“As you may know, Zephyr is getting weaker and weaker every day.” The crowd answers back in an excited chorus, pumping their fists in the air and cheering.
“Yes, it is exciting how close we are getting to putting this plan into action, but before we can do so, there is a matter of utter importance to attend to first.” She pauses for a moment before beginning the speech she had meticulously prepared beforehand.
“Evander has told me that he has spoken with his sector of the coalition, and that they have technically all decided on a new leader.”
The crowd erupts in questioning murmurs. “Who is it? What’d they decide?” One of the younger sorters yells from her spot near Jade’s water cooler.
“Well, this suggestion to me, seems extremely improbable - you see, they chose someone… who not only has not been here in a while, but also has a history of getting caught up in human-like emotions, and making snap decisions because of that. Do those things sound like sufficient qualifications to lead not only the entire Upperworld, but the entire human race, present and future?”
The crowd murmurs some more, and some of the bolder ones yell angrily, some even resorting to expletives that they likely learned through their human studies courses.
“That’s what I thought - I agree with you there. I should tell you, if you haven’t figured it out yet… the candidate in question… is Onyx.”
At the exact moment she utters his name, the crowd explodes with anger, distaste, and shock:
“He’s not our leader!”
“Why would they want him?”
“He’s part humanoid, that’s just not natural…”
“There’s no way he’s cut out for this.”
“Jade, what are we going to do?”
A small, devious smile threatens to emote on Jade’s lips, but she keeps it under wraps in order to maintain her professional position of leadership.
“Well, there’s no need to fret… because there is another option…”
An excited murmur is heard over the crowd, but they quickly quiet down to find out who the alternative is.
“Me. I am eligible to be the leader. I hereby nominate myself for the highest position of prestige in the Upperworld - that of Most High Being.”
The crowd of Upperworld beings is completely silent for what feels like a small eternity, and then a slow rumbling can be felt as they all begin to clap, very slowly. It begins with just Brielle, the petite sorter in the back row clapping, and then they all follow suit, all the way from Vidia to the eldest record keeper, Brahms. It is fortunate that the entire pod has been soundproofed and converted into a dead zone, because the noise emitted by all the excited beings would be enough to cause quite a stir, if it was audible from outside Jade’s habitation pod.
“Jade, you are perfect for the job!”
“This is a magnanimous step in the right direction…”
“We can trust her, I think anyone could.”
“I have absolutely no doubt that she can handle it.”
Jade grins widely as the accolades continue. “I am most delighted to hear that I have your support. The only problem lies in the fact that the others will likely still be pulling for Onyx. We must stay the course, and remain focused no matter what.”
The entire pod erupts in an empowered chorus, and Jade smiles gleefully in the low lamplight. And so it begins.
VOLUME TWO:
THE REVOLUTION
CHAPTER 1
Zephyr lays dejectedly on his throne, the current fighting to flow through him - the connection is rapidly weakening. Barely able to keep his eyes open, his eyelids flutter a bit, his body limp as a rag doll. The fog of the Upperworld seems to react to his weakening life essence, as it seems to dissipate around him. Overhead, the luminescent lighting blinks ominously, likely a precursor to the disasters to come.
“Excuse me, Most High Being?”
Zephyr manages to open one cavernous, dark eye to find out who is looking to get his attention.
“Speak.”
The orderly opens her mouth to speak, but hesitates. She knows full well that her news will greatly upset him, and it isn’t clear what he is going to do about it.
“Well, I don’t know how to say this…”
“You must try. Time is running out.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
Zephyr visibly tenses, and an uncomfortable grimace spreads over his ghastly face.
“That is none of your concern. Now speak.”
The orderly shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot, and bides her time looking for just the right words.
“Well, you see, I’ve heard… murmurings…”
Zephyr’s flaming hair glows a bit brighter at this remark. “Of what?”
The orderly swallows her own saliva nervously. “… an uprising… they - some of them… want to revolt.”
Zephyr is dejectedly sprawled out on his throne, exceptionally weak at this point, and yet, he still reacts to what he is hearing as the orderly shifts her weight nervously in front of him.
“What are you talking about?”
“I… I heard… some of my fellow Upperworld beings discussing some secret meetings and efforts to dethrone you.”
Zephyr’s cavernous, dark, menacing eyes become even deeper as he takes in the information provided for him by the small girl.
“That is UNACCEPTABLE. I will not allow… this to occur.” Zephyr clearly wants to raise his fist in frustration, but he is so weak at this point, that he cannot even sit up straight without assistance, so he just lays back and breathes heavily in disgust instead. His large, macabre visage casts shadows over the already-darkened Grand Hall, and the orderly cowers in his imposing presence.
The orderly nods. “I figured you had a right to know, Most High Being.”
“Who is behind this?”
“Well, some of the orderlies are part of the coalition, as well as some of the sorters, record keepers, and guides. I am one of the few that are still on your side, Most High One. They are growing in number rapidly, and it is hard to contain them.”
He sits vulnerably on his throne, awaiting further explanation from the orderly.
“Well, young one, I applaud your honesty and loyalty. For that, you shall be rewarded. In the mean time, please try to stifle anyone who is part of this, and I will see what can be done.”
✷✷✷
“I don’t know what you have heard about the procedures, but there is some unrest happening amongst us, and that cannot continue. As the sixteenth president of the United States so wisely proclaimed many years ago - ‘A divided house cannot stand.’” Evander stands at the front of the meeting of all the Disturbers for the first time ever - there are so many of them now that he had to rig the biggest lecture hall with soundproofing to accommodate all of them at once. He is now using the few moments he has before Jade arrives to speak to everyone all at once without her getting in the way - a precious opportunity that he dares not waste.
“What’s going on here?” Jade storms into the room in a huff with her coarse, silver hair tied up into a militant bun, and her typically immaculate clothing without a single wrinkle.
Evander looks over to the crowd hesitantly, hoping that Jade would not undermine the small amount of authority he did have, as well as come to her senses about how ridiculously mistaken she would be to try to be the Most High Being.
“Well, I am currently explaining to our loyal followers that there has been some significant discord within, and that we cannot be successful if we do not cast away our differences - starting now.”
Jade lets out a hearty laugh. “Fine. But you do realize that votes still have to be cast - as you have said, democracy is always the best way to go. If it’s good enough for America, then it is certainly good enough for us.”
Evander steels himself against her powerful gaze, as well as the chaos exploding in the audience. Everyone is arguing with one another, and it quickly becomes all too apparent that nothing w
ill be accomplished until this disagreement is rectified.
“Well, to accommodate this setback, I have produced a ballot for your consideration. Please pass these around, and sign your name to each one. Check here if you believe, as I do, that Onyx is the best and only choice for leadership-”
“- Or check here if you believe, as you should, that I am the best candidate for the job” Jade intercepts his speech while pointing a resolute finger at the space on the ballot that her name takes up. Her intense glare meets the eyes of many in the crowd, ensuring that whether or not they want her to lead, they just might vote for her solely out of fear.
Evander runs a hand through his hair as he always does when he gets stressed. “All our fate, is up to you all. I will run each ballot through a digital counting system so that the final count is impartial and fair. But bear in mind, everyone, something that you should know…”
All eyes land on Evander as he readies himself to say the one thing that he honestly believes can sway all their votes in the right direction.
“After doing some research on the qualifications and requirements for a Most High Being to survive the transference of the life-current that flows through them, they require a body that has some tie to Earth, so that the current will take to it.”
“Wait, so Zephyr has a tie to Earth?” One of the younger sorters pipes in with the question likely on everyone’s mind.
Evander pauses for a moment to mentally recall what he had learned through his research before answering. “Yes, but only because he was appointed to this position by the council of the gods at the dawn of existence – he’s been doing this quite literally since time itself began.”
The young sorter nods, but many questions still seem to float just behind her eyes – but those would have to wait for the time being. “Well, no wonder he’s quite worn out at this point.”
“Okay but what does that have to do with Onyx?” Jade files one of her stubborn hangnails while only half-listening to Evander’s political pitch. She has no idea that his next words would be the final nails in the coffin of her nefarious plans.
“Onyx has a permanent tie to Earth, since his essence was originally meant as a humanoid.”
“So?” Jade spits the word out of her mouth as a dart aimed at a target, even though her confidence is beginning to slightly waver.
“So… do you have any ties to Earth? For your sake, I hope you do. Because if you don’t, the moment you sit on that throne, the current will obliterate you.”
A collective gasp fills the large room.
“Well, I, uh…”
“That’s what I figured. The Upperworld is all you’ve ever known - you’re just not cut out for this, and now it appears that you are physically incapable of the job, even though you want it.”
Jade blushes, and smiles as the embarrassment of her own inadequacy fills her face. The crowd grows silent, but some of the original Jade supporters continue to whoop and holler, clearly not understanding the magnitude of the situation:
“Onyx may have a tie to Earth, but he isn’t cut out for this!”
“That guy is a joke.”
“There’s no way he can hack this!”
“I will not let the entirety of humanity fall into his hands!”
“He’s far too emotional to assign souls into lives - think about what could happen!”
Evander sighs at their obvious imbecility.
“I still believe in democracy, and I can see that there is still some unrest. So, we will still collect the ballots, just to keep things fair.” He rolls his eyes and just hopes that they will come to their senses before it is too late.
CHAPTER 2
“Well, here we are…” Onyx opens the door to their condo and pauses to breathe, relishing the fact that they are finally safe. Having a home where they can lock out the terrors of the outside world - like Seth - is a welcome reprieve. The darkness of the early night sky fills the windows, so he flicks on the main light switch to better see everything.
“It’s… perfect, Onyx.” Luna smiles at him as she settles herself on a nearby couch. “So, this is where our lives will take place, right?”
Onyx grins and then puts all their shopping bags by the front door as he momentarily allows himself to sink into the plush cushioning of the couch. After a long day, he is exhausted and his feet are beginning to feel the effects of all the walking.
“Tomorrow, we should look into buying a motorized vehicle to get around in. I can’t walk around everywhere, I’m just not used to it.”
“Do you - we, have money for that?”
Onyx nods. “I can continue to use the Earth-bound Upperworld bank account until I find a job. So yes, we have money for it.”
“You always know just what to say…” Luna scoots closer to Onyx and cuddles with him on the couch for a moment, laying her head on his shoulder and draping her legs across his. He gently pats her shoulder and then breaks the embrace.
“I, uh, I’ll take the clothes and supplies upstairs. Also, you should get ready to go to sleep, it’s getting late and we’ve had a long day.”
Luna opens her mouth to speak, but Onyx disappears up the stairs before she can say a word. She immediately follows him, and walks into a bedroom where he is hastily folding and putting away their new clothes.
“Here are some clothes suitable for sleeping.” He hands her a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt, and then turns back to the folding. For some odd reason, Luna notices that Onyx suddenly seems very tense.
“Onyx, is something wrong?”
He pauses his folding for a moment, and looks at her with his bright cerulean irises. “No, why would you think that?”
“Well, you seem tense, and you aren’t looking me in the eye…”
Onyx exhales, and realizes that she is absolutely right. “I suppose I am a bit tense, Luna. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I think, I just…” He pauses to find just the right words. “Earlier today, I was so frightened at the prospect of how close I was to losing you to Seth in that store - I honestly had no idea he was that close until it was almost too late. If something happened to you on my watch, I don’t know - ”
Luna cuts off the rest of that terrible prospect by firmly placing her lips on his, and he heartily reciprocates. He immediately drops the shirt he was folding and places his hands around her waist, pulling her as close to himself as possible. Their body temperatures begin to steadily rise, as the kiss deepens, and their two heartbeats synchronize as one. Without missing a beat, Luna’s hands begin to wander all over Onyx’s trim, muscular torso, calmly noticing the warmth of his skin under her trembling palms. He feels her hands move to the small of his back and under the hem of his shirt, and takes the subtle cue. Onyx gently carries her over to his bed, and eases himself over her, allowing the most visceral and human desires embedded in his very essence to take over. In the following moments, he allows himself the opportunity to indulge in the most desperate desire he has ever had - to show her how much he truly loves her, and always has, through time and space. The skin of their bodies compliments each other seamlessly as they join together. Their connection and needs are stronger than all of the things they have fought through, because they never forgot what could have been. He knows how Luna has suffered, and ever-so-gently ensures that he does not impose himself on her in any way. But she is his, and he is hers. And now, as they finally become one, the way they were always meant to, the world around them sings, as the stars outside their window sparkle with the gleam of a million diamonds.
✷✷✷
The morning sun rises, illuminating Seth’s dark frame sprawled out on the park bench. He opens one eye, and then the other, regretting his unwanted return to consciousness. The pressure of finding and ultimately killing Luna is beginning to get to him, and sleep is a seductive mistress.
His limbs are sore, yet again, from lying on the hard, cold, slightly damp surface.
I just have to keep walking… and searching.
They are bound to be somewhere nearby… just keep moving.
Without a better option, he resorts to aimlessly walking down the street, hoping to either find Luna, or a clue that would lead him to her. He knows all too well that Zephyr is probably becoming quite upset with him for faltering in his approach to carry out the deed.
It has to be done, and soon. When I see her, I’ll slit her throat and worry about logistics later. That is the only way.
A devilish smile oozes across his face at the thought of Luna’s frail, lifeless body laying limp on the ground, and a gushing stream of blood gushing through the gash in her neck like a geyser. He’d hit the major artery on the first try, and then hopefully return to the Upperworld to claim his place of honor as Zephyr’s right-hand confidant with a simple press of the black pendant.
It will happen, it is just a matter of when.
✷✷✷
“Gotcha, Officer Carnes. I’ll secure the perimeter, and if I see the peculiar character in the blue jumpsuit, as you had described, I will be sure to bring him right in for questioning on the grounds of local discomfort and security.”
Officer Phil Jones reattaches his cellphone to his utility belt and continues walking past the park, towards the downtown area where the diner is - he needs to get his daily fill of homemade donuts and coffee. And that’s when he sees a rather sketchy, incriminating figure in a blue jumpsuit walking down the street.
The Fall of Zephyr Page 9