A Gluttony Of Faith

by Steven Lindsay

  Power rippled across her skin as tears started to leak out of her eyes “I saved you, I healed you, I protected you and this is the thanks I get. You are an arsehole!” Power exploded out from around her as she started to float. He tried raising shields but the Chaos swirling about tore holes through them.

  “This is bigger than you, you pompous ass. You are the High Lord of Hell, and you are its protector. But how can you defend your citizens when you can’t even defend yourself? You don’t deserve to rule Hell” she screamed at him as Chaos exploded out in every direction. Hell thundered with her fury and pain.

  Hell didn’t whisper to him. It screamed.

  Chunks of rock exploded out of cliffs, the gloom blazed brown and fiery red as it started to swirl around into a violent maelstrom.

  Lucifer scrambled backwards throwing up every shield he could, but Sariel was horrifyingly powerful. The maelstrom tore through his shields as though they were nothing, burned out spell threads floated around him. Chaos started to burn holes through him as he started to run as fast as he could. He couldn’t even teleport, the spells were corroded through before they could finish.

  What the Hell had Sariel done?

  Yet behind the roaring of the maelstrom, he could hear sobbing. Sariel’s sobbing. Her pain was feeding the Chaos racking Hell, and from the scream, he doubted it was going to let up anytime soon.

  What the Hell had he done?

  The fiery lights of Hell faded as the portal closed. Sariel staggered a few steps and threw herself down onto the bed sobbing her broken heart out.

  She loved him. She knew it to be true. She had thought he returned the feelings, he had kissed her many times at Brigid’s celebrations. They had seemed well suited to each other, and he had made her feel confident and comfortable.

  But he didn’t want her. He had led her on. Throw into the mix his arrogant refusal to accept the freely offered help that would save Hell and allow him to gain control of his powers.

  He didn’t want her help. He had said as much.

  Why didn’t he want her help? She could help him. She could help the denizens of Hell. Yet it was her help he refused. What was wrong with her help?

  It made no sense to her.

  Her tears flowed unrestrained from her violet eyes, and she made no attempt to stem them. There was no one here that would see her, no one would come looking for her here.

  Agrat smiled as she walked through the walls into the high-security vault. This was one of the securest places on earth, or at least it was meant to be. Except it had been built by Humans to defend against Humans. And it had been in one of the most powerful nations in the world. But that nation was now divided, and the world was no longer without magic. And the fools had not taken into account the terrible disease that had been mostly forgotten.

  It was one of Humanity’s greatest achievements. They had done the seemingly impossible and freed themselves from the ravages of its clutches. And it was not alone, they had mastered other diseases too in various ways. Typically by vaccination or antibiotics. But neither were without their weaknesses and limitations.

  Ever since the miraculous discovery of antibiotics Humanity had been fighting an ever-changing war with antibiotic resistance. For all their miracles and their attempts to step above their station, they were limited and floundering. It would seem that Gaia’s creations had been imbued with many unseen gifts.

  Disease continued to ravage the world, though their concerns of recent years had focussed on feeding themselves. Disease had been allowed to run rampant through the undeveloped world because it was sometimes kinder than them starving to death. But it had mostly become financially unviable to help them when the developed world was struggling themselves.

  But it did not diminish their past achievements. And she had researched their past achievements well.

  She had snuck into Koltsovo yesterday to steal what she had also come to Atlanta to steal. The State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR had been burnt to the ground, and the Russians had hidden from the world what had been within. She had made sure to take all she needed.

  Now she was here in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, to finish off her task and ensure she had even more to work with. She would have to mass produce the vaccines on a phenomenal level to protect the empire. Thankfully she and Ariadne had developed her labs further. She had vats full of dangerous diseases and vats full of their vaccines and antibiotics. Her codex was full of chemical pathways and all the past research into diseases.

  She had managed to scour the world and get all the diseases she wanted. Most had been relatively easy. Humanity had not managed well in recent years to stem its spread. Abaddon’s return had also greatly assisted her. His perchance for wanton destruction was without parallel.

  She ripped open the vault, destroying any alarms that might have gone off in the process. Inside sat her most recent desire. Her hands clasped around the containers filled with smallpox and its vaccines and smiled.

  Oh, how the world would remember what it had forgotten. And so very many of them would die.

  Hera stared at the door before her, so out of place in the dark forgotten tunnel. She had forgotten about this prison. It seemed that the Angels might have discovered it, but she wasn’t sure.

  The vast doors groaned as they swung inwards, her magic providing the only illumination to the vast cavern beyond. She walked into the complete darkness wondering if perhaps she was wrong.

  She had, after all, reminded herself of this prison by reading old myths. Such untapped potential within those pages. It made her realise that the Gods were not as infallible as they had always thought they were. Turned out that they forgot a great many things, but could recall them completely given the right reminder.

  She walked forward, for once feeling insignificant. It was rare for a God to feel as such, but there were very few times when she was wandering around in the dark in a vast prison. She knew the power in these halls, and they were immense. They had been built a long time ago by Primordial Gods seeking to imprison each other. As with many things it had fallen into the care of the Gods who had made it their own and strengthened the ancient spells.

  They had been strengthened considerably in preparation for its most recent prisoner. He had after all nearly defeated all of the Olympians single-handedly. But then he was a Titan, and they were a law unto themselves even among the Gods and Primordials. For some reason, Gaia had mated with Uranus to produce a very unique brood of children. Not quite Primordial Gods and not quite Gods but something in between. They had the strength of the Primordials but the range of power of the Gods.

  They had been truly terrifying in their power.

  Yet somehow they had overthrown them and imprisoned them in Tartarus, except for a few. Hecate, Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus had aided them in their fight and had been allowed to live freely. Though Prometheus had been chained up and tortured for giving man fire. Epimetheus had been given Pandora for Prometheus’ crimes, both a gift and punishment.

  Those who had fought against the Olympians had been cast into Tartarus and locked away, with a few exceptions. Atlas had been given the special punishment of holding up the Heavens until Perseus had killed him with Medusa’s head. That had certainly shocked them all.

  And one had been chained up here beneath what was now called Mt Etna. For his powers were such that they could not force him into Tartarus. She and Gaia had had the strange foresight to allow him to remain in the prison along with his mate so that their Monstrous offspring could still wreak havoc on the world and provide real challenges for future heroes.

  She came to the edge of a great bowl, feeling the containment dome in front of her. It was still very, very strong. Light started to fill the cavern as she used her magic, now she would find out if her super weapon was still alive. Light speared through the darkness, shifting it into gloom.

  She saw gigantic serpentine coils, she saw massive clawed hands, and
she saw two huge green eyes flicker open at her light. He might be mostly Desiccated, but he was still very much alive.

  “Hello Typhon,” she said smiling. All was as it should be.

  Glossary

  Abaddon: Fallen Angel of Destruction.

  Ailurides: Werecat Maenads

  Aisling: The current Fae Princess.

  Agrat Bat Mahlat: Fallen Angel, Greater Demon, one of the Lilin’s Sacred Mothers. Sister of Lilith. Mother and lover of Asmodeus.

  Angels: Winged Divine beings, separated into three divisions; Elder, Ascended, and Lesser. All ruled by the seven Arch Angels.

  Angel Weave: The special talent of the Angels to combine their magic.

  Anu: Mesopotamian Sky God, father of Inanna, Ereshkigal, and Lilith.

  Arch Angel: The seven most powerful Arch Angels, often referred to as the Seven. Current Arch Angels are Gabriel, Michael, Azrael, Ariel, Uriel, Raphael, and Jophiel.

  Ariel: Daughter of Jehoel, Gabriel and Lucifer are her cousins. One of the Arch Angels, her personal guard are the Inquisitors.

  Asmodeus: The Demon King. Greater Demon. Son and lover of Agrat.

  Asterion: The first Minotaur, now a Greater Demon.

  The Acheron: One of the Rivers of Death, all of which flow into the Acheron, which flows into Hell.

  Arachne: The Spider Queen.

  Arachnians: Race of spider-humanoids. Hera’s creation.

  Ariadne: Demigoddess, once the Mistress of the Labyrinth and wife of Dionysus.

  Ascended Angel: Saints who have been granted Divinity. Characterised by their four wings.

  Atlantis: Ancient islands ruled by many Gods and Primordial Gods, once a great place of learning and magic before it was destroyed.

  Atlanteans: Refugees of Atlantis, who sought sanctuary with the Fae, now serve as the military arm of the Seelie Court. Very technologically advanced.

  Ava: The Fae’s green metal.

  Avalon: Ancient Primordial Goddess, who created the Fae, also refers to the British Isles, which she created.

  Azar: Eisheth’s daughter.

  Azazel: Greater Demon. Raphael’s nemesis.

  Azi Dahaka: Demon freed by Simurgh.

  Azrael: Brother of Samael, the Arch Angel of Death, his personal guard are the Reapers.

  Bahamut: Primordial God used to create Behemoth

  Bakeneko: Magical race of cat shapeshifters

  Basilisk: The King of Serpents. Capable of petrifying. One of Gabriel’s creations.

  The Beast: Lucifer’s Cursed form.

  The Blue Guard: Atlantean arm of the British Army.

  Brigid: Celtic Goddess imprisoned at the start of the War. The Heir of Avalon. Patron of the British Empire. The most powerful Goddess in the world.

  Behemoth: Greater Demon, Guardian of Gluttony.

  Cathair: Prince of the Fae, betrothed to Victoria

  Centaurs: Half Human half horse Daemon race. Hunted to extinction.

  Cerberus: Divine Monster Guardian of Hades.

  Chaos: Refers to the universe and its unfathomable powers, parent of Gaia and thus the planet.

  Charon: The Ferryman, transports the dead to Hades and Hell.

  Chiron: Demigod Centaur son of Cronos, now a Greater Demon.

  Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt, turned into a Demon in Hell. Isis’ tool for reclaiming Egypt.

  Cockatrice: Cockerel like Monster, capable of petrifying. One of Gabriel’s creations.

  Codex: Computers that can be worn on the wrist and project their own images.

  The Commanding Assembly: Headed by the seven Guardians it rules the Atlanteans.

  The Council: The Council of Elder who govern Heaven and the Angels.

  The Curse: The Angels’ Curse, Hell’s Curse, Gabriel’s Curse, Michael’s Curse, the spell that caused the Fall and transformed Lucifer into the Beast and created Hell.

  Daemons: Magical races throughout the world, hunted by the Angels.

  The Damned: The Cursed, tortured mortal citizens of Hell.

  Demeter: Mother of Persephone, one of Hera’s sisters.

  Demons: The Angels’ term for Daemons, also the Cursed denizens of Hell.

  Desiccation: A process in which Divine beings’ bodies cease to function, but the power is too strong to fade away.

  Dragons: Divine race of primordial creatures older than the Gods. Hunted to extinction, but now reborn.

  Dryads: Wood Nymphs hunted to extinction except in Avalon.

  Eden: Primordial Goddess, her Garden later became the home of the Angels.

  Eisheth: Fallen Angel, Greater Demon, one of the Lilin’s Sacred Mothers. Sister of Lilith. Asterion’s mate.

  Elder Angel: Divine Demigods, often the bastard offspring of Gods. Characterised by six wings and great power. Believed to have been started by Inanna.

  The Elites: Terrifying Monsters that Hera has crafted out of children who have suffered sexual abuse.

  Erebus: Primordial God of darkness.

  Ereshkigal: Mesopotamian Goddess of Death. Sister to Inanna and Lilith.

  Fae/Fairies: Divine, mortal spirits that live in Avalon and are descended from her. Governed by the Seelie Court and ruled by the Fae Queen.

  The Fall: When Gabriel and Michael cast out Lucifer and his brethren from Heaven.

  Gabriel: Daughter of Israfel and sister of Lucifer. The most powerful Arch Angel, her personal guard are the Seraphim.

  Gadawsant: The Forsaken, the Wild Ones. The descendants of Fairies and Elves who broke their oaths and thus were cursed.

  Gaia: First of all Primordial Gods, she is the planet’s spirit and the only true child of Chaos.

  Glamour: A spell to assume the appearance of being Human.

  Gods: Immortal Divine beings of phenomenal powers that once ruled the world. The offspring of the Primordial Gods.

  Gorgons: All female Serpentine Daemon race. Have snakes for hair.

  Great Babylon: Ereshkigal’s Empire.

  Greater Demon: Extremely powerful Demons created by the Curse.

  Hades: Greek God of the Dead, also the Underworld realm he rules.

  Harpies: Divine Avian race who torture the Damned in both Hell and Hades.

  Hecate: Titaness of Magic, Mother of Dogs.

  Hera: Greek Goddess, one of the most powerful Goddesses to have ever lived. The current Queen of Heaven. Patron of the Heradmantium Empire.

  Hydra: Dinosaur like Monster capable of regrowing its head when beheaded.

  Hydralgia: The Atlanteans’ blue metal.

  Hypnos: Greek God of Dreams, brother of Thanatos.

  The Furies: Also the Erinyes, minor Goddesses that hunted down criminals.

  Heaven: Magical realm in the sky, home of the Gods and Angels.

  Hel: Norse Goddess of the Underworld.

  Hell: Largest of all the Underworlds, formed when Lucifer fell from Heaven and from the Angels’ Curse.

  Horus: Isis and Osiris’ son.

  Iblis: A Greater Demon.

  Inanna: Mesopotamian Goddess, considered the Mother of the Angels. Once the Queen of Heaven and Lilith’s Mentor.

  Isis: Egyptian Goddess of Magic, once the Queen of Heaven

  Israfel: Lucifer and Gabriel’s mother, her sister was Jehoel. One time friend of Lilith.

  Izanami: Japanese Goddess cursed to the Underworld freed when Hell was unleashed. Patron of the Dragon Empire.

  James Watson: Australian Sorcerer-General, First Sorcerer of the British Empire.

  Jehoel: Israfel’s sister and Ariel’s mother.

  Jinn: Daemon race of varying abilities and appearances. The only other sentient species other than Humans to accept the Angels as their masters.

  Jophiel: The newest Arch Angel. Her guard are the Erelim.

  Jörmungandr: Divine Monster turned into Leviathan. Brother to Hel and Fenrir.

  Josephine: Irish Sorceress.

  Kappa: Turtle like humanoids. Izanami’s creation.

  Kitsune: Magical race of fox shapeshifters, most magical of all
the Were.

  Kraken: Giant cephalopod Monsters.

  Kuk: A Primordial God of Darkness.

  Kyle Cho: Arch-Sorcerer of the Heradmantium Empire.

  Lampades: Underworld Nymphs utterly loyal to Hecate. Have the gift of prophecy.

  Lesser Angels: Spirits of mortals who serve the other Angels. Characterised by two wings.

  Leviathan: Greater Demon, Guardian of Wrath.

  The Lifestream: From whence all spirits and souls come from and return. The endless cycle of life magic that keeps the world alive.

  Lilin: Daemon race, males are Incubi, females Succubi.

  Lilith: Fallen Arch Angel, Michael and Sariel’s mother. Considered the Mother of the Lilin. Was married to Samael and Adam.

  Luigsech: The Fae Queen, who offered sanctuary to the Atlantean refugees.

  Maenads: Warrior Nymphs once loyal to Dionysus, the only surviving Nymph species on the Surface.

  Mammon: Fallen Angel and Greater Demon.

  Mantids: Race of Humanoid mantises. Hera’s Creation.

  Medusa: The only mortal Gorgon, Cursed into Hell to become a Greater Demon.

  Mentor: Divine who takes over the teaching and protection of another Divine.

  Merfolk: Marine Daemon species nearly hunted to extinction.

  Merlion: Symbol of Singapore, new Divine species.

  Michael: Husband of Gabriel and Sariel’s brother. Arch Angel, his personal guard, are the Cherubim. An Angel of Death. One time friend of Lucifer.

  Mictecacihuatl: Aztec Goddess. Ruler of Mictlan.

  Mictlantecuhtli: Aztec God. Ruler of Mictlan.

  Minotaurs: Bovine Daemon race. The original was Asterion in the Labyrinth.

  Minos: Judge of the dead in both Hades and Hell.

  Monsters: Divine creatures of considerable power, usually the offspring of Primordial Gods and Gods though many have been created by Gabriel.

  Myrmidon: Race of humanoid Ants. Hera’s creation.

  Naamah: Fallen Angel, Greater Demon, one of the Lilin’s Sacred Mothers. Sister of Lilith.