George did as requested. The next thing the warlock knew, he was standing outside the entrance to Mordain’s inn, and Jackson was bounding up the steps in front of him to grab an ale.
A Place Unknown
Anahita’s Shack
“...Then what happened?” Anahita questioned. “Did she jump?”
Helga struggled to regain control of the lips she shared with Anahita. “She did. Melana always trusted our brother … just as I did. We looked up to him. She was so brave … much braver than I was. She leapt from the top of the cliff without a second thought.”
“Oh my goodness-gracious,” Anahita gasped. “Did she float like Drasson said she would? Was the magic strong enough to hold her up?”
“No, Child,” Helga sighed. “There was no magic.”
“Oh my gosh. Then Drasson lied to you. How far did she fall?”
It took a while for Helga to assume control, but when she did, tears filled their eyes. “She fell for what seemed like forever. Her body tumbled against the cliffs and smashed against the rocks again and again until she met a watery end.”
“That’s terrible. That’s absolutely dreadful.”
A depressing silence filled the cabin before Helga was able to speak again. “I was never the same after that. I hated Drasson for making us believe we could fly. To this Peak, I often think about what would’ve happened if I had been the brave one. I would’ve been the one to jump first.”
“I hate to say it, but I’m glad you weren’t. I wouldn’t have known you if you had been.”
Helga managed to force a smile and then added, “We were so young. I should’ve known better. I should’ve protected her.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Anahita consoled. “As awful as it was, it wasn’t your fault.” Anahita went to the table and pulled a chair in front of the mirror to take a seat. “I’ve gotta ask. What did Drasson say after he watched her fall? Did he show any remorse at all?”
“He didn’t say anything, Child,” Helga sighed. “He just laughed.”
Anahita threw her hands across their mouth. “Oh my goodness. What did you do? Did you tell anyone?” She reached out and grabbed the frame of the mirror and stared into the eyes of their reflection. “At least tell me he got what he deserved.”
Another quiet period of moments passed while Helga fought for control to answer. “I told no one ... but he did get what he deserved.”
“How?”
“I was young, but I was big enough to push him when his back was turned. I shoved him over the edge after he leaned out to see if Melana would surface.” Helga struggled to clear their throat. “I didn’t look away when I watched him fall.”
“Good for you,” Anahita affirmed.
Another brief series of moments passed before Helga found the strength to respond. “The sea covered my crime. It consumed Drasson’s body just like it devoured Melana’s.”
Anahita clapped their hands. “That’s what I call justice. I love it. You put a foot up his backside.” Anahita stood and walked away from the mirror. “Doggonit! I wish I could’ve been there. I would’ve helped you hang him by his balls and skin him until he begged to be put out of his misery.”
Helga managed to regain control of their lips and then produced a smile. “That would’ve been a sight to see, Child. If only I had your strength.”
“Ha!” Anahita blurted. She walked back to the mirror. “I’ve looked to you on many occasions for strength since my arrival. Without you, I’d be fit to be tied.”
Anahita waited for a response, but one never came.
“Helga. Are you still with me?”
No response.
“Helga! Answer me.” Anahita tapped at their reflection. “Come on, old girl. You’ve gotta answer me.”
Anahita kept at it for quite a while before Helga finally responded. “I’m here, Child … though I don’t think I can hang on much longer.”
“No, no, no, no, no. You can’t leave me. I need you.”
Near the door of the shack, a voice responded. “You must let her go, Anahita. You’re prolonging your recovery by fighting her departure.”
Anahita turned from the mirror to face the unfamiliar voice. She would have argued, but what she saw kept her from doing so. “What are you?” she demanded.
“I am the Book of Immortality,” Gabriel responded. “I reside on Ancients Sovereign.”
Anahita shrugged. “I suppose you think that knowing that would provide me with some sort of peace of mind.”
Gabriel sighed. “Allow me to explain the reason for my visit. On my pages rest the laws of the gods, and inside my pages, the souls who have lived good lives. It is these souls who wait for you to create their Heaven. I have come to help you gain an understanding of the writings inside the book Michael left behind so you may begin creating.”
It took a few moments for Anahita to accept the fact that a floating book with a face and arms had just claimed it was there to help. Sure, she knew of the Book, but never had she imagined its appearance. Despite her confusion, her thoughts returned to Helga. “I can’t spare the moments to speak with you. I need to find a way to save my friend.”
“Saving Helga is not what you’re here to focus on, Anahita. You must—”
“I must nothing!” Anahita barked. “I don’t even know you.” She took a step toward the Book. “Don’t even try to tell me anything about what I’m supposed to do. If I can’t save Helga, then I don’t care about creating your Heaven. Find another girl for the job.”
“I’m afraid that’s not an option,” Gabriel rebutted. “There aren’t the moments available to us to find a soul with your potential.”
“Us? Who’s us?”
“I speak of Michael and myself,” the Book responded. “We require your cooperation if we’re to save the worlds and establish peace on this plane.”
“Oh, you require my cooperation, do you? Well it just so happens that I have a bone or two to pick with Mr. Archangel Michael-pants, and I’m not doing anything until two things happen. First: I want the chance to speak my mind. And second: I want you to help me find a way to fix Helga.”
Gabriel floated across the room, stopped near Anahita and hovered eye-level as he responded. “It’s not possible for you to speak with Michael at the moment. He has left this plane to do our father’s bidding.”
“Then we have nothing to discuss.” She turned her back to the Book. “Get lost.”
Gabriel’s brows rolled inward. “I may not be able to appease your desire to speak with Michael, but I do have the means to find a solution to your second demand.”
“Is that so?” Anahita replied as she looked up at their reflection in the mirror. “We’re listening.”
“If I give you Helga … would you move forward with the creation of Heaven until I can find a way for you to acquire the moments to solve your issues with my brother?”
Anahita spun around. “Your brother? Are you telling me that Michael is your kin?”
“I am.”
“Really now? A book who has an angel for a brother. No shocker there. Perhaps you can answer a few questions?”
“I will do what I can if it creates the desire to move forward with what must be done.”
“Alrighty then. You just answer one question, fix Helga, and then you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Gabriel rocked back and forth as a book with a face would in order to nod. “Ask your question. I’d like to expedite our progress.”
Anahita grabbed a chair and then pulled it toward the center of the room. As she did, the Book stared at the marks the chair left behind in the dirt until she took a seat.
“I want to know why Michael allowed the folks on this plane to pray to him. Why did he act like a god, and why would he assume a position of authority that is supposed to be reserved for the Almighty? How can I trust someone who says he’s an archangel if he has fallen so far from grace?”
“It appears your question has many preceding questions,” Gabriel responded, �
�but I shall answer them all. Michael, or rather, Bassorine, lost his way … just as I did after we left our father’s kingdom to save those who were damned … those whom we loved.”
Gabriel pointed a stern finger at Anahita. “You were the reason Michael chose to suffer in the first place. After you abandoned him for the love of another … the love of the Morning Star … you were at Lucifer’s side when you were cast into the flames of Hell. Despite your actions, Michael’s love for you was undying, and he was unable to abandon his sorrow.”
Anahita shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Your belief isn’t necessary for it to be the truth. Perhaps you should try listening instead of speaking. You might learn something.”
A deep scowl appeared on Anahita’s face. “I’m listening.”
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said since my arrival,” the Book jabbed. “As I was about to say, it was because of his love for you that Michael came to me and one other … one whom I won’t name. He asked us to bear the burden of a continual torment to save you. To do so, we had to depart from the joy we knew and enter the flames of Hell. Many seasons passed before we found an escape. When we did, we pulled you onto this plane and gave you a second chance at finding peace. But a problem arose.”
“What kind of problem?” Anahita queried.
“After Michael and I emptied the depths of Hell, we found ourselves caught in wars for dominance over the potential this plane offered. It was Lucifer who led the opposition, and by the moment it was over, everything and everyone was destroyed, save 15 beings. This group became known as the Farendrite Collective, and they knew Michael only by his new identity … Bassorine. Because of Michael’s sorrow and his shame, he abandoned his wings and refused to exist in the form of his true self.”
“What about you?” Anahita questioned. “What did you do?”
“I went into hiding. But my reasons for this will remain my own.”
Anahita frowned. “So then what happened to the others?”
Gabriel’s eyes welled-up, and a tear rolled down the Book’s right cheek. “Amongst those destroyed were the Morning Star and you. But your destruction came at the hands of the one who loved you most.”
“What do you mean?”
“During the battles, you were captured and held as leverage. Since the other members of the Collective were not powerful enough to face the Morning Star, Lucifer challenged Bassorine to a duel for absolute power over this plane and the right to your hand.”
Anahita shook her head. “Men. A little testosterone goes a long way.”
Anahita’s comment caused the Book to smile before he continued. “If Lucifer had not put a dagger to your throat, Bassorine would have declined his challenge, but this wasn’t meant to be. You were in danger, and Bassorine’s love for you … or rather, Michael’s love for you, forced him to accept the challenge. If he had not, the reason we entered Hell would’ve been lost forever. Lucifer would’ve hidden your soul, and there would never have been a chance to give you the peace that Michael wanted to bestow upon you.”
“What happened next?” Anahita urged.
Again, the Book grinned. “Your enthusiasm pleases me.”
“Just get on with it, will ya?”
“As you wish. When the battle commenced, the others of the Collective were bound to stand by and watch, but you were unable to do so.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m getting to that. Allow me to speak.”
“By all means, speak,” Anahita replied.
“You see, after Lucifer removed his dagger from your throat, he cast you aside, and the battle commenced. The fighting was fierce and two of the last three unpopulated worlds that existed on this plane were destroyed in the mayhem.”
A look of sadness appeared on the Book’s face. “It was your desire to help Bassorine that caused your own destruction.”
“What did I do?”
“You allowed your anger at the Morning Star’s threat against your life to affect your judgment. As the fight continued, your anger swelled, and eventually you tried to intervene. You rushed into the battle while Bassorine’s sword was in the midst of a whirlwind of strikes.”
Anahita reached up and slapped her own forehead. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re telling me that I screwed up pretty badly, aren’t you? What other stupid things did I do?”
Gabriel chuckled. “I wouldn’t be laughing, except for the fact that you are here now. I ask that you to forgive my enjoyment of your candor.”
“Yeah, sure, you’re forgiven. Keep talking.”
Gabriel nodded. “As I was saying, Bassorine’s sword was in the midst of a whirlwind of strikes. As I’m sure you’ve realized, you perished. Your soul was cut into three pieces.
“When this happened, Bassorine became enraged. He overpowered the Morning Star and drove his sword through Lucifer’s chest to end the battle. Once our brother fell to the dirt on the last remaining planet … a barren planet that was recreated and is now known as Grayham, Bassorine gathered Lucifer’s soul and the pieces of yours. Insanity set in, and he abandoned the Collective to seek segregation, and he did not return for more than 100 seasons.”
Anahita leaned forward in her chair. “What did he do while he was gone?”
“After Bassorine regained his sanity, he devised a plan. Invigorated by its design, he returned and spoke only to me. We agreed not to tell the others of my existence, and further, we agreed to place the pieces of your soul into three bodies. Since each was incomplete and possessed a soul that needed to be mended, we decided your pieces would complete the process.”
Anahita cut in. “What about the soul of Lucifer? What did Bassorine do with it?”
“In an effort to save our brother and give the Morning Star a second chance, Bassorine was willing to let go of what he cherished most. He made sure the strongest piece of your soul was placed into a new body, and then he offered you to Lucifer, but not in the way you would’ve expected.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Since our brother also required a new body, he was given one, and it was to this new identity that you were given. After you and the Morning Star were placed inside the Temple of the Gods on Southern Grayham, we decided it was best to alter your memories.”
“Why? And when did this happen?”
“As I’ve said, it happened after you were placed on the altars inside the Temple of the Gods. You see, Anahita, Bassorine and I filled your minds with memories of Earth and lives past lived. It was our hope that you would form a union with our brother’s new self, and see to it that he adopted the characteristics that he should’ve cherished while existing in our father’s grace.”
Anahita’s brows furrowed. “Hold up! Are you saying that Sam is Lucifer?”
Gabriel did not respond. He did not need to since his face clearly showed the answer.
Anahita spoke again only after a long moment of silence. “This is some heavy garesh, but I think I understand what you’re getting at. If I’m right, you hoped that I’d keep Sam from remembering who he was, and in reality, who he still is. You wanted your brother to have a good life, but a good life wasn’t enough for you, was it? For whatever reason, you just had to make Sam fight his way into becoming a king. I guess I’ll never understand a man’s mind. You wanted him to be a good guy, yet you asked him to slay his way into power. Is there some sort of archangel badge of honor that made y’all do that?”
Annoyed, the Book floated toward the door of the shack and opened it. He looked into the darkness beyond and responded. “We were forced to make adjustments when we realized Lasidious had the power to take the Crystal Moon from Bassorine without Bassorine releasing his control over it.”
Anahita closed the distance. She crossed the room and stopped next to the Book. “Wait a moment. Are you saying that Lasidious has power over the Collective, and he doesn’t even know it?”
“Yes. He’s had it for a while now.”
Gabriel reclaimed Anahita’s eyes. “No, because Bassorine released his control over the crystal to ensure Lasidious would not find out. We must consider ourselves fortunate that the Mischievous One doesn’t realize the power he possesses to control the Collective.”
“I’m confused. How could he not know that?” Anahita questioned.
The Book searched for a response. “Self-realization can often be hard to fathom. What I can say is this: Bassorine was the one to discover that Lasidious possessed the power to control the Collective, and this knowledge came before you awoke in the temple. Fear caused Bassorine to release his control over the crystal’s pieces to ensure that Lasidious did not come to understand his power. This unexpected course of action was why we sent you and Sam on a journey that caused you to become the pawns we needed to beat Lasidious at his own game.”
Anahita grabbed Gabriel’s tiny arm. “Hold up! I need to clarify again. Are you telling me that Sam and I were sent on a journey to maintain a necessary deception that was designed to keep Lasidious from learning he had the power to kick your asses? Are you saying the games he plays with the gods are unnecessary, and he could destroy you if he wanted to?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying, and the laws written on my pages are useless against him. Even if I wanted to, I could not strike Lasidious down. Because of this, Michael and I have been forced to send you on this journey, and we were further forced to put Sam in an environment that we wanted to avoid. We had to ensure that you, Anahita, were on a path to acquire the power that we were lacking to control Lasidious. This power can only be acquired by creating a new Heaven for this plane. The power you must learn to wield throughout its creation will add to your foundation, and upon its completion, you should possess the strength to restore balance within the Collective.”
Anahita frowned. “Let’s just say for argument’s sake that I believe you. How did you know that Lasidious was going to use the Crystal Moon to play a game with the gods?”
The Tear of Gramal Page 35