CHAPTER 24
Hidimba was getting tired again. It was harder keeping up with the giant than it was trying to keep pace with lord Kokabiel and his master. Og's strides were lengthy, and each equaled three or four of the little demon's. Any attempt to rest or slow the giant would be futile. His only option was to keep up.
They were walking out of Og's lair via the same tunnel that the giant had used to drag Hidimba into it. Although unconscious for the latter part of the trip the last time he passed through this stretch of rock, the demon was beginning to recognize features of the tunnel. They were backtracking, and he hoped that none of the goats that had chased him into Og's cave were waiting for him still. The giant would be formidable if need be, but the goat demons were many in number, and fierce in their own right. He would just as soon avoid any trouble if he could.
Og had insisted on leaving the relative safety of his cave almost at once upon hearing of Kokabiel and Azazel. He had freed Hidimba, grabbed an immense spear from a crevice in the wall over by the fire, and marched in the direction of the tunnel closest to the bone pile. At the time, Hidimba didn't know where it led. Now he did, and he was uneasy.
Og had told him nothing more about those he called Watchers, or his relationship to them, as they journeyed. In fact, the giant hadn't spoken at all since they left the cave. All Hidimba heard was the sound of his own hoofs striking the rock floor of the tunnel over and over. Og on the other hand, was as quiet as a hunter as he moved swiftly through the mountain. He was comfortable in this rock, and his movements were fluid and easy. After watching the giant for some time, Hidimba came to realize that the owners of all those bones he once lay atop of never had a chance. And neither had he. A shiver passed through him at the thought of being stalked by Og through these halls. He decided to redouble his efforts to befriend the giant so that he would never have to worry about such a thing. As they continued to walk, Hidimba mustered the courage to speak.
"I would know more of your uncles great Og . . . that is, if you would tell me of such things."
"Our walk is not so far," the giant answered, "that I could tell you all I know of the Watchers. Theirs is a story of lust, sin, wretchedness, and destruction unlike any ever known before or hence. Theirs is a tale of antiquity, and yet it has not been completed. Their story is in a way, my story to. And it's one that is too sad for me to tell."
Hidimba's curiosity reached its zenith as he listened to Og speak. He never imagined that this rogue giant would know his master and lord Kokabiel so intimately, but he could see pain rising to the surface of the colossus' face as bad memories began to reign down on Og like blows. Hidimba, walking briskly to keep abreast of the behemoth, kept his head turned to the left and watched as Og winced every time a new recollection struck. The little demon wanted to see those memories very badly. He knew, however, that he would need to be subtle when dealing with the brooding giant.
"I understand," he said. "It's just that I was curious about the one I call master. A demon like me, weak and short lived, can only depend upon his wits and cunning to stay alive within this mountain. Knowing things, such as those you speak of, may help me to avoid being destroyed or eaten. It's demon nature to always think of oneself. And of staying alive too."
"So it is," Og murmured. "So it is."
The giant continued walking and silently contemplating. Hidimba hoped that Og would say more, but the giant probably needed a bit more persuasion if he was to open up. He was desperately trying to think of ways to needle the brute into telling him more when a recollection of his own flashed about in his demon brain. He remembered who Og was, or more specifically, he remembered where he had heard the name Og before.
"You're supposed to be dead," he told the giant.
Og glanced sideways at the little demon, but continued walking.
"You were a king once-a king of man. I've heard stories of you from the elders."
"Who would tell stories of me? And why?"
"Only the rakshasa, among the lesser demon kind, have memories of any length," Hidimba announced with pride in his voice. "The oldest of our kind tell stories all the way back to when the first rakshasa was formed. One day I will be expected to tell those same stories. It has always been this way among my kind."
"Demons telling stories? Your kind has certainly evolved from the slobbering filth that I've grown accustomed to."
"The rakshasa have always told stories. It is our collective memory. It is part of what makes us rakshasa." Hidimba grew more agitated as he continued. "We have always been civilized. Because we are relatively few in number, we were forced to band together to survive from the very onset of our time here. We rarely even kill our own kind, and we are not slobbering filth."
"Easy little demon," Og chuckled. "I believe you. I knew you were different when I first caught you in the tunnel. And the fact that you can talk, well that's probably what ultimately saved you from me. It's obvious that you're more advanced than the pigs or the goats. On the other hand, you're still a demon that lives beneath a mountain so you can spare me the noble, civilized talk when describing your kind."
"I only meant when compared to the Se'irim or the incubi. We do not behave like other lesser demon kind."
"Very good," Og replied as he continued walking. There was a finality in the giant's tone. Hidimba had been dismissed. This annoyed the demon. The giant's reluctance to talk was becoming irksome. There were things Og knew that Hidimba desperately wanted him to share.
As Hidimba thought of his next move, he looked ahead and realized they were approaching the area where the tunnel had last split-the area he had lost the goat demons. His uneasiness returned. With a few subtle steps, he eased himself closer to the giant as they passed into the one tunnel and beyond the fork. As they emerged, he turned and pointed in the direction of the other cave entrance.
"This is where I tricked the Se'irim. They took the right side, I the left. Where does this go to anyway?"
"To my chamber, just as the one I found you in does," Og answered. "However, your tunnel slopes downward very slightly and comes out level with the floor of my cavern. This tunnel, on the other hand, slopes upward and stops very abruptly just above the highest point of my chamber's ceiling. There, a rather large hole in the tunnel floor awaits any unsuspecting wanderers. The fall is high enough to kill, but usually it's just bones that are shattered."
Hidimba listened, but missed something. He wore a bewildered look on his face.
"It's a trap demon. The right tunnel is a trap-an easy way to get a bit to eat every once in awhile. I cut the rock and formed it myself. Now do you see?"
"Yes," Hidimba nodded. "Occasionally food just falls from the sky. Convenient. Do the beasts also land in your cooking fire when they plummet to their doom?"
Hidimba's voice was thick with sarcasm. Something about the tunnel trap had upset him, although he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was that had him so on edge. If anything, he should be elated that he didn't take the right tunnel and end up broken on the cavern floor.
"No," Og answered. He glared at Hidimba. "Often times I have to drag them, bloodied and bleating, over to the fire. Luckily for them, the pain of the short trip usually renders them unconscious before I toss them into the flames."
Hidimba said no more. The giant had made his point—Og held no sympathy for demon kind or anything else that he might eat.
"You tricked no one little demon," the giant said. "The goats didn't take the right tunnel. They took neither tunnel. My trap has become less and less effective as of late, because the goats have figured out that this area of Sheol lends itself to the disappearance of their kind. They will not venture any further than where we presently stand. It has forced me out to hunt more and more. In fact, I was on my way to get more meat for my reserves when I found you lying about. So count yourself lucky Hidimba, but not particularly crafty."
Og turned away as he finished talking. He set his gaze straight ahead and his pace was a half step brisker than b
efore. Hidimba rushed to keep up.
They walked in silence for some time. The unchanging rock of the mountain continued to both encircle them and pass them by. Hidimba had managed to keep pace with the giant, but the effort was taking a toll on him. He was too run down to even call out for rest. His legs moved only on instinct. The demon knew that soon he would begin to fall behind. He kept looking as far ahead as he could and hoping with all of his black demon heart, that when the next fork in the tunnel appeared Og would grant him a moment of respite from the pains of this journey.
The demon's lucky streak continued. Hidimba had just decided to lay down in the tunnel and die, when he noticed the faint glow of natural light ahead. He knew that it was from the great cavern with the dais, the entrance to which was only a short distance away from where the tunnel that he was in came to an end. Og called for a halt when they emerged. Hidimba crumpled to the rock floor.
"Tired demon?" Og teased. He had to wait a moment for a reply as Hidimba gathered himself.
"This is where I lost my master," Hidimba remarked, choosing not to acknowledge the giant's badgering. "We had just come through the great cavern there, and I turned to get a final look at it. When I turned back around, master and lord Kokabiel were gone. I chose the wrong tunnel in my pursuit of them."
"So you did my little friend," Og agreed. "And now fate has brought the two of us together for what is surely going to be a volatile time for all. Strange bedfellows we are . . . eh Hidimba?"
The demon only nodded. He was too exhausted for stringing together a verbal reply. Besides, he had no idea what Og meant about this being a volatile time. He did notice that Og had called him friend, however, and he found the thought pleasing. He had never had a friend before. He wasn't even sure if demons had the capacity to befriend anyone or anything, but he was going to try. Og was somewhat temperamental and liked ribbing him a bit, but Hidimba still liked the giant and felt safe when he was around him.
"You liked the cavern you say? It is still impressive isn't it?" the giant asked. He had walked over and stood in the entryway to the grotto. "My father, Ogias the great, was king of all giants and the mightiest of our kind. His father, Semjaza, was first among the Watchers and brother to both your master and Kokabiel. Thus, I call them uncle."
Hidimba watched as Og walked into the great cavern. Despite his weariness, he forced himself off the floor and followed the giant in. He could not miss any of the giant's musings, no matter the cost to his aching body. Once inside, he spotted the giant nearing the large protrusion that stood in the center of the cave.
Og had his arms crossed and resting upon the dais when Hidimba reached him. His chin sat gently upon one of his massive forearms and his eyes were looking up. His mind, Hidimba knew, was far, far away.
"Mighty Og," the demon whispered. He hoped to gently bring the giant back to the present. He grew frightened without him. "Mighty Og . . . shouldn't we keep moving," Hidimba said. He reached out and lightly nudged the giant's thigh. "Og . . . Og . . . Og . . ."
"Now is not the time to show fear Hidimba," Og stated flatly. "I want you to promise me that you will remain calm despite what I'm about to tell you."
Og's tone had already frightened Hidimba more than anything that he could say would. The giant was deathly serious. He had not been daydreaming at all. Instead, he was studying and concentrating on whatever unnamed menace was out there.
"I will do my best," the demon whispered, even though he knew his best wouldn't make a difference. Already his knees weakened.
"Your friends the Se'irim are here with us. They watch us now. To your right . . . gathered in front of another of the cavern's entryways. Look slowly, and make no reaction."
Hidimba did as the giant said. It took him only a moment to see them. He was surprised by how many were there. He counted at least thirty, but they were too far away and moving about too much for him to be sure. He was sure of one thing, even in the waning light it was obvious that all of their black goat eyes stared in his direction.
Hidimba continued watching them. He was far too concerned to look away. They seemed restless and antsy, but also a bit unsure of themselves. He so hoped that they would just leave or let him and Og leave without incident. Thirty or more seemed too many, even for Og the giant.
"What are they doing?" Hidimba asked.
"Looking and waiting."
"Looking for what?"
"Weakness. Fear. Either of the two would incite an attack. These Se'irim, like their counterparts, are herd animals. Can you see the big ram up front? The darkest of them with the eight horns."
"Yes. I see him."
"He's leading this group. Probably the oldest, certainly the strongest. The rest wait to see what he does. If he goes, they go. If he attacks, so do they. But right now he's having trouble making up his mind. I'm sure he's never seen anything as large as me before, and he doesn't know if it's worth the risk. I hold the promise of much meat for the group. What he's not sure of is how much death I might also promise the group."
"What's the answer? How many of them do you think you could take down with you?" Hidimba asked nervously. He hoped for a goodly number. If his life was at stake, Hidimba was certain that he could defend himself against two of the beasts.
"I will kill them all. And I will not be taken down," Og answered. Hidimba turned away from the goat's and looked at the giant. Og was still staring at the black ram. He had not been boasting, nor even stretching the truth. Hidimba was certain that the giant really would kill them all.
"Then why are we so concerned with whether or not they attack us? I mean if you can slay the whole group of them, what difference does it make what they do?" the demon asked. He was confident as he turned back towards the Se'irim.
"Because I'm not sure that I can kill the whole lot of them . . . and keep you alive while doing it."
The little demon closed his eyes. His newfound confidence had dissipated quickly. He hated these damn goats. He hated Sheol. He hated being a demon.
"Do what you must Og. I am unconcerned with what happens to me. I grow weary of running from goats. I grow weary of this entire place."
"Perhaps we will gamble then," the giant answered. He grabbed Hidimba around the chest with his mammoth right hand and tossed him up onto the carved rock dais. Hidimba stumbled, but managed to stay on his feet. "Tell the beasts what you think of them," Og continued. "Tell them your name, the name of your giant, and anything else that you can think of. Hold nothing back and make it convincing. I'll take care of the rest. When this is over Hidimba, if you're not dead, the goats may fear you for a change." Og smiled at the little demon and began moving away from him. Hidimba assumed that he was going to hide from the goat demons. "Tell them," he heard the giant's voice say from behind the far end of the stage.
The little demon turned towards his tormentors. He focused his anger and his misery on the big ram. His voice came easily.
"I am called Hidimba by those brave enough to speak my name," he began. His voice was louder than it had ever been. He didn't know if it was his hate or the cut of the stone that amplified his speech, but all of the Se'irim stopped meandering about and listened as he continued. "I am consort to the ancients and master of giants. All who know me, fear me. Pain and death are my companions, and they follow me closely. Those who bring me to anger shall feel both of their icy grips. I travel from-
"Point at their leader . . . the big one up front," Og interrupted with a hushed voice from behind the dais.
-the depths of Sheol, and now you will know my wrath," Hidimba finished. He raised his arm and slowly unfurled his discolored finger right at the big ram. His proclamation was followed immediately by the sound of light footsteps and a great movement of air. He kept his eyes and finger pointed at the dark goat despite the bit of activity he had heard to his right. He watched as the beast was lifted off of its feet and shot backward against the cavern wall. There it stayed. Dead. Og's great spear protruded from both its chest and back, and p
enetrated into the rock beyond. The ram, its hooves inches from reaching the ground, hung limply from the lance that had run it through.
It was an impossible throw. Hidimba knew the distance was too lengthy. The force necessary was too great. He was as dumbfounded as the remaining goat demons that stood about staring at the carcass of their newly impaled leader.
"Finish your speech," Og said in the same hushed voice he had used moments earlier. "And make it convincing."
Hidimba composed himself as Og requested and found his voice once more. He still, however, could not accept that the giant had really thrown that spear. "Who else will oppose me?" he asked, his voice painfully shrill and loud as before. "Who else dares to stare and posture before me? Which of you goats shall I end next? Is there no one?"
Og remained hidden in the shadow of the rocky protuberance. The Se'irim were in disarray. Hidimba had hoped as much. Now he wanted them to flee. Og had only one spear. The rest was up to him. If they regrouped and charged, Og would not be able to keep him safe-especially without his spear. Hidimba was performing to save his own life. He needed to act like it.
"Go then," Hidimba continued, "and tell all of your kind of the rakshasa who tames the giants. Tell them of Hidimba."
The bluff was working. The goats scrambled back into the cave opening from which they came. None turned to give a final glance at the mighty Hidimba. The ruse was complete.
"Tell me little demon," Og began as he rose up to his full height and neared Hidimba, "had you practiced that speech before? In your dreams perhaps, or when no one was watching. You were convincing . . . giant tamer."
"Not that specific one, no. But I have often imagined myself as more than just a common rakshasa," Hidimba admitted, "and I have, from time to time, thought over the words I might tell my subjects."
"A demon with imagination," Og said, "you continue to surprise me little one."
"I can say the same for you. How can a lance be thrown so far, so straight, and with such force? It remains in the rock still. I'm sure you've ruined it."
Og offered his hand, and Hidimba walked over to it. The giant grabbed him snugly and set him down from the stage. He was glad to be back at the giant's side. The speech was fun, but he had felt alone and exposed upon the rock and not nearly as confident as he had sounded.
"I've been throwing that spear since before this place was dug," Og remarked. "And when we reach it, it will be intact. Your master made it for my father. Ogias was the first born child of the Watchers and cause for much celebration. It fell into my hands after his death. It has no equal amongst spears, pikes, lances, or any other like weapon. Azazel was, and I imagine still is, unrivaled at creating instruments of war and death."
The giant began walking in the direction of his spear. Hidimba followed. The demon wasn't enthusiastic about visiting an area that the Se'irim had just left, but the idea of being away from Og was even more frightening. He scurried to catch up.
The dead ram smelled awful. As the two drew closer to the spot where the suspended beast hung, both Og and Hidimba were squinting their eyes and breathing shallow in an attempt to circumvent most of the stink. In addition to the goat's musky, earthy, everyday odor, the smell of shit also loitered about. Once they reached the creature, they saw that it had emptied its bowels, probably after it was already dead.
Hidimba stopped to take a closer look at the dead goat, but Og walked a few paces more and peered into the cave that the other Se'irim had used to exit the cavern. Seemingly satisfied, he turned and strolled back to stand beside Hidimba who was staring into the open but lifeless eyes of the goat demon. Both seemed to have grown accustomed to the smell.
Hidimba had never been this close to one of the Se'irim before. Although they lived all about him, the goat demons and rakshasa always kept a goodly distance between themselves-unless of course the voracious goats saw an opportunity for an easy meal by picking off the occasional rakshasa that strayed from the clan. The rakshasa, on the other hand, ate very seldom, and when they did it was almost exclusively incubi. No goat demon had ever been drug into the rakshasa stronghold that Hidimba could remember.
"They look even more like real goats than I thought they would . . . up close like this I mean," Hidimba exclaimed. He was still looking at the dead Se'irim. The creature's neck and jowls were meatier than a real goat's. Its eight horns and its canine teeth also separated the demon from the domesticated brand. It did, however, look mostly like a goat from the neck up and from the waist down.
The in-between was unmistakably humanoid. Only the dark fleece that blanketed the entire ram kept its chest, arms, and torso from appearing wholly man-like. It even had hands, not hooves, which ended in dark, overgrown nails, hanging from the end of each of its oversized arms. Even hanging lifeless and impaled on the end of a spear, the beast's powerful muscles were on full display.
Hidimba revisited his earlier train of thought. After seeing the Se'irim up close, he was not as confident as before in his ability to hold his own in battle with the creatures. He still thought that he would be a good match for one, but defeating two would be next to impossible for him. Even in death, the ram seemed formidable. Hidimba was uneasy.
"There is real goat in their ancestry," Og answered. "The first pair of these abominations was created on a whim-just to see if it could be done. They are experiments. They are not natural. They did not evolve. They are not supposed to exist." The giant reached out and took hold of the end of his great spear. Hidimba could see the anger in his movements. His voice was rage tinged with disgust. "Then again . . . neither am I."
With a great tug he dislodged his spear from the cavern wall. The ram remained skewered. Og kept the lance level and brought the goat demon in closer for a once over. His upper lip rose into a malevolent sneer. Hidimba shuddered.
"A woman. A goat. Fallen magic. The soul of a demon," Og said. "That's all it took to create an entire caste of devils that, if left unchecked, will eventually overrun all of Sheol. These things breed continuously and there isn't enough greater demon kind left here to keep their numbers in check. It's inevitable. A species that was produced solely to spawn and produce food has endured and thrived whilst those around it have dwindled in number or died out completely."
Og shook his head and lowered the tip of his spear to the ground. The weight of the goat demon caused it to follow. It made a sickening, wet sound as it's innards past over the shaft of the great spear for the second time. The giant then stepped on the beast's chest and removed his spear with a bend of his mammoth arm. He gave the creature a final look as he stepped over its lifeless form. "I can't kill all of these monsters by myself," he said, "but I would enjoy the challenge."
Hidimba followed as Og walked back towards the rock dais. He didn't know why they were revisiting the high stage, but he was sure the giant had good reason. Upon reaching the proturbence, Og again lifted the little demon up and sat him atop the carved rock.
"Am I to give another speech? Did you enjoy the first one so much that you'd have me give a new one just for you?"
Og chuckled at the demon's remarks.
"I like you Hidimba. Although I never imagined myself befriending one of the lesser demon kinds, you are an interesting mix of fear, curiosity, and humor. You're also full of surprises. Your behavior is sometimes very un-demon like, and I find that refreshing-especially in a place like Sheol, where being different usually means being dead. I do not yet know why circumstance has brought you to me, but I believe it to be more than just coincidence. Fate taught me long ago to never be surprised by my appointed lot. I've decided that you deserve to be enlightened. For better or worse, you need to know the scope of what you're being drawn into. I have no idea where your loyalties lay, or if you even feel loyalty to anyone or anything, but still you will be told. If things are as I suspect, it will soon be time for picking sides. Are you ready to listen?"
The demon was eager. He knew what Og meant. At least he hoped that he did. Finally he would know
more of his companion than just a name, and the fact that he could throw a spear for a great distance. He would know of the Watchers, the giants, Sheol, his master, maybe even Og's time as king. There was just no telling what this giant might know. He had himself worked up into quite a fever, but still he managed to answer the giant and look relatively at ease while doing so.
"I would hear what you have to tell me Og. And I must admit that I'm hopeful its information about yourself and your rather peculiar genealogy."
Again the giant laughed. "Yes Hidimba," he nodded, "it is. But it wasn't your constant needling or subtle trickery that convinced me to tell you about that which has your curiosity so piqued. Instead, it is my fear that you have some part to play in future events that were prophesied long ago. These events may or may not be unfolding. That is what I will soon find out. Either way, I will have you educated. I will not let it be said that a lack of preparation on my part tilted the scale of Enoch's prophecy one way or another."
"Who's Enoch?"
"He was a scribe. Now he is more. But I will get to that all in good time. Do you ever stop asking questions?"
"I'm sorry great Og. I will force myself to show restraint even though I'm very anxious to hear your story."
"We don't have time for stories Hidimba. I've told you that once already. Besides, I'm no storyteller. Any yarn that I could spin would undoubtedly bore you to death. What I will tell you, however, is the facts as I know them. Maybe if you know a bit of history, you will be better informed and able to make better decisions in the future, especially as they relate to the Prophecy of Enoch. I will be as brief as possible, and I will not embellish. On the other hand, I will try to be thorough. Perhaps then I will have earned a refrain from your damnable questions. Do not interrupt me."
Hidimba only nodded. He couldn't help feeling a little privileged. A giant stood before him about to tell him things that only the most ancient denizens of Sheol would know. His good fortune seemed to be continuing. Sadly, he didn't know who to thank. There was no God in Sheol.
The Peacock Angel: Rise of the Decarchs Page 37