The Shivered Sky

by Matt Dinniman

  “She's okay, right doctor? Marija is okay?”

  The baby was wiggly and purple, and a trident-shaped birthmark blazed on her cheek. But she was beautiful. The most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

  The doctor smiled sadly, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder. Behind him, the angel named Yehppael was gone, but Ivan could feel his invisible presence. The angel offered warmth, and he spoke soothing words in Ivan's head.

  With death comes life.

  Appendix a.—Glossary

  Absolute Darkness—The complete, utter absence of light. Only exists within the demon planes; deadly to angels.

  Acolyte—A student of Moloch, usually a worker in the temple; almost exclusively Dahhak.

  Alli—Dahhak. Well known for his skill at the Dance of Libation.

  Angel—1. Any inhabitant of the nine hierarchical tiers of Heaven's original population. 2. A specific caste, the bottom tier of the nine hierarchical levels (see appendix b.). The largest group by tenfold. The common angel has the appearance of a tall human with phantom-like wings. A common angel can only raise status by becoming a Power.

  Anima Bot—A holographic computer simulation of an officer in the angel army. They are downloaded with the officer's intelligence and skill and are designed to be used by soldiers in the field for guidance when the real officer cannot be contacted. They are not trusted and used sparingly.

  Archangel—An angel caste. The second to bottom tier of the nine hierarchical levels (see appendix b.). By sight, there is little difference between a common angel and an archangel. They tend to be more intelligent and very slightly larger. An Archangel can raise status by becoming a Power.

  Arch-Demon—Any of the various races of intelligent and unusually large demons, the most common of which are the Overseers. The majority of arch-demons do not have wings.

  Arch-Rector—The leader of the Moloch faith. Lives in the Dahhak realm.

  Arms Officer —Usually the second highest ranking officer in a Dominion platoon.

  Asag—An arch-demon race. One of twelve council seats. Large, round, three-legged, three-armed creature with no neck and several eyes covering their entire bulk. Has dark, hardened skin that feels like rock when touched. Almost indestructible. Often work as security, handlers, jailers, foot soldiers, or construction. Anything that requires great strength.

  Ascot—A Mite. Personal assistant to Uzkiev.

  Ashia—A Virtue.

  Athenaeum—Great Library in the city of Cibola. Occupies the lower floors of the Tower. The Sphere is located within.

  Baka—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. They appear to be small, skittish crane-like birds. Fiercely intelligent. Said to be the first to suggest the formation of the Dominion.

  Beacon—One of billions of pyramids located near the ether pool, designed to summon the souls of humans as they die within the Sphere.

  Blood Anger—State of disfavor upon a Dahhak clan by the god, Moloch. Usually caused by some form of sacrilege. Individual members are punished until the proper rites are performed.

  Booja—A female Geyrun who lives on an Overseer-controlled world. A slave. Mother of Qulp.

  Book of Ancestors—A book located in a Dahhak family's clan temple. Every member of the clan has a page dedicated to him, unless he shames the clan somehow. Then it is burned. A clan's greatness is measured by the thickness of the book.

  Broken Fist—An elusive terrorist organization comprised of members of various demon races. Believe dependence upon humans is the downfall of their societies, and actively work against slavery and importing humans. Are known to randomly attack humans, and their ultimate goal is the destruction of the Sphere.

  Burrower—A hairy, armored, gigantic creature with six legs. Approximately 500 feet tall. From the Overseer world, used to dig large holes quickly. Very difficult to control and handle.

  Cabael—Angel. Seraph.

  Caduceus—A hollow wooden wand carried by all rectors and other officials of the Moloch church. Filled with the ground bone of serpents.

  Camp, the—A large outdoors prison.

  Carumba—Dave's pet Siberian Husky

  Catechist, the—A secretive department of the Dominion military; an elite branch of Flamen. They investigate treasonous acts within the military infrastructure. Consists of an unknown number, but is always referred to as a single entity.

  Chancellor—Official title of one who sits upon the Council of Twelve.

  Charun—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. Primarily females, who devour the males upon mating. They resemble large vultures, but have two pairs of rounded wings and powerful, clawed arms. Unmated male Charun are much more intelligent, and often given the task of ferrying souls to and from the Charun underworld.

  Cherubim—An angel caste. Second in the first Choir of angel hierarchy, behind only the Seraphim. They are collectors of knowledge. They are the spiritual leaders of Heaven, speaking for the Creator. Said to take two forms, one is that of a common angel, the other a mystery.

  Chider—A small animal that lives within the forest.

  Children of Moloch—Creatures, often humans, believed to be brought into existence with the purpose of punishing Dahhak and other Molochites who have evoked Moloch's Blood Anger. The rite of Temple Oblation on one of the Children satisfies the God's anger. Believed to be nothing more than superstition by all those other than Molochites.

  Choir—One of three sections of the angel hierarchy. The first Choir is headed by the Seraphim, the second Choir is headed by the Hashmallim, and the third Choir is headed by the Principalities.

  Cibola—The capital metropolis of Heaven.

  Cicatrix—A scar that appears on the backs of some humans after they have arrived in Heaven. It signifies they had once been angels who had committed suicide in order to live within the Sphere. Bearers of the cicatrix are unwelcome and considered outcasts by most angels.

  Clan—A Dahhak family. Some of the larger ones number in the millions.

  Council of Twelve—The leading organization of the Dominion. It consists of one leader from each of the thirteen nations of demons, minus the Overseers. They are seen by no one other than the Overseers and their battalion of envoys.

  Critical Action Message—An important message sent via radio to angel officers by the higher ranks.

  Cytusa—Gorgon. Member of Footie platoon.

  Dahhak—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. They look very much like winged humans, but taller and thinner. They have dark, angular features and their wings consist of a thin membrane stretched between long bones. The most common demon in the Cibola area.

  Daityas—An arch-demon race. One of twelve council seats. Giants with long, adroit fingers. Can breathe underwater and are impervious to any temperature change. Very skilled in the way of mechanics and machinery.

  Dance of Libation—A rite of Molochism. A game that is performed between two to six players in which the winner is declared to be in Moloch's favor. The losers are sacrificed.

  Dave—Human. One of the five, from Alaska.

  Decretal, the—The bible of Molochism.

  Denude—A process in which a slave, often a human, is drained of all personality and free will. Permanent.

  Derkea—Angel. Seraph.

  Dominion—The Demon army. A conglomeration of thirteen nations of demons, allied to make war on Heaven.

  Dreg—A Shishi. Arms Officer of a Footie platoon in the Dominion military.

  Drone—A remotely controlled machine that usually flies and has a military purpose. Some are armed, others are used for surveillance. Usually very small.

  Ether Pool—An ocean of nothing that surrounds all worlds outside of the Sphere. To the naked eye, it appears like a blue gas. It ebbs and flows like water. The flow of time becomes erratic the closer one gets to the pool.

  Eyre—A Sedim.

  Fall, the—The day of attack on Heaven by the Dominion.

  Fheda of the twelfth age—A celebrated Dahhak from long ago. Ha
d over 5,000 wins in the Dance of Libation.

  Flamen—A rank of the Dominion, consisting of members of various races. Flamen act as the “police” of the Dominion, and are in charge of interrogating both angel prisoners and those of the Dominion who have broken certain laws. One branch of the Flamen is the scientific branch, in charge of disseminating angel technology. Another is the Catechist.

  Footie—A member of a conscript platoon.

  Foray—A flying machine of war. Designed and used by the angels.

  Frish—An Angel. A female Power.

  Gadfly—A beast of the Overseer world. Largest living creature that can take flight.

  Gaeb—A Cherub. Worked in the very bottom floor of the Athenaeum.

  Geyrun—An arch-demon race. Similar to the Overseers, but not as large and without the pleasure nodes. Once an important power, but their world was defeated long ago by the Overseers and they were enslaved. Often work as handlers or assistants. A few have become military commanders.

  Gollop—A mighty serpent of Dahhak lore who tried to eat eternity. Was stopped by Moloch.

  Gorgon—A demon race of flightless, hairless humanoid creatures, usually around five and a half feet tall. Their most distinguishing characteristic are the long strands of parasitic worms that take residence in their brain and erupt from the top of their skull like hair.

  Gramm—Human. One of the five, from Australia.

  Handlers—Demons in charge of wrangling the large animal creatures of the Overseer world. Can be of any demon species.

  Hashmallim—An angel caste. Usually appear to be older winged humans. Leaders of the second Choir. They are single souls split into two forms with independent will. Harming one of the halves injures both. If one dies, they both do.

  Hekka—A Dahhak soldier, member of the Tempest Dahhak squadron.

  Hitomi—Human. One of the five, from Japan.

  Humberto—a human from Rico's hometown.

  Indigo—Human. One of the five. Arrives with complete amnesia.

  Insurgents—Remaining hidden pockets of the angel army that still do battle with the occupying forces of the Dominion.

  Iopol—Angel. A male power.

  Ivan—Human male from Croatia.

  Jessica—Dave's mother.

  Jhunayn, Spire of—A shrine of worship for the angels. Located within Cibola.

  Jullishia—Angel. An engineer promoted to Power after the Fall.

  Ko—Geyrun. Personal Assistant to the Overseer in command of the Main Gate sector.

  Kostchtchie—Demon race. One of twelve council seats. Short, hideous, frog-like demons with wings. Have the ability to crawl upon walls and ceilings with their thin, long fingers. Extremely intelligent. Often find work as surgeons or Flamen.

  Leefa—Angel. A female Power.

  Levi—Angel. An engineer promoted to Power after the Fall.

  Libation—A rite of Molochism that determines how vehement one's faith is.

  Lothe—Dahhak. Grande-commander in the Dominion military.

  Manuel—A human from Rico's hometown.

  Mari—A human from Japan. Hitomi's friend.

  Marid—A race of demons. One of twelve council seats. Shapeshifters. Their natural form is an all black humanoid with no legs but can fly. No wings. Were once the most powerful of all demons.

  Marija—Female human from Croatia.

  Maternity Camps—Large tracts of land, sometimes under a tent, set up so Sedim females may receive medical attention in the birthing process.

  Mayra—A human from Rico's hometown. Twin sister of Paco.

  Mites—A demon race. Small, like winged rats, but intelligent. Very common. They attack in deadly swarms.

  Moloch—The spiritual leader and god of Molochism.

  Molochism—A demon religion steeped in ceremony and sacrifice. Many followers, mostly Dahhak.

  Mouth of the Tower—The light at the very top of the Tower. Opens and closes with no apparent purpose.

  Nemat—An arch-demon race. Rare. Immense, worm-like creatures that need constant nourishment from the blood and fluids of other species in order to survive. Often become Rectors in the temples of Moloch.

  Nidhogg—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. Long, winged snakes with powerful forward arms.

  Nigel—Hitomi's long-distance boyfriend from London.

  Oblation—see “temple oblation.”

  Ophanim—An angel caste. Third in the total hierarchy, bottom of the first Choir. Said to have a strange appearance, a giant wheel covered with eyes. Personal attendants of the Creator's will. Rarely seen by even other angels.

  Overseer—An arch-demon race. Huge, red horned beings that tend to be morbidly obese. They stand at about thirty feet tall. Their nation opted out of a seat on the council in exchange for being in charge of the military, which would allow all Overseers to remain equal with each other. They are all male except for the Queen, who remains on their homeworld.

  Paco—A human from Rico's hometown. Twin brother of Mayra.

  Padre Montamos—A human from Rico's hometown. A Catholic priest.

  Pazuzu—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. Have long, curved tails like that of a scorpion or manta ray. Winged. They have black skin and are pestilence incarnate.

  Pendant—One half of a Hashmallim pair.

  Periscepter—One of twelve or thirteen fabled weapons that produce True Light. They are devastating to demons, but only some, usually humans, can wield the weapons longer than a moment.

  Plehka—Dahhak. Well known for his superior skill at the Dance of Libation with seventy-six wins.

  Polsh—An Angel. A male engineer.

  Pooljab—Dahhak. Grande Commander in the Dominion forces.

  Powers—An angel caste. The angel military. Sixth in hierarchical order, bottom of the second Choir. Consists of members of the lower angel and archangel castes who have joined the angel military. Both common angels and archangels may become officers, but only archangels may become some of the higher ranks.

  Prelate—The second highest rank in the church of Molochism. Second only to the Arch-Rector.

  Pri—The great journey of personal betterment that all Molochites follow. An unattainable goal that is represented by only Moloch himself.

  Principalities—An angel caste. Head of the third Choir. Principalities deal directly with human issues within Heaven. They report directly to the Virtues.

  Propylaeum—The first beacon.

  Qulp—A young Geyrun boy. A slave. Child of Ko and Booja.

  Ravi—A young Dahhak.

  Razer—One of the largest and most powerful creatures of war used by the Overseers. Resembles a black, single-eyed porcupine.

  Rector—Priests within the Temple of Moloch. Can be of any demon race, but are usually Dahhak or Nemat.

  Reeka—Dahhak soldier. Brother of Hekka. Lesser Commander in the Dominion army.

  Rico—Human. One of the five, from Mexico.

  Scanner—A soldier in the Dominion army equipped with a mechanism that can track and locate life-forms from a great distance.

  Scourge—A piece in the Dance of Libation that is controlled by the rector.

  Sedim—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. Blue skinned and human sized with long, dexterous tails and membrane wings. The males are extremely rare (only one in 1,000,000 pure births are male) and live almost fifty times the length of the females. Females are known for their voracious sexual appetites and have the ability to cross-breed with many other races, though their litters of mongrel children rarely survive. They have an extremely quick gestation period.

  Selaphiel—Angel. Seraph.

  Seraphim—An angel caste. The highest ranking angel, and the first angels ever created. They are the leaders of the angel race, and they are the defenders of the Creator. By far the most powerful angels. It is said their true appearance is so bright, they can not be beheld by even the Cherubim. Their numbers are unknown. Some say as few as four while others say they number in the millions.


  Sett—See Undercity

  Shishi—A demon race. One of twelve council seats. Lithe creatures about four feet high. Have wings and the ability to fly long distances very quickly. They have a human form, but have cat-like features including spots or stripes. Often find work as slavers.

  Shoal—A sub-demon race. Small, weasel-like creatures with a low, primitive intelligence. They prefer to live in the wilderness, away from other demons. The blood of the males is caustic.

  Shofar—One of two mighty horns that stand in towers in front of the main gate of Cibola.

  Sphere, the—A large glass dome located within the Athenaeum. Contained inside are the universes of the human worlds.

  Spigger—A beast of the Overseer world. A round, fleshy, kraken-like creature with long tentacles.

  Stiletto—A rifle-like weapon used by the angels.

  Sub-Demon—Any of the various races of demons who usually hold only minor intelligence.

  Tamael—A Power. Military commander of a group of insurgents hiding in a cave system.

  Teast—A giant praying-mantis-like monster. From the Overseer world.

  Tempest Dahhak—Elite Dahhak soldiers with special skills and training.

  Temple Oblation—Sacrament that must be completed within the confines of a Temple of Moloch. Consists of strapping a victim to a device and draining them of all their fluids.

  Tix—Shishi. Member of a Footie platoon.

  Tree of Eternity—Largest living entity in existence. All life can be traced to the tree. First life ever born with True Light.

  True Light—Matter that is used to create life. The source of it is unknown, but it is deadly to demons who can not exist in the same space as True Light.

  Truet—Angel. Seraph.

  Trukkac —A Dahhak. The Dahhak representative on the council of twelve.

  Uli—Angel. An engineer promoted to Power after the Fall.

  Ulnar—A Geyrun. A Surgeon's assistant.

  Undercity, Understreets, the—The home of the humans underneath the city of Cibola.

  Ungeo G'sslom—Charun. Mid-Commander in the Dominion military.