The Requiem Collection: The Book of Jubilees, More Anger than Sorrow & Calling Babel: Novel Set

by Eric Black

  Dominic charged Antonio, driving his shoulder into Antonio’s chest and knocking Antonio onto his back. Dominic regained his formation, pinning Antonio to the ground. He pummeled Antonio’s exposed face with tired arms and realized victory was near; he would beat Antonio until unconscious.

  Then unexpectedly, the fury stopped and Dominic slid off Antonio. The crowd gasped and Antonio was just as surprised. He wiped the blood from his eyes and looked at Dominic who lay on his side in the dirt next to him. Antonio touched him and did not understand. Dominic was dead.

  Antonio ascended to his feet in disbelief, gazing down at Dominic. He was uncertain as to what had happened. The circle of men around them only stared; no one moved to stand or come near the two warriors.

  Then, Abuelo stood. His eyes twinkled as he waited for silence to overtake the group. It was then that Abuelo spoke, “You have become one of us.”

  Antonio was not sure what he meant. He started to speak but changed his mind.

  He thought back to the fight. He had desired the power to drive Dominic from him but his strength was failing. As he tried to throw Dominic off him, he clutched Dominic’s leg. A moment later, Dominic was dead.

  A vision then came to him and he realized what Abuelo meant. The Men of Nod killed the Calusa by touch alone during the battle. Antonio had just demonstrated that power. He was now a Man of Nod.

  Abuelo saw the recognition in Antonio’s face and smiled. “You are now as I am. All of you are,” he said looking at Eduardo.

  Eduardo was unsure how to answer. He was spared his lack of answer as Carlos stood and entered the circle. He carried a boar tusk necklace and placed it around Antonio’s head. Antonio was now the High Chief.

  High Combat was over. Questions remained but no more words were spoken as the evening moved to the prepared feast in honor of the new High Chief.

  As the men ate, Antonio sat off to the side. He was not in much of a mood to be honored. Dominic was dead. He had killed him but not through traditional methods of combat and he was angry about it.

  None of the Calusa said anything but he saw them look at him out of the corner of their eyes. He could tell they feared him. He did not know if they would now follow him just because he was their High Chief or out of fear. Antonio did not want to be feared because of something they did not understand; he wanted to be feared because he was fierce in combat.

  He had fought well but in the end he had won by some strange power. He did not feel he had earned his position as High Chief. He felt he had cheated. Soon his anger would turn to bitterness and that bitterness would become rage.

  After the feast, Antonio remained by the fire, long after everyone else had retired to their hall for the night. He heard someone approaching and saw Carlos standing just outside of the light of the fire. Antonio nodded and Carlos joined him on the packed earth.

  They sat in silence for a moment before Carlos spoke. “High Chief is a position of loneliness. You and I are now the only two men who can understand this. It’s good to have advisers to have someone to talk to. Have you thought of who you will name as your military adviser?” Dominic would have been named his military adviser had he still lived.

  Antonio shook his head. “I have not,” he answered quietly.

  The two men stared into the fire for a few moments. “You are the High Chief. You used magic to defeat Dominic and the Calusa respect magic; they will follow you. They know you are a great warrior.” Carlos nodded at the battle scars on his arms. “They will follow you.”

  Antonio knew Carlos was right but he was not concerned so much with what the warriors thought of him as much as what he thought of himself. His magic in High Combat was not indicative of him as a warrior and did not warrant him being High Chief.

  He thought for a few more moments before he decided. He knew what he must do. “I renounce my authority as High Chief.”

  Carlos had anticipated Antonio’s decision and was not surprised. Carlos understood how Antonio felt but he was saddened by the decision nonetheless. “You know once you do you can never be among us again. You will be exiled.”

  “So be it,” Antonio answered.

  Carlos nodded sadly. “You were always a good friend to my son. I miss him. I shall miss you.” He rose and placed his hand on Antonio’s shoulder. Then, without another word he turned and walked back to his hall.

  Long after Carlos left, Antonio remained at the fire. He was angry at the Men of Nod and bitterness could not be avoided. His heart grew hard against them and there was only one decision: he must leave the village.

  Antonio turned his back on the fire and without a word to anyone, he faced west and began walking.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Antonio traveled for two weeks, holding course west. He followed the river to be sure of fresh water. Where he had started in the mountains, the landscape now turned to rolling hills.

  On the fifteenth day, he began seeing mounds built into the earth. They grew larger and more prevalent as the day went on. The trees were thick but there came a point where he reached a clearing and found the mounds constructed much larger in that specific area. In the distance, the clearing continued and was littered with mounds. It was on the most prevalent of those mounds some miles away that he saw buildings.

  He expected a sentry from the mound village and almost as if his thoughts were read, he perceived movement to his right. The man came alone but Antonio doubted that the man was truly unaccompanied.

  Antonio detected right away that there was something ethereal about him. The sentry was very tall – taller than him and he was considered tall among the Calusa – and had a scar that ran across the stretch of his forehead.

  “We’ve been awaiting your arrival,” the sentry spoke in the Calusa language. Antonio was not surprised to hear his native tongue. Since he left the village of the Men of Nod, he had begun to seeing images of occurrences before they took place. It was unnerving at first but over the past two weeks he had become accustomed to the thoughts. He had seen this moment among the visions.

  “I am Antonio.”

  “You’re not surprised that I speak Calusa?” The sentry asked the question but both knew that no answer was needed.

  “I would like to see those who await my arrival,” Antonio replied instead.

  “Come with me Antonio – warrior who would be High Chief of your people.”

  Antonio nodded and followed the sentry towards the mound village. As they walked, the mounds grew larger and Antonio marveled at the defensive structures. It was obvious that many years had been required to develop the height and girth of the earthen works. The effect of the mounds was intimidating, making the village look larger than it was; the mounds also demonstrated military superiority as they offered a strong defense.

  Once in the village, Antonio was brought into a great hall. The hall was filled with warriors, all lofty in stature, dark skinned and adorned with white feathers.

  An old man stood at the head of the rectangular hall on a platform and waited patiently as Antonio approached. Antonio looked in appreciation at the crown of white feathers atop the old man’s head. He understood the feathers to be symbols of great deeds much as the scars on his own arms. The old man discerned Antonio’s gaze on his feathers and waited until Antonio’s attention was focused back on him before speaking. Antonio’s eyes met the old man. “I am Rephaim. We are the Nephilim. You know of us?”

  “I do,” Antonio answered. “I became a Christian many years ago and have read Spain’s book of Christianity. You are the sons of Fallen Angels and the daughters of Cain. It is said that you perished during the Great Flood of that time.”

  Rephaim’s eyes twinkled. “And yet here we stand.”

  Antonio recalled a conversation many years ago with Buono. Buono told him of Juan and his travels as an ambassador to the land of Ethiopia. In that land, he discovered the Book of Jubilees among the books of their Bible. This book was also called the Book of Division by some of the religious lea
ders of that land. It was said that the book was given to Moses atop Mount Sinai and tells of the creation of angels. Some of these angels were disobedient and were therefore banished and came to be known as Fallen Angels. These Fallen Angels took wives of the daughters of Cain and their children were a giant people. You know the giant Goliath? Buono had asked him. He’s a descendant of these people. Although he was called an Elioud.

  The Book of Jubilees mentioned that some of Nephilim survived the Great Flood and their sole purpose was to lead man astray. Juan brought a copy of the Ethiopian Bible back to Spain with him and Buono had been given a translated edition.

  “I have also read the Book of Jubilees,” Antonio told Rephaim.

  Rephaim smiled. “A book given to Moses, lost in the land of Ethiopia. A book that also speaks of a fountain. We are the cousins of the Men of Nod. You are a Man of Nod, are you not?” Antonio nodded. “So we are cousins,” Rephaim finished.

  “Well, cousin,” Antonio asked, “what do you seek from me?”

  Rephaim answered by turning his head. Antonio followed his gaze and in the darkness of the room he saw a man leave his place along the wall. Antonio recognized the man as he came into the fire light.

  “Buenos dias, Antonio.” Miguel came to Rephaim’s side. Miguel had been a member of Buono’s crew and had sailed with them to Spain. Antonio had never fully trusted the man and thought he had died in the battle at the village.

  “Buenos dias,” Antonio answered. “Why are you here? How do you know of this place?”

  “You already know that answer, do you not?” Antonio acknowledged by nodding his head and Miguel continued. “Do you come to join us?”

  “I am bound to no one,” Antonio answered.

  “Are we not brothers? I would have you bound to me as a brother.”

  “And where would that brotherhood lead?” Antonio asked. A vision began forming in his head but that vision was still cloudy.

  “To the fountain,” Miguel answered.

  Antonio sensed Miguel’s intentions. “You know that Diego Columbus still lives?”

  “Aye,” Miguel answered. “I will go there and shall avenge the death of my father.”

  At that moment, Miguel’s tale became clear to Antonio. Decades prior, Diego had Miguel’s father imprisoned and took his family’s land. The jailing and taking of land was unjust, which the courts agreed with later but it was too late for Miguel’s father. His father had been beat relentlessly and murdered in prison. Miguel entered in service under Juan with the aspirations of locating Diego and slowly sliding a knife across his throat.

  “I know that you see,” Miguel smiled.

  “Were your loyalties ever with the man who paid you?” Antonio asked.

  “It was a means to an end.”

  “And that end drew you here?”

  “I was drawn here the same as you. You, I believe are here for another reason. I was brought here to help convince you to join us.”

  “Your revenge is short-sighted. Diego has gone beyond the fountain with Juan.”

  Miguel’s eyes darkened and a smile came across his face. “Then that’s where we’ll go. And you will lead us.”

  Antonio was surprised. “How can one go beyond the fountain? The village is guarded by the Men of Nod and the fountain by Cherubim.”

  “Abuelo travels beyond the fountain as he wishes. You may do the same as a Man of Nod,” Miguel answered. “The Nephilim are as the Men of Nod. Rephaim can teach you to control that power which you now possess. Will you not join us?”

  When Antonio did not answer, Miguel stepped off the platform and stood in front of Antonio. “I know your position,” Miguel lowered his voice. “They are your brothers. But you have been betrayed by the Men of Nod. They have given you their power and in doing so took your honor. They felt you could not win in High Combat unaided and now you are disgraced. You are the rightful High Chief yet now you are exiled because of them.”

  “And what will you do with the garden?”

  “I will take my revenge on Diego and the garden will be ours to reclaim for men. Why should we not have all that the garden offers because of the mistake of our ancestors?”

  “Why should I trust a man who has no loyalty? You served Juan and yet you abandoned him and here I find you. You claim to be one of these men now – without explanation as to how you know of this place – and yet how long until you turn on these men?”

  “He is here because I invited him,” Rephaim answered. “As for his loyalty, I only ask what each man offers freely.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “We have existed in this land as long as the Men of Nod.”

  “And you sought out Miguel? Why him and no one else?”

  “He is the one who will serve our purpose.”

  Antonio considered Rephaim’s comment. “Why would I help you recover the garden, providing I have such ability?”

  “You possess the ability. Do not insult me by claiming you do not. As for our desires, we only wish to set right that which man has taken. Man was given everything and yet fell short. Our fathers fought against this injustice but were banished for their stance. We seek to honor what they started.”

  “And Juan…what will happen to him? I do not wish him harmed.”

  “He will be given an opportunity see the world as we do. After that, it will be up to him which side he takes.”

  At that moment, all was seen by Antonio. He understood the intentions of the Nephilim. Once it was explained, he knew the Men of Nod had no right to deny their claim to the garden. He knew his answer was yes. The men of Nod had robbed him of his heritage and he would not see it happen to anyone else if he could prevent it.

  He loved his Spanish brothers but as a warrior, those who fought alongside the Men of Nod were his enemy. He wasn’t sure that he could ever not be a Man of Nod but now he was more – he was also a Nephilim. They were in the right and he was convinced. From birth, he realized at that moment, this had been his purpose and now he embraced it.

  Antonio gave his answer aloud. It was set. The next day, they would begin.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Antonio peered down at the fire that smoldered just outside of Juan and Diego’s hut. Neither man had been found. The Nephilim arrived in the garden that morning and it took a few hours to track their way to the hut.

  Antonio looked back at Rephaim, his teacher. From him, Antonio had learned the origins of the world. He learned of cultures long extinct and of other worlds. Those other worlds contained life, some like and some unlike him. He learned the ways of space and time. He discovered he could create and destroy with thought which was the way the Men of Nod had achieved victory during the battle.

  “So, what now?” Antonio asked Rephaim.

  “This is the first place created for man. Now man has come back to the garden. What do you think we should do?”

  “You were denied the garden.”

  “We were. Just as our fathers were denied the heavens,” Rephaim agreed.

  “You have the knowledge of the Men of Nod but not their power. Now that I have brought you to the garden, what will you do?”

  “Each of us has his own intentions. Miguel seeks revenge on Diego Columbus for the death of his father. You seek revenge on the Men of Nod for your dishonor. We seek to avenge the fall of our fathers as angels.” Rephaim had knelt down by the fire as he began speaking but now rose. “It’s true we could not enter the garden without the aid of a Man of Nod. Now that you are one of us, we seek our rightful place in the garden.”

  “What of the Men of Nod?” Antonio asked. “Will they not stop us?”

  Rephaim smiled and his face was full of wisdom and knowledge. “We have lived in the shadow of the Men of Nod since the first days of creation. We followed them to each new land, hoping to learn our path to the garden. Until now, we failed.

  “Once, we faced them in combat, hoping to force them to show us the way into the garden but found that neither of
us can die. But here in the garden we can die. So can the Men of Nod. We hope they come and we will fight them and we will win. The garden will be ours.”

  “What will you do with the garden once it is in your possession?”

  Rephaim exhibited a dark smile. “Then, we will challenge God.”

  “Challenge God…?” Antonio looked at the Nephilim. Each shared the same dark smile.

  The morning before the Nephilim arrived in the garden, Juan and Diego were making preparations to roast a wild boar when they looked up and saw Abuelo walking into their camp.

  “Good morning Abuelo,” Juan said and rose. “I would hug you but as you can see…” He raised his arms to show they were covered in pig entrails.

  Abuelo smiled and nodded. “No need. Good morning. And Diego, good morning to you as well.”

  Diego nodded back. He did not yet fully trust the Men of Nod. The memory of the death of his army was still fresh in his mind. Part of him still feared the Men of Nod and he was careful not to make physical contact with them. Abuelo nodded back in understanding.

  “What brings you here on this perfect morning?” Juan asked.

  “I come to prepare you,” Abuelo said simply. Something in his tone caused both Juan and Diego to regard him seriously.

  “Prepare?” Diego asked.

  “Tomorrow you will be greeted by unwelcome visitors. Or they may be welcome; that is up to you.”

  “Who will come?” Juan asked.

  “Antonio will come. As will Miguel and others.”

  “Antonio? Miguel is dead.”

  Abuelo smiled knowingly. “He is quite alive, I assure you. And he comes with other men. They are the Nephilim.”

  “The Nephilim?” The surprise at the name showed in Juan’s voice.