings scattered around Tanisha’s desk. He flipped through a few of her journals but found nothing that caught his eye. One thing for certain, it did not appear that anyone was coming back in the near future. “Where are you two?”

  He had to find his brother . . . well, actually find what he believed his brother had. “I know you have it, Zarius. I can feel it. I saw it in your eyes when I talked with you.”

  He moved around the room a little more, and a notepad sitting beside a coffee machine caught his eye. There, in Tanisha’s handwriting, was a checklist: “Book flight – Austria; Email Gerault notes on the manuscripts; Book hotel room.”

  He smiled as he recognized the name of the old priest. “Well, how close you were to letting secrets out, Old Friend. Won't she be surprised when she arrives and finds you no longer there!”

  He sat down on the couch and thought for a moment. “If she is in Austria, then where, oh, where art thou, Brother? Maybe there is more than one way to get you to appear. I think my sister-in-law needs a visit. I’m sure she will be heartbroken to find her dear old priest is no longer walking among the mortals.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, how do you catch a snake when you don’t want him to know?”

  Michael didn’t move. He knew it didn’t matter, anyway. Mantus would already have an attack plan ready for him if he tried anything. “Your breath smells like a fire pit, Mantus!”

  The Overlord walked out from behind a metal partition and leaned against it. Michael could hear movement behind him. He was certain it was more of Mantus' minions, the general's way of showing power.

  “Azrael! Really? That is all you can think of saying? When you spoke with my brother, he led me to believe your words had more bite than that; but then again, you always were one who preferred to fight from the shadows, never really from the front.

  “Your wife wouldn’t say that about me.”

  Before he could say or do anything more, he felt a thick wire go around his throat, pulled tight and upward. His eyes began to bulge, and the
color of his skin began to change as he fought back, trying to regain even the slightest breath. Mantus slowly walked over and looked straight into his face. “You say something like that about her again, I promise you it will be the last thing you say. True, she is a whore; but she is my wife . . . and a whore.”

  Mantus looked up at his lackey and nodded. The restraint around Michael’s neck was loosened.

  “You are a fool, Mantus!”

  “Maybe.”