Sacred Moon: Book 2

by Alejandro Marrero

  “See babe! You hear that! It’s definitely a thing!” Donovan said, smiling in apparent victory. That’s our epic friend and leader.

  “We have prepared a feast to honor all you’ve accomplished today for our city’s defenses. Let us enjoy our foods and wines together in merriment,” Quicksilver stated.

  “Quicksilver, this is truly impressive! All of you should dine with us! Let’s get some more seating here. There’s definitely space for it. You all have to join us!” I said excitedly. I was in the mood to eat and a little bit of partying before our quest anyways. It is time to focus on the present moment and put serious matters on pause till tomorrow.

  “I’ll take care of the seating,” Abbadon said. He then rearranged the two chairs at the end and moved them to the side. Then he reached into his void-pouch and brought out two long sofas and more coaster chairs.

  “Totally a Mary Poppins bag,” I said while giggling.

  “One could even say it’s his murse,” said Donovan.

  We all laughed ’cause that’s what friends do. We all thanked Abbadon and arranged ourselves comfortably to enjoy an evening of dining, talking, joking, and drinking with our friends. It was the soothing balm we all needed.

  Chapter 11

  Azrael

  I’m finally free, and the stars had answered an unspoken wish with Leilah. My wings are no longer weapons of death but luminous as the Terran northern night sky. Looking around, I see this comradery that’s foreign to me. I’ve not experienced such casual encounters, diverse and honest gatherings of friends. I expected to be the odd person in the group dynamics, but they’ve all welcomed me into their fold with perfect trust. Is this what it is like to be free?

  I was created as a weapon and gifted with foresight and the scroll of fates. Not only was I a tool for the Aramaic gods to wield for death. I was also responsible for ferrying those souls back to the after-life of their beliefs. Always weighing their souls by their actions while among the living. Those who were heinous always found their way to torment. Only once they realized their wails and cries were falling on deaf ears would they realize the error of their previous ways. It isn’t as if I couldn’t hear their pleas for mercy. I’ve heard each and every prayer, cry, and wish of the departed. I was not free to do anything different other than harvesting their souls and bring them to where my scroll of fates deemed them to go.

  After several millennia doing something outside your will, you would dissociate yourself from your tasks as well. I have communicated in the past with the passing souls. Though very few times. There were not as many mortal beings as now when I did. The last soul I spoke to as they crossed into the realm of death was Rumi. He fascinated me with his philosophy and poetry. Amongst incredible odds, he was at peace when his time came. I greeted him as a friend and led him to his heaven of choice. That’s one of the odd things about the after-life. Heavens and hells are all constructs of the mind. They’re completely created by the mental state and shaped beliefs of each individual soul. Heaven wasn’t a place. It was a state of mind. Hell was the same.

  Now I find myself free to live, choose my own path, and above all, love. No masters to serve aside from myself. My own personal mission will be to save as many beings as I’m able. To preserve life rather than end it. My penance and task to atone for the plagues of sufferings I was forced to cause for the gods. I’m grateful. I’ve not opened the scroll I carry at all since my liberation. There may come a time when it’s of use, and I’ll share it gratefully and with no remorse to this group of wonderful beings. Yet it gives me pause to think of reading it now after my freedom. However, if it helps my new found friends, I will do so in hopes it will benefit them. A tribe that includes, by some miracle, my star-coursed one. Something Angels had previously always been denied.

  Leilah is beautiful. She’s perfect in every way. Even now, as I enjoyed these experiences of getting to know all those she held dear, I pined for time to explore our star-coursed fate. To solidify our bonds eternally. It’s a very strong urge that needs to be fulfilled and will only grow in intensity until reciprocated. There will be time, though. She no doubt feels the stirrings in her own heart-center and probably wonders the same. How blessed I am considering my dark and deadly past.

  “Yo, Azrael penny for your thoughts?” Donovan asked, breaking me free of my mental machinations.

  “Do you even have a penny?” scoffed Leilah.

  “Hey, now don’t be judgy! Plus, you were staring at Azrael the whole time while he looked ready to fall into the goblet he’s been holding. Figured I’d wake him up before he drowned in it,” replied Donovan.

  I was staring into my goblet, though. Donovan is very astute. Though I have a sense of pride that Leilah was gracing me with her gaze.

  “I was deep in thought, Donovan. You’re correct. I was thinking about many things. It’s hard to narrow it down to one or two thoughts. Overall though, I admit my thoughts are mostly about being free, star-coursed, and penance for my past deeds,” I admitted honestly.

  I’ve always been an honest being. It mattered not if I had chosen to be mostly silent for eons. It mattered that when I spoke, it was always true. The truth has a way of piercing every shadow in the dark with unimaginable light. I would always remain so. No matter how flawed.

  “Oh, Az relax, dude. You don’t need to subject yourself to a penance of any kind. Your actions were not your own. No doubt, any resistance or objections to your previous tasks would have made things worse for everyone. Be at ease. You’re now free. Take every moment as a moment that’s new and completely yours. Consider yourself born again. Take my advice, which is absolutely amazing and incredibly hard to follow. Let the past go. Don’t dwell on it. The past already happened. There is nothing you can do but learn from it. All that exists is in the present moment. All that can happen in the future will come from the moments you’re present for,” Donovan spoke sagely.

  “His name is Azrael, not Az, Donovan,” Leilah corrected Donovan, her voice as beautiful as a late spring morning.

  “You’re just worried it sounds like Ass. Then you’d have to admit you’d been staring at Ass the last hour,” quipped Donovan with mirth. Which made everyone, including myself, laugh. He was refreshingly different than the gods of old.

  “He does have a nice ass, though,” added Kendra while arching an eyebrow to Leilah. Which made Leilah blush furiously. All of the group roared in laughter while I was probably sporting some warmth on my cheeks.

  “He certainly does. Now stop looking at his,” Leilah deadpanned.

  “Oh, please. I’ve got Leona. It’s not like I’m getting in the way of fates. Just trying to rile you up because you, girl, are so tapping that later. We’re totally going to ask you for all the details too!” Kendra replied.

  “I want details!” exclaimed Donovan. This made Abbadon frown.

  “I most certainly do not want details. Azrael is like a brother. That’s gross,” Abbadon said.

  “Oh snap, popple, crack! You’re a right babe. That’s so legit! Okay, I amend what I said. Share details amongst yourselves. I don’t want the freaky deeky low down of my brother-inlaw,” Donovan admitted.

  This has to be the most unusual group of powerful beings in the entire world system. I wouldn’t lack entertainment with my new comrades.

  “Well, he isn’t my brother-in-law. Plus, it’s not like I have an abundance of gossip magazines or the internet here, so when it happens, spill the beans,” said Kendra.

  “I do not understand why you would spill beans. Wouldn’t that make them dirty?” Abbadon asked, completely clueless. Gosh, my brother always took things so literally.

  “It’s a modern idiom Abbadon,” I added with a smile. This, of course, did nothing but confuse Abbadon further. Clearly, he was even more sheltered than I was.

  “It just means to reveal what isn’t known,” Kendra replied.

  “Oh, okay. Then you may spill the beans all over Kendra but not Donovan and me,” said Abbadon. Of cours
e, this made the situation worse, and now all of us were laughing.

  “Babe, that was brilliantly funny! Not exactly how I’d phrase it, but that’s okay. I love you,” confessed Donovan. This had the desired effect. Donovan clearly was attuned to his star-coursed one’s feelings.

  `“I love you too,” Abbadon replied, smiling. He then leaned into Donovan a bit more and sighed audibly in contentment. Is this what it will be like with Leilah, I wondered?

  “Oh my god, get a room!” Kendra mocked.

  “Oh, we have a room! All of us have a room. They will be used with gusto this evening, I imagine by most of us,” said Donovan.

  “Damn right, they will be,” cheered Kendra while snuggling with Leona.

  Leilah, at this point, was scarlet. I decided to ease the ache in my chest and place my hand in hers. She looked up at me and exhaled a breath filled with gratefulness. This pleased me as well. A gesture of affection so simple, and my beloved was more at ease.

  “You are all a breath of fresh air. I’ve never met beings as powerful and so casual as you all are,” I spoke.

  “We’ve known each other a bit and had to grow into our new forms rather quickly. We’re enjoying the merriment and appreciating the brief pause in our very eventful days. However, we understand the hardships will resume soon. Our friendships, humor, and comradery are always a blessing in between. We’ve got to seize them any chance we get,” Kendra revealed, momentarily sobering us all.

  “Yes, I imagine that to be true. I’m grateful to aid all of you with your present and future endeavors,” I added. It was not going to be easy for them in the future they had planned. I didn’t need to open my scroll to know this. Nothing this group of friends has done has been easy or without cost.

  “Why do you keep absent-mindedly touching that tube on your belt?” asked Donovan. I froze, which narrowed everyone’s attention to me. I didn’t even notice myself consciously toying with the scroll.

  “That hold’s I imagine the Scroll of Fates,” answered Leilah wisely. It appears she has graced me with her attention throughout the millennium as well.

  “It is indeed the Scroll of Fates. I have always had it since my creation. It has helped guide me to the general area of souls that would be coursed for death or calamities. It grants insight into what will be or what has been done. Being’s pass from this life constantly. It’s the longest period of time I’ve not used it. I guess it’s muscle memory, habit, or absent-mindedness that keeps me reaching for it,” I confessed.

  “Will it aid us?” asked Leona.

  “I’ve never heard of the Scroll of Fates. Only the Key of Fates and the information on the Key of Fates is sketchy. I’m not even sure what to expect. A Key? A lock? No clue. Will the scroll in that container aid us in our quest to the Shadowrealm?” Donovan probed. Everyone was in equally rapt attention.

  “I’m genuinely uncertain. I’ve been a liberated Angel for only a few hours. I’ve no clue if it even works the same as it did before or if it would aid us. Part of me wants to open it and see what it says. The other part of me is fearful of what it may show us,” I admitted.

  This was the truth. What if I opened the scroll, and it held disheartening information? What if it showed a path that was riddled with suffering, pain, anguish, or loss? Then again, it may also show the opposite. Yet every trial these new friends of mine had been going through, they’ve conquered without its help or warnings.

  “Is the scroll itself dangerous?” Kendra asked.

  “I don’t think it works that way. It shows potentialities or what has already occurred. The information on it objectively could be used in many ways. In the wrong hands, it may be dangerous, but I’ve never been separated from it. I’ve always been the bearer of the Scroll,” I replied. Maybe it would help. It may grant all of us insight on how to prevail in our quests.

  “You’re saying you have a scroll that’s basically a magic eight-ball?” Donovan asked inquisitively. Which earned a huff from Leilah.

  “You and magic eight-balls. I thought you’d grow out of using that toy for answers when you were younger,” Leilah added.

  “Well, they’re fun! Plus, I can be pretty indecisive at times,” Donovan came to his own defense.

  “I personally always liked them growing up,” Kendra added.

  “Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, I’m curious to see what it says,” admitted Leilah.

  “I don’t remember any of you holding a cat in your bags,” Abbadon said stoically. We all laughed. He really is getting a crash course on contemporary language.

  “It’s another idiom, babe. It translates along the lines of ‘the secret has been revealed or let go,’” Donovan taught my brother.

  “Is there a way I can learn all these idioms?” Abbadon asked innocently and with clear interest.

  “Yeah, it’s called the internet, and we don’t have service here, so it will be a while before you can study them,” Kendra explained.

  “That isn’t necessarily true. We do have access to the internet in this realm,” Leona corrected us, effectively silencing all of us in a gasp.

  “What do you mean you have internet here? I’ve not seen any modern technology here in Silver Leaf City. Plus, we’re in another realm?” Kendra asked Leona with a pointed look.

  “We spoke on the phone originally when you scheduled the Psychic Fair interviews. We have the technology. We don’t display it predominantly or obviously like other cultures or the mortal realm, but we have them. You’ve enjoyed hot baths, well-cooked meals, cool desserts. Our city is also large. It wasn’t built without the use of technologies. Even the Egyptians had batteries. Their pyramids were power plants for their large civilization. If I knew you wanted access to the internet, I’d have shown you how to access it,” Leona explained.

  “Does Silver Leaf have televisions?” Donovan asked.

  “Yes, they do. Though TVs are much more advanced than those outside the realm. We call them Quartz Screens,” Leona elaborated.

  “Seriously, I could have been binge-watching stuff this whole time?” Kendra complained.

  “You could have if you wanted to yes. Though we’ve all been rather distracted and not had that much time to explore leisurely activities as watching Quartz Screens,” Leona said candidly.

  “Well, I guess that’s the truth. We have been rather occupied,” Kendra relented.

  “Great, we’ll have to watch some Fae shows one day. Or some other mortal shows to show my husband idioms. For now, though I have to admit I’ve been too occupied to really sit still long enough to zone out on the tv or surf the net,” Donovan reminded us.

  “Surf the net is another idiom?” Abbadon asked.

  “Yes, hubbykins, it’s another idiom. Basically, it means to browse the information remotely available on the internet,” Donovan elaborated. My brother just smiled. He was feeling victorious at recognizing an idiom. I’m glad he catches on quickly. It will take a while before Abbadon modernizes himself. However, with Donovan and all of us, he would catch up quickly.

  “Okay, well, let’s put a pin on that for now. Forgive me. Now it seems I can only speak in idioms. Let’s put all the technological revelations aside for a moment and go back to the main question. Azrael, may we look at the Scroll of Fates for guidance?” Kendra asked.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Leilah added reassuringly. I was grateful for her concern, but the truth was the best way to quell the doubts about the scroll was to see what it says.

  “Yeah, what she said. Totally up to you, Azrael,” Donovan stated.

  “Truth is I rather know what it says if it can help. If you feel it will be of benefit to us and aid us, then I don’t see why we can’t try,” I admitted.

  I unhooked the small tubular container from my chest strap and put it on the table. I then uncapped one end and tipped it over, so the Scroll of Fates spilled out, the moment of truth now at hand. I held my breath as I unfurled the scroll to see what it would say about ou
r fates. Then exhaled breath in a loud sigh.

  “If it’s bad, then I don’t want to know,” Donovan said, to which I shook my head.

  “It’s not bad. It’s completely blank,” I admitted while showing the blank golden vellum up for everyone to see. “This has never been blank when I’ve used it in the past. It’s always had something written in it. I have to admit I’m a bit relieved. It made me wary with all the things it would say that would come to be. All the souls I’d have to position myself to collect. The lives I’d have to take for the gods. Now it’s blank. Our future fates are unknown but entirely our own. This may seem like a bad thing, but it’s a relief! We’re truly free of the machinations and orders of the gods!” I explained.

  “So, no news is good news?” asked Leilah.

  “Well, it’s certainly better than bad news,” Donovan pointed out.

  “Yes, to both of you. It seems fate is in our own hands. I, for one, am happy for it,” I admitted. A great burden and weight were removed from my mind.

  “You look happy,” Lielah reassured me by squeezing my arms affectionately.

  “I am very happy! Good riddance to that blasted scroll. I’m truly free,” I said joyously. Leilah graced me with a kiss on my cheek. Giving me waves of contentment and warmth. I was filled to bursting with light from my intended.

  “I’m glad that weight you carried is now gone,” Leilah added. Each moment we communicated and got to know each other was healthier for our bond.

  “I am as well,” I replied earnestly and smiled.

  “Awesomesauce! I was worried it was going to have a list of names with exes on it or something morbid. Glad this makes you happy, Az,” confessed Donovan. Again with the nickname.

  “We are not going to make Az a thing,” said Leilah pointedly at Donovan.

  “Hey, now. We could have totally made that a thing,” Donovan said then laughed.

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind,” I admitted. The nickname wasn’t that bad.