Lilith tried summoning her magic to little avail. Sariel laid her hand on her shoulder, she could feel magic flowing in from Sariel’s hand “try it again. It will take some time.”
“Tell me about your sisters, what are they like?”
“Where do I begin? I only recently found out that I have paternal sisters, as for my maternal sisters we have had a very volatile relationship over the years.”
She tapped her scarred purple lips “My paternal sisters are Inanna and Ereshkigal. Though I have only recently realised that I was their sister, they have always known. Inanna took me into her service when I was but a girl, it was a huge honour at the time, for she was the Queen of Heaven. Of course, I didn’t know that I was accepted because I was her sister. I served her for many years in her temples and in Heaven.
My service was transferred to Ereshkigal through a planned incident of theirs to ensure I was properly trained without drawing Heaven’s eyes. I accompanied Inanna into Irkalla where she was held hostage. I offered my life in exchange for hers and Ereshkigal accepted. She is in many ways the opposite of her sister. Inanna is all about light and fertility. Ereshkigal is all about darkness, but she was very powerful and wise. I have been helping her build her empire, I even helped her choose the name Great Babylon as a slap in the face of Heaven.”
Flickers of fire danced within her eyes, and pin feathers had started to appear on her wings.
“As for my other sisters, well we all shared the same mother though she never really had much time for us. Only for her lovers, we all had different fathers.
I didn’t have much to do with their early lives, but they all followed me into Inanna’s service. They always wanted to follow my footsteps, to prove that they could do it better.”
“And did they?”
She smiled “no, they’re still following in my footsteps. I have what they all want; a powerful husband and powerful children. I became an Arch Angel, married one and have two children that were.”
She tapped the three fingers of her left hand on the ground “Though Agrat and Eisheth have had children. I saw Eisheth’s children, she gave birth to two beautiful twins. She’s the youngest of us all, forever falling in all our footsteps but now she seems to have carved a new path. She has paired up with Asterion, together they have conquered much of Crete and have strong ambitions. Though she had as difficult a labour as Tiamat did. But her little ones are alright.
Agrat also has a son, Asmodeus who is known as the Demon King.”
“I thought he was her lover?”
She looked at her “he is.”
“Oh”
“Oh indeed. But they have lasted many centuries together and do seem happy. She is probably the darkest of us, in colouring and temperament. I mean we are all Divine and do not see the world in the same way as mortals do, but she has often associated with Divine I would not. Ares, Abaddon, others of questionable lucidity and often truly sadistic temperament. She willingly served Aphrodite for more than one contract, something very few people did at all.”
“Why?”
“I keep forgetting you don’t know the history of Heaven. Aphrodite played all sorts of games with her servants, especially of a sexual nature. She subjugated them to all sorts of sexually deviant acts.”
“But Michael and Lucifer served her?”
She nodded slowly “that was why Michael ripped her apart and why all her servants so cruelly killed her. She got her just desserts. Though Aphrodite was not alone in her behaviour, it is what helped ignite the rebellion.”
She had never realised that her brother had suffered so much. She could understand his desire for retribution. “What of Naamah?”
“In many ways we are similar. Her powers are the closest to mine, and she also looks the most like me. She was in good standing to be an Arch Angel but when she was passed over she left Eden’s politics entirely and chose to do her own thing. She comes and goes, but of all my sisters she is the only one who I have not mended the rifts with.”
“What caused the rifts?”
“Many things. Jealousy mostly, your father, other lovers we have shared, Inanna’s preference for me, that I walked away from all of Heaven. We have always had petty rivalries, but your father’s and my rise in power changed all that. To them, I had everything they thought they deserved. So they planned to cut me down. Sure they managed to get Samael for a time or two, but they grossly underestimated his love for me and overestimated their appeal and skills.”
“So my father has slept with my aunts?”
“Not all of them.”
“And my cousin is sleeping with my aunt?”
“Yes”
“And Michael was forced into unknown sexual acts by Aphrodite’s powers?”
“I believe so.”
“Is this normal for Divine families?”
Lilith tilted her head up in thought “I guess so. Though normal and families are uncommon terms for the Divine. We are simply what we are, which is not mortal. We do not think like them, we do not behave like them. We only act like them to pass for them, to seduce them and to manipulate them. You were raised by Conservative Angels whose views were not the norm or mainstream before the Fall. Samael and my actions are abhorrent to Michael because of what was done to him, but Gabriel does not share all his views. What we got up to was consensual and normal for us. Remember we are not civilised, we are magical aspects of nature combined with animal instincts we have picked up. Always follow your instincts Sariel because they come from your true nature.
Never deny your nature Sariel because it will backlash.” She reached out and cupped her face with her almost complete right hand “Never deny who you are Sariel because you are truly wonderful.”
“Are you sure the Council deserves this? After they tried to strip your power.”
Gabriel gave Zerachiel a sly smile, she was a loyal Captain, she could ask for none more faithful. She was one of the very few Gabriel would class as a friend, a loyal servant whose opinion was valued and who didn’t cringe before her. She was one of the very few people who would tell Gabriel in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought, she was also smart enough to make sure such times were private. There had been more than one occasion Gabriel had changed her course of action on Zerachiel’s recommendations and insights.
“It will remind the Council just how much they need me. Besides it is about time one of the Empires was brought to its knees, they are all growing out of control before we can get ours to counter them.”
“We have been having some success. Pakistan continues to chew up India and people from the Afghani and Iranian wastes have been coming in droves, and some warlords have even handed over their territories.”
“That is but one success. Look at the terrifying rate at which Britain is swallowing up the world, or the Heradmantium Empire’s continual spread. Ariel stems its border spread in America, but it is swallowing up parts of Central America now. Great Babylon spits in our face and tears apart any semblance or renewed order in the Middle East. They have actually attack Caliphate area. Uriel is pissed.”
“But on the whole, we still hold the world in our hand.”
“And this will help ensure it.” A cruel smile grew on both their faces.
Lights started to appear near them, but they were not concerned. It would take more than a few Divine to break through the Seraphim shield weave.
Gabriel raised her glowing hands, pink magic rippled through the shields. It flared out across the landscape, whipping through the heavy cloud bank of pollutants that still choked China even with its regulated weather and recent greening. It had choked itself near to death during its recovery from its Century of Humiliation and rapid economic rise to become the superpower it had remained until it had formed the Dragon Empire.
Pink flared within the gloom as it rippled throughout China and Korea before jumping across the sea to Japan. It passed through almost everything, but when it touched a Tengu, it exploded into a matrix of pink t
hreads that wrapped around its target. Tengu throughout the empire shone within her spells as she hijacked control of them. She wasn’t successful with all of them, but the vast majority fell under the thrall of their creator.
And their creator bade them to slaughter.
“You have done brilliant work in the Dragon Empire Gabriel. It's all-out civil war there. The whole Council is abuzz with the immediate success of your actions. There is a great deal of fear rippling through the Council. The new Elder make the rest uncomfortable, and they are propagating a sense of foreboding among the rest. The Seraphim as a whole look at the other Council members with disgust and none will mention anything about Maalik’s disappearance.”
She looked up from the containment cell she was arm deep in. Within was the tormented form of a Wendigo bathing in flames.
“It does them well to remember just how much power I wield, I can end their lives with such ease. Still it is nice to actually have an easy victory for once, all the rest seem so hard fought for.” She sighed “why couldn’t the War just have just stayed finished?”
Uriel wisely chose not to mention that the only reason it had started was because of Sariel. He chose another tact “do your Seraphim have anything to do with Maalik’s disappearance?”
“Oh, they have everything to do with it.” She smiled savagely as she withdrew her arms and bade for him to follow as she flew up several levels. “They brought him to me to pass judgement. They are ever so loyal to me.”
“You killed him?” he wasn’t concerned Maalik was a fool for trying to clip Gabriel wings. Even at his strongest he was no match for her, and she had a mind like no other. She always seemed to be prepared for anything. No, he made very sure he stayed allies with Gabriel if only for his own survival.
“Not yet, but that may occur. No, I chose a different punishment for him.”
She gestured to the containment cell, its frosty glass started to clear. Within lay Maalik, or what he had become.
He wasn’t quite sure what Gabriel had done to him or intended to. One side of his face had been cut away to expose metallic bone and muscle. Somehow she had prevented its natural healing. The other side of his face was covered in darkened skin and lots of thin spines. A half ring of horns dotted his head. It looked like he had developed gills on the side of his neck. One of his wings had been stripped of its feathers, another of its flesh. Another wing had been coated in what looked like chitin while a fourth wing had been burned. His remaining two wings were as yet untouched. Parts of his arms and thigh had been cut to expose the bone and flesh beneath.
It was strangely fascinating to note the differences between mortal and Divine flesh, which he imagined was why she had done it.
Other parts of his body had been changed to Demonic or other animalistic decorations. It was most unsettling to see what Gabriel could do to a Divine.
“So what brought you to my domain Uriel?”
He started realising he had completely forgotten his gifts for her “I was calling in a debt for you, Gabriel.” He held up a glowing blue and orange spell, within it was the control to dozens of spells. She reached out and took control of the spell, her lips curving into a smile as she flicked the spells off to empty containment cells. The hum of machines increased as they powered up ready for their new inhabitants.
Gabriel flew up two levels to where she had placed the spells. Floating within were Demons, lots of Demons, unconscious in the fluids within. Spells layered the machines’ natural containment and readings. It had taken her a very short amount of time to adapt modern science to her needs. “Oh, Uriel, you have done very well.”
“There are still hundreds out there.”
“True but you have done well in capturing these. Here, I believe this is your payment.” She held out another master spell, this one swirling green and pink. His face lit up with savage satisfaction as he gained control of the hundreds of containment spells within. She had just given him an army of Divine creatures.”
“Thank you, Gabriel, I will use them well. And I will bring more Demons to you.”
“Oh, I have no doubt of that Uriel.” No doubt at all.
Hera stared at the shield. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, but she was a very powerful being and if one knew the right spells one could make shields visible. Magical beings could usually sense or deduce their presence anyway. Both Ariadne and Agrat had alerted her to the presence of this shield. A shield that they were hesitant to cross alone.
A shield that was within her territory.
Who would dare, or be so stupid, to section off her territory from herself and other Divine?
It was a very specific shield, well-crafted but they had not taken into account a gifted Fallen Angel or one as gifted as Ariadne. They had anticipated her, though. Her powers swept over the region telling her little, as it had done for the last few months. The shield knew to give her information as her spells passed over it, false information she might add. Months had passed, and she had been completely unaware of this claim on her territory.
It was a Gods’ shield designed to hide from other Gods while allowing mortals to pass through. It was a means to avoid detection while one converted the people within it. She knew it well, she had become a master at creating such shields. Which was how she could learn so much from studying it.
Even as she watched mortals drove through the shields completely unaware of it. She saw the sparkle of magic as the shield tasted them, passing on information back to its creator.
They were patient and cunning whoever had made the shield. They had also chosen a good time to do it. The disappearances of mortals was going completely unnoticed with the widespread disappearances all across the region. They were presumed claimed by one of the sides in the on-going war. That or they were dead. From what, was open to interpretation.
But Agrat had heard tales of the region while she had been securing Asmodeus’ conquests. Her investigations in the region had brought her to the shield covering the Yucatan Peninsula. She had been unable to sneak past the shield and sensing an unknown power behind it had left it and reported to her. She had taken her duties elsewhere within the empire.
Then Ariadne had been expanding her Labyrinth powers throughout all of claimed Mexico, upon reaching the peninsula she had encountered strange spells that limited the power but didn’t stop it. Whoever was within had not been exposed to the ancient powers of the Labyrinth so did not know to shield against it, but they did know enough to shield against Divine powers from the Mediterranean.
She was curious as to who was inside, but she was also patient. She would wait and see who had dared take from her. Once she knew she would crush them completely.
Chapter 30
“I didn’t expect you until later,” she said as she felt a great amount of power swirl around her.
“I’m surprised you were expecting me at all.”
Agrat spun around her shields and fires raising in a heartbeat before faltering into silence. At first, she thought it was a young Lilith, was her mind playing tricks? Then she realised the differences. It might be Lilith’s young face, but it held violet eyes and lips and was framed by black curls. She saw the six black wings, and she understood. “Sariel?”
She smiled, “Hello Agrat.”
She studied her niece, she truly was a carbon copy of Lilith, the only aspect of Samael that showed through was his colouring. What surprised her though was the warmth and lack of calculation in those violet eyes. What scared her was the amount of power she could feel emanating off of her. She had confused her for Hera, but now she realised that Sariel was even more powerful. “I am sorry about your loss Sariel, Lilith was very dear to me.”
She blinked before understanding flashed across her face. “I am glad to hear that she was very dear to you for she is not dead.”
Poor deluded child “She is, we all felt her passing. I have seen the devastation of Amsterdam. There is nothing that could have survived that.”
“Excep
t the epicentre.”
She laughed “no God let alone Angel has that kind of power and my sister certainly never had any talent for Chaos.”
“I do.”
She was about to laugh at her delusion when she felt intense fear pass through her. She looked down at Sariel’s hand, pure Chaos power spun contently in a small spiral. “I am the Chaos Goddess and in my mother’s defence, she became my conduit. Lilith was the epicentre of the Chaos maelstrom that tore Amsterdam apart. None survived, but her, and she was greatly injured in the process. She is suffering Chaos poisoning and is unable to come to you herself.”
Cold fear still crept down her spine “Lilith is alive? She is really alive?”
“She is.”
“Where is she?”
“In Hades”
“Why is she there?”
“Because she is safe there. Now if you will excuse me, I must track down your other sisters.” She nodded to Agrat “It was a pleasure to meet you, I look forward to seeing you again.” And just like that, she was gone in a swirl of power with a taste of Chaos.
For a long time after Sariel left Agrat watched the particles of Chaos float in the air and cause all sorts of rare chemical reactions. Chaos truly was creation and destruction, it was transformation on a truly unfathomable scale.
“Oh Lilith, what have you birthed?”
Eisheth cried out as she walked into her apartments. The first thing she saw was her two children hugging the legs of a strange Angel. Then she saw the face and thought Lilith had come back from the dead.
Yet neither were quite true. She had the look of Lilith, but her colouring could only have come from one family of Angels. Those violet eyes, black hair, black wings and pale skin told her all she needed to know. This was Lilith’s daughter Sariel.
“Mum, mum, mum!” her children tumbled over each other to get to her. They had progressed to toddlers and were constantly on the move now, whether it be running or in Azar’s case flying. She caught Azar in her arms and crouched down to Pyrrhus.
A Gluttony Of Faith Page 31