The Antithesis- The Complete Pentalogy

by Terra Whiteman

  HYMN OF THE MULTIVERSE VOL. 1

  © 2014-2018 Terra Whiteman

  Cover Design by Terra Whiteman

  ~*~

  This is a story about God and the Devil, but not how you were taught to believe.

  This is also a story about love and hate, and the suffering both can bring.

  This about rights and wrongs and all of the spaces in between—;

  Revenge, courage, death, passion; with no villains, no heroes

  Only those left scorned.

  This is the story about Heaven, Hell and the Jury that holds them together.

  This is The Antithesis

  “Death is, for many of us, the gates of Hell; but we are inside on the way out, not outside on the way in.”

  —George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

  I

  THE ENCOUNTER

  JERUSALEM WAS ON FIRE.

  Bludgeoned, bloated carcasses littered the field; stained with blood, left to rot as thousands of boots trampled them. The squelching of viscera and snapping of bones were drowned out by the clashing of swords and catapult explosions. Flecks of ash lingered in the air, drifting over the desert like snow.

  It was 1180 AD, and Saladin was reclaiming the Holy Land from King Baldwin IV, his tens of thousands of soldiers sweeping across the desert, rushing at the walls like a black unrelenting wave of death.

  No survivors, no mercy. That was how the game was played.

  Among the swarms of soldiers, I battled; infallible, undetectable to the mortals surrounding me. Little did they know there was much more at stake here than just a stupid piece of land.

  Something, somewhere, had requested my arms. My contractors wanted to ensure that Saladin would win. Why this mundane human war was so important to the Multiversal higher-ups, I didn’t know.

  I didn’t care, either.

  I wasn’t programmed to care. Just to kill.

  My scimitars hacked, whirred, sliced into flesh; severing arteries, slitting throats, chopping heads. I looked human enough with these rags around my head that no one thought otherwise. I was just another soldier in this crimson sea of dying, bloody men.

  A flaming, tar-drenched boulder hit the wall, finally bringing it down. A gaping crevice lay before us. We shouted, raising our swords, advancing into the city.

  The enemy soldiers tried to compact the hole, stabbing their swords to keep us at bay. I’d endured two days of a stale-mated battle—;

  And quite frankly, it was getting boring.

  I strayed from my army, following the right side of the city gate, preparing to do what I could have done the moment I’d arrived.

  I leapt onto the hundred-foot wall as if it were a shoddy, knee-high fence. The few archers that had been unlucky enough to see that didn’t even manage to croak before I slit their throats and sprinted back toward my army, about to make my forces’ jobs a lot easier.

  From one hundred yards away, an archer shot at me. I tilted my head, feeling the arrow whir by, its breeze kissing my cheek. My arm swung out and the archer’s head soared through the air in a trail of crimson spray.

  I cleared the wall of Baldwin’s defenses in a matter of minutes. My forces poured in like an exploding dam, killing everything in sight. Flaming towers, splashing blood, screams, smoke—;

  So, so familiar.

  My reverie was interrupted when I got a feeling. Someone was watching me. I turned, searching the chaos, finding nothing. But then a portion of the crowd cleared away from a toppled wooden tower. Through the smoke, came a woman.

  Which was odd already, considering any woman I’d seen so far had been screaming and running for her life. She was holding swords. Scimitars, like mine.

  The woman was draped in a sari, head covered by a black, gold-embroidered scarf. She was probably half my size—if that—and was staring directly at me.

  I froze, staring back.

  She raised her swords.

  Was she planning to fight me? Really?

  I glanced around, wondering if anyone else was seeing her. Unfortunately, humans were oblivious to practically everything.

  When my attention returned to the woman, I saw her running at me, and fast.

  Too fast; her body began to blur.

  I stepped back, shocked to find she wasn’t human. Right before she reached me, she vanished.

  A breeze at my back made me spin. I barely had enough time to raise my swords as she descended on me; the metal on metal created sparks, singeing my eyes. She was strong. Too strong, and I staggered.

  Before I could reclaim my balance, she rammed her foot into my stomach. I slid across the sand on my back, clenching my teeth. She waited for me to get up, and although her face was hidden, the smile reached her eyes. She was mocking me.

  Despite my forces hacking away at anything that moved, I had standards. I didn’t really enjoy hitting women, but was about to make an exception. She’d had the element of surprise, I’d give her that much, but our fray had only begun.

  I twirled the scimitars in my hands, shoulders forward, preparing to strike.

  The woman and I circled each other, slowly, sizing one another up.

  And then she lunged, sword stabbing at my stomach.

  I side-stepped, swinging for her head.

  She ducked, elbow ramming into my ribs.

  I curled in response, stifling a groan. She brought around the hilt of her sword, catching me in the face.

  CRUNCH.

  That was the sound of my jaw fracturing.

  Blood sputtered from my lips, soiling the sand around my feet. Before she could move in for the kill I’d caught her hand, wrenching it back, a sword clattering to the ground between us. She twirled like we were dancing, not at all concerned that she’d just broken her own wrist.

  Her other blade sliced through the rags covering my face. Luckily it only managed to nick my cheek. I’d leaned my head back just in time. Then I brought it forward, head-butting her.

  She stumbled back, but her recovery time was exponentially quicker than mine. Before I had a chance to charge again, she’d blurred to my right, kicking the scimitar out of my hand.

  I jumped to grab it, but her foot caught me in the chest. I was thrown against the wall, the mud brick crumbling beneath my back. I looked up through a dazed wince as she threw her sword. It shot toward me like a speeding bullet. I rolled, but the blade caught my scarf, unraveling it and pinning me to the wall. She’d unmasked me; but more importantly, I couldn’t breathe.

  I pried the sword from the wall, swinging at the chance the woman was nearby, preparing to finish me off. But she hadn’t moved.

  She was frozen, staring at my face like there was something wrong with it.

  Then she dropped her scimitar, taking a step forward. She reached for her face, tugging down her scarf.

  Porcelain skin, large violet eyes, full pink lips. I had no idea what that gesture meant, but it almost seemed like she was expecting me to recognize her. And I did, kind of. I couldn’t really determine what I was feeling. All I did was watch her.

  She took a step back.

  I took a step closer.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but she vanished. I stared at the place she’d been a second ago, trying to grasp what the hell had happened.

  I knelt and swallowed the lump in my throat, wiping the blood from the corners of my mouth. My jaw was swollen and it hurt to scowl. That bitch had whaled on me and then took off, right as things got interesting.

  But why was she so interesting? Why did I care? Why wasn’t I just shrugging and returning to my job?

  There was a twisty feeling in my stomach and my legs were like lead. For some reason, none of th
is mattered any more. My mission, the war, the Nexus—none of it.

  I wanted to chase her. I wanted to know who she was, and why she’d come after me. Who had sent her? And why did she spare me?

  Without another thought, I wandered across the field, paying no mind to the fighting, dying crowd surrounding me.

  And then I, too, was gone.

  II

  REUNION

  TWELVE HOURS AGO, I WAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST Nexus agents the Multiverse had ever seen. Now I was a pathetic dog, lying helpless in a field somewhere. Rejecting the Nexus’ orders and abandoning a mission caused a purge. As I laid there wishing I was dead, the Nexus’ imprint began decaying. It erased my abilities, leaving me tired and frail. That was how they handled rogues. Without my transportation abilities, I was stuck here. Wherever here was, anyway.

  I’d drug ass to a quiet ruin somewhere in the distant future. I knew couldn’t stay here long or risked losing everything. Without the imprint, finding that woman was impossible.

  I forced myself on all fours, wincing as nausea savaged my stomach. I felt a lot better now than I had an hour ago, but I still couldn’t stop puking.

  I grabbed at a crumbling pillar, getting to my feet. I couldn’t stand on my own yet and had to lean against it, shivering under my wet clothes. It was cold here; far colder than the Middle East.

  “Okay,” I said aloud, trying to walk. My vertigo was gone and I wasn’t vomiting anymore, but with clarity came realization. I’d just been purged from the Nexus.

  Fuck.

  What on earth had I been thinking?

  I looked over my shoulder, as if someone was there to answer me.

  But there was no logical answer, was there? I’d just abandoned the only thing I knew, left merely with the rags on my back and the knowledge of my name.

  My personality, world view, thoughts, and decision-making skills (or lack thereof, apparently) had all been Nexus programmed. I was a shell; a program within a borrowed body. I had no idea who I really was. I never did.

  But there was no going back. Might as well get the other foot wet.

  I still had my honing ability. It wasn’t purged yet. That meant I could still track her.

  Alright, I could do this. I had to do this.

  My eyes closed, chin rose. Then, my body faded from view.

  ***

  Using my abilities during a Nexus purge was painful. Actually, painful was too weak a word.

  I rematerialized, holding my aching head. It felt like I’d swallowed a lump of searing coal. My nose was bleeding, and I wiped my nostril, staring down at the blood on my fingertips with a grimace—

  And then I noticed the giant, smoldering iron sphere sailing toward me.

  I dove out of the way as a cannon ball hit the ground. Chunks of earth and body parts flew in every direction. The roaring of a battlefield blared in my ears. I was in the middle of yet another war.

  It had taken my phase shift a lot more time than usual to adjust to my new surroundings. Because of this, the scenery only now melded into view. And not a moment too soon.

  Hoards of men collided with each other over an open, fiery field; some in metal armor, some in leather. I’d been given extensive knowledge of human history. For whatever reason, the Nexus had found it necessary. Unmistakably I was in Asia, around 1800 AD.

  Soldiers equipped with spears, nodachis and katanas covered the battleground in waves, becoming nothing more than cannon fodder the moment frontline artillery started.

  …The woman was here?

  My senses confirmed that, but why?

  No time to think; I needed cover.

  I sprinted across the field, ducking cannon balls and swords. Several people froze when they saw me, considering I was covered in filthy rags and looked slightly less than Asian (or human for that matter, since I didn’t have my scarf anymore).

  I dove into the underbrush, collecting myself. Okay, now what?

  Disguise.

  From behind a tree, my eyes followed the many passersby. After a calculated moment, I swung my arm out and clotheslined a soldier running too close to the field’s edge.

  I’d only intended on knocking him out, but the impact snapped his neck. Humans were way too soft.

  Dragging the body into the tree-line, I stripped him and put on his uniform. Then I pried the sword from his cold, dead hand. I bolted onto the field, hidden under black leather, a cloth mask concealing the lower portion of my face.

  I cleaved my way through the crowd, awaiting a glimpse of the woman within this savage sea of warring men.

  But I’d been too perceptive. Instead of the woman, I’d spotted something else only one hundred yards away.

  Two warriors moved like wind. They slayed their victims with merciless tact, showering themselves in blood. Their bodies were emanating black smoke, and I appeared to be the only one who noticed.

  The two men realized that I was staring. They turned in unison, red eyes gleaming through the shadows of their hoods.

  More nonhumans?

  Why the hell were all of these nonhumans showing up at human wars?

  I didn’t have time to think about that. They lunged at me and I took off, weaving through the crowd. They were a fight I wouldn’t win.

  They were faster than me and it wasn’t long before they closed in. But then another soldier sprang from the crowd, tackling the nonhuman on my right. They collided, disappearing into the warring masses in a blurry ball.

  My senses went wild.

  It was her.

  Adrenaline boosted my courage. I’d been left with one pursuer, and the odds were even.

  I slid to a stop, turning in place, sword swinging in an arc as the red-eyed soldier barreled into me.

  He leapt over my blade, but caught my elbow when he landed. As his head whipped to the side, I moved in for the kill, stabbing my sword at his chest.

  He rolled away, kicking my legs out from underneath me.

  I slammed into the ground on my back; knifelike sensations coursed through my shoulders, knocking out my breath. I only had enough time to tilt my head as his katana pierced the ground directly beside my face.

  I shifted, swinging at his legs.

  The monster screamed, toppling over like a chopped tree.

  My legless opponent retreated in a blood-soaked crawl, screaming a language that I’d never heard. It wasn’t any human language, that much was certain.

  I limped after him, bringing my blade down on his neck. His screams stopped as his severed head bounced away, rolling a few feet.

  Then, it erupted into a pile of white sand. Seconds later, so did its body.

  The wind picked up, stirring the pile into a violent cloud. The grains hit me, some actually getting into my mouth.

  …Salt?

  I almost puked at the thought of eating that thing. Coughing violently, I limped into the crowd, looking for the woman. She had saved me this time. Interesting.

  I made it back in time to watch her slice the other red-eyed soldier in two. His dismembered corpse didn’t even hit the ground before it exploded into salt. We stood there, side by side, watching as the pile was swept away with the wind.

  Nope; no one had seen that either. Fucking humans.

  “Did you kill the other one?”

  The sound of her voice was startling. I wasn’t really sure why. It was a little lower than I expected; though still feminine, with a slight rasp.

  I glanced down at her. “Care to tell me what they are, exactly?”

  “Not really.”

  Then she walked away.

  “Hey,” I called, bristling.

  She stopped, not turning around.

  “You’re really going to walk off?”

  The woman glanced over her shoulder. “What else were you expecting me to do? Stand around and chat?”

  I frowned. “Well…yes.”

  She didn’t respond, staring.

  “I want to know why you tried to kill me.”

  Her eye
s fell; she looked away. After a moment she continued walking, providing no response.

  And then I lost my patience.

  “Hey!”

  She stopped, again.

  “I asked you a question! Where the fuck are you going?”

  “None of your business.”

  “It is my business! You made it my business when you tried to kill me!”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, because it’s all about you. I’ve moved on, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “What’s your name?” She sounded irritated.

  “Alezair.”

  Her eyes relayed confusion. She hesitated. “…Oh.”

  I had no idea what that was about, but I kept her talking. “What are you? What’s your purpose?”

  The woman arched her brows. “What’s my purpose? That’s a pretty personal question, wouldn’t you say?”

  Our conversation was taking place as the war continued around us. People were literally dying at our feet, but we’d somehow been removed from the environment. We could see them, but they couldn’t see us.

  “How are you doing that?” I marveled, spinning in place.

  “I need to leave.”

  “You can’t leave.”

  I could see a smirk, even through her mask. “Can’t I?”

  And then she disappeared.

  I threw my sword to the ground, screaming a curse. It’d be a miracle if I could track her again. That or I’d have an aneurysm.

  But this ordeal had fueled my determination. Made my will even stronger. I would find her again, and this time I would make her talk.

  No more games.

  III

  SOLSTICE

  “MOTHERFUCKER!”

  Was the first thing out of my mouth when I rematerialized. It felt like a sledgehammer had collided with my face.

  My eyes rolled into my head and I collapsed against a brick wall, covering my mouth to silence another scream. My back slid down it until I was squatting, hands encasing my face. I didn’t have to feel my nose to know blood was gushing from it; my lips and chin were soaked already.