A Gluttony Of Faith

by Steven Lindsay

  Flames coated his arms, he glared down at them. His body could easily call up its own flames to tell the world his emotions, yet he could call barely call up more than a single flame to light a candle. His magic was completely erratic, he couldn’t control it. Either too much or too little came to his hands. He tried to summon water, and he got flames, he tried to summon fire, and all he got was sparks.

  Hell rumbled at his every attempt, but nothing else seemed to occur. Sariel had already created springs within his realm to allow the dead to return to the Lifestream, yet he, its Master, could not even call up Hellfire.

  “Resentment does not become you Lucifer.”

  He spun around to glare at the shadow lounging across the rocks. He hadn’t even noticed their approach, he had no magic and no swords. Would Hell defend him if he was attacked?

  He studied the shadow, the voice had been female, it hardly seemed to have a body shape. Who or what it was, was beyond him. Yet he felt sure it was not Erebus.

  “Who are you?”

  “The night.” The shadow drifted upright, there was a shadow cut-out of a head with long hair but from the shoulders down the shadows flared out into formless darkness and stars.

  “What does the night want with me?”

  “Not much at all Lucifer, I was merely curious to see Hades’ and Erebus’ Protégé. Neither have ever accepted one before, and now both have claimed the same God. Curious times we live in.” She glanced about Hell “it hardly seems like much, I do not see what all the fuss was about.”

  “Hell was hollowed out, there remains nothing of what it was.”

  “There remains you, its High Lord. As long as you live Lucifer so shall Hell, whether it continues after you is another question.” A finger pressed against where he guessed lips should be “though perhaps Hell’s Saviour would continue its existence, she seems completely entwined in its destiny.”

  He remained silent, what was there for him to say?

  “Yes, the feminine side of Hell is strong, the Lifestream once again flows through here and allows for the dead to fade away, but the masculine strength falters and is weak. Hell will never be powerful again until you are Lucifer.”

  “Don’t you think I’m trying?”

  “No, I do not. If you were, you would have asked Erebus for his help. Remember Lucifer your title is of a dual nature. You are meant to be the Prince of Darkness, start acting like it.”

  She was gone before he could respond

  Hecate stepped out of the shadows and for a moment thought she had somehow ended up in Hell. But she saw the blue and red uniforms of the British Armies, she saw the shining lights that were Angels, and she saw the firestorm that was Brigid.

  Every part of her was flames, even to the tips of her swords. Hecate had forgotten she had once been a warrior. Flames encircled her as she battled with three Angels at once. It was clear that they didn’t stand a chance. Brigid was the better fighter, and she was far more powerful.

  Around them all, battled two armies, the British and the Malaysian. It was evident who would win, there were far more British soldiers than Malaysian. The Malaysians also had nothing to battle the ferocity of the Maenads, Ailurides or Were nor were they able to extinguish the raging flames caused by Brigid and the Phoenixes above.

  Everywhere she looked there were flames. Malaysia’s toxic, mutated rainforests were burning as far as the eye could see, whole cities were up in flames as were numerous soldiers.

  She spread out her magic and learned the details in seconds. The Empire had slowly been creeping up the Malaysian Peninsula but had been battling heavy Angel forces all the way. It was Brigid’s presence that was the tiebreaker but even with her here the progression was slow.

  Well, she might have left Samael to report, but there was nothing to say she couldn’t assist.

  She tilted her head back and let out a long howl. All over the battlefield dark spots appeared as Shadowhounds teleported to the battlefield. Quick on their heels appeared battle-ready Lampades, their weapons burning with their legendary flames.

  She smirked to herself, the Angels might have prepared for one Goddess, but they wouldn’t be prepared for two. And her Divine servants knew how to kill Angels.

  Lilith glanced about the streets of Amsterdam. Why was it so quiet and why did it not feel right? Her magic curled around her, spreading through the streets. Where were all the Lilin and other Daemons? The city had been full of them, now she couldn’t sense any of them. But she did sense something that didn’t belong in Amsterdam.

  Angels had touched the city.

  Not the Heavenly Legions, though, there were only three Angels in Amsterdam. Three Angels that had been hunting her since she had left Eden. Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof had had it out for her even before the War of Heaven had broken out, her elevation to Arch Angel had been an affront to them. Her Fall had been a dream come true for them, they officially had the backing of Heaven to get the revenge they craved.

  She hadn’t thought anyone could be so bitter, but they had surprised her. She had seriously misjudged the motivations and mental state of the Conservatives. In hindsight, the religions they had created should have shown her what their mindset was like. And perhaps having sex with three brothers had not been the wisest of decisions. Leaving them for Samael and bearing him a son had also not enamoured them to her. Perhaps their greatest victory was that Michael had become a Conservative.

  The faction disagreements in Eden had spiralled out of control when she had married Adam then left him, and Samael had seduced Eve. Her sisters’ seduction of Cain, Abel and Seth had only intensified the problems between the Angelic factions.

  She had left Eden in a fury over Adam’s misogyny and arrogance. Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof had chased after her condemning her, they had been sent to bring her back by the other Arch Angels, but they had had their own agenda. They hadn’t realised just how powerful she was.

  Now it seemed they were back to settle old scores. Well, she would finish this once and for all.

  She left the De Wallen district which had been her stomping ground, her powers told her that her Lilin were still alive but hiding. Others were not so fortunate. They were dying and calling out for her in Dam Square. The signal from the three brothers was also coming from the same place.

  She entered the square from the northeast, looking about in horror. The beauty of the square was marred by the various Lilin crucified all around it. They had been bound, burned, disembowelled and dismembered. Blood and gore slicked the square, but it was the haunting laughter that was the most disturbing.

  They hadn’t changed much. All of them were relatively plain by Angelic standards, more white than gold feathers in their wings. They had olive skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Cold, bitter blue eyes. They truly had never moved on from her rejection, it was laughable if they didn’t have cold murder in their eyes and the square wasn’t filled with her crucified and tortured servants.

  “And so the whore cometh.”

  Why was it when males were rejected by women they always resorted to calling them whores? “How would you know Senoy? You never made me come once.”

  His brothers burst out laughing, and she turned on them “I don’t see why you two are laughing, you were hardly any better.”

  Fury clouded their features as she laughed at them. Even the dying Lilin managed a round of laughter at their expense.

  “Whores don’t deserve to get off.”

  “I’m not a whore, I’m the only one you haven’t paid.” She spat out at him “I’m surprised you even managed to get yourself off you’re that incompetent.”

  His face got very ugly as he pulled out his sword. “I’m going to enjoy this Lilith.”

  “No surprise that it’s only going to be the one of us.”

  He screamed in fury as he threw himself at her. Her shields of light easily deflected his hacks and thrusts. She wasn’t a warrior, but Samael had taught her how to defend herself against magical wa
rriors. He had taught her well and he was one of the best, there weren’t many that could get past her defences.

  His brothers threw themselves into the fray, flames rolling around their weapons as they battered against her shields. She was surprised by just how much their powers had grown. What had been occurring in Heaven?

  She darted backwards as they crashed and battered against her shields. Flames enveloped her shields as they started forming a Weave together. It was then she realised that this fight might not go in her favour.

  She closed her eyes and embraced a power she hadn’t used much since she had escaped Hell.

  The three brothers were sent tumbling backwards as Lilith exploded into flames, Hellfire reaching high up into the sky.

  Lights flared up around the square as the brothers summoned up their Angel powers. To Lilith’s surprise, her flames started to die down. “Oh Lilith, it is good to see you revealing your true nature, but it will not help you. We know how to battle Hell. Heaven shall always win.” His little monologue was cut off by streams of water pouring up out of the canals.

  Lilith rose up into the air, streams of water spinning around her, lashing out at the brothers like angry tentacles. “There is more to me than just Hell boys” fire roared out of her in violent ripples. The skies above darkened as the clouds rushed in. Lightning struck down from above, striking her and turning her into a matrix of electricity, it poured outwards across the square.

  Sunlight pierced through the clouds in three places as the brothers summoned up yet more of their powers to combat her. Other pillars of light started to appear as they called upon the Heavenly Legion to assist them.

  “Can’t fight your own fights boys? Some things never change.”

  “Shut up bitch” one of them roared as Angelic screams started to fill the air. Glass windows started shattering around the square. Winds picked up as the Angels started to use their sky magic against Lilith.

  Time passed as both sides summoned up theirs powers to use against each other. The sun rose and set as the square and city around it was battered with apocalyptic powers. Hellfire raged uncontrolled between blasts of multicoloured lightning, raging winds and extensive flooding. Hurricane winds ripped through the city as magic ran freely through the city streets. Lilith was surprised at just how strong they had grown. They were horrified at just how powerful she was. They might know how to combat Hell’s powers, but they couldn’t reduce its impact. Already dozens of Lesser Angels had died in the raging maelstrom. The more robust Ascended had taken shelter as Amsterdam was overcome with the chaos of so much magic.

  A sword shattered through her shields, and she screamed as it pierced through her arm, but Senoy had not be prepared for his minor victory nor her extreme savagery. She spun around and wrapped herself around him, her lethal claws ripping through Divine flesh. It took her but seconds to tear through his defences and strip him to the core. Her magic was a savage as her claws, tearing through his core and pulling it up into herself

  His death screams overwhelmed even the hurricane winds, and his death flares flooded the square.

  His death and the resulting power temporarily charged her back up again but she was using magic at a chronic rate, and his death only intensified the two remaining brothers’ drive to destroy her.

  They battled on. The sun started to rise again when the two brothers broke through her failing defences. They were on her, prepared for her faltering. Swords stabbed into her, lightning and fire burned her, even as her Hellfire engulfed them.

  Skin blistered off them all, golden and silver blood flowed from cuts and splits. She could feel them stabbing her with daggers, she could feel their power working in unison to wrap around her core. She felt them battering against it, and she realised she didn’t have the power to fend them off.

  They broke through her core defences, and she felt only agony as they tore through her body. This was it, this was the end.

  Samael, Sariel, forgive me. She used the last of her powers to send out those two messages to the two people she loved the most.

  Chapter 23

  Sansenoy and Semangelof had but a moment to revel as they felt Lilith’s core defences crumble but as they tore into it a power greater than they could comprehend exploded out of them. An apocalyptic blast that tore through Amsterdam rendering much of the city centre into little more than a memory. Every Angel was ripped to shreds, their Divine defences stripped away by a force they could not stand up to.

  In different corners of the world, her four sisters turned to face Amsterdam as they felt the faltering of her powers on their consciousness.

  In Africa, Samael howled to the night sky his heartache. None of the forces of Abaddon were safe from his furious aggression. The army let him go, unwilling to be in the cross hairs as he sought to release his heartbreak.

  But in Iceland Sariel closed her eyes as she cut off her powers.

  What has occurred, little one?

  Sariel opened her eyes to look into the concerned face of Tiamat. All around them the noise of the last few days had stilled. Primordial Dragons watched her with something akin to fear and curiosity mixed together. The younger Dragons had edged away from her, it was inherent for the Divine to fear Chaos’ powers and she had just used a great deal of it.

  “Lilith was battling other Angels, and she said her final farewells. I sent Chaos back down the link.”

  Was that wise?

  “Perhaps not but I have never claimed to be. I cannot say if she will survive but her attackers certainly will not.” There was a grim certainly to her voice.

  So Lilith is no more?

  “I do not know, but I fear that my mother was murdered.”

  You should inform your father.

  “He already knows, her farewell was to the both of us.”

  So she did love him. Such a strange relationship they had. Her head tilted to the south. His fury will burn very long and violently over this. I would hate to be in his way.

  Knowing her father, she agreed. Both her parents were volatile people, they also had a cold ruthlessness to them. He had also crossed over into Abaddon’s territory, his old enemy was going to have a very angry and bitter Samael tearing up his domain.

  You can go if you wish this labour will not be like the last.

  “I know. All will be well.” She glanced out the cave mouth “I doubt there is much point.”

  Agrat flicked a glance north, concern creasing her beautiful features before she schooled it blank again. She could show no fear while she was here. Weakness would get her killed. Then again looking about it seemed just about anything could get one killed.

  Abaddon’s lair was a not a place for the unwary or the weak of stomach. Fortunately, she was neither. She knew how to deal with Abaddon and as for the torment around her, it concerned her none.

  But she was curious about what he had done. It appeared he had taken a hill or mountain and cut off the top then scooped out its insides and then blasted tunnels through to the outside. The view up into the sky was fringed with inward curving obelisks of bone. She doubted there was an animal big enough to have their bones carved into the pillars. He must have crafted them himself.

  At the bases of the pillars and littered all around the lair were the ruins of vehicles. Burned out and crashed trucks and tanks provided perches for the hundreds of Demons that crowded the area. These were Hell’s more unsavoury and insane denizens, but then to follow Abaddon you had to be.

  Scattered across the place were skeletons, half eaten corpses, weapons and the occasional mortal chained up for food or pleasure. In some instances, it appeared both. It also appeared that the Demons were not picky in their mortals, males and females, Humans and Daemons, lay or sat chained to the ground.

  It seemed Abaddon had no use for anything that was not a Demon, perhaps she wasn’t as safe as she had presumed. Then again she was a Greater Demon. She had nothing to fear from them, but plenty to fear of Abaddon.

  He sat in all his
terror upon a pile of bones as though it was a throne. He was monstrous in size, towering over the size of buildings, he was one who had always embraced the capacity of the more powerful Divine to increase their size. It was in this form that he had destroyed on the Gods’ and then the Angels’ command.

  It also appeared he had shed nearly all resemblance to being an Angel. The only trace of his once Angelic looks and body were the six skeletal wings at the back of his skeletal form. No skin, no flesh, not even eyes. He was but bones from skull to claw tips. Where feathers had once been now burned Hellfire and where eyes had once been were only pits of seemingly unending darkness.

  Those dark pits turned to regard her as she marched her way across the open ground to his bone pile. “Agrat, it has been a long time” his voice was as chilling and empty as the grave, no inflections, no tone. Even Death had a voice with more warmth, Thanatos had never unnerved her as much as Abaddon did right now.

  “Indeed, it has been Abaddon. Being confined to different Levels of Hell certainly inhibited our social interactions.”

  He laughed, he actually laughed. It was perhaps the creepiest noise she had ever heard. She was a fool to have come here, a fool to have thought that Abaddon wouldn’t be far removed from the young Angel she had once known. No, she had very much misled herself, Abaddon was mad, he was no longer the Angel he had once been.

  “It is good to see that your sense of humour has not changed Agrat. It was always one of your more interesting qualities.” She didn’t know whether to be insulted or not. “But what could bring one such as yourself to my domain? Surely Samael was not so foolish as to think you would win his battles for him?”

  Shit, she had forgotten that Samael had invaded Abaddon’s territory. “I have no idea what Samael would think, I have not spoken to him since before Hell.” If one glossed over his appearance in Crete, she hadn’t seen him since then either.

  “But you were once so eager to be in his bed Agrat.”