The Creation: Chaos Rising (10 page)

Chapter 15

Omen glided purposefully through the central courtyard of the Apex; an immense marble pyramid, several times larger than it's similar counterpart on Earth's Giza plateau, resting at the northern edge of Heaven's borders. He nodded pleasantly to the small group of beings seated at one of the numerous white-granite tables situated throughout the courtyard. The looks of wonder and awe on their faces marked them as New Arrivals to the crystalline city, still adjusting to the Ways of Divinity.

The Overseer often wondered what the various Mortal races of Mortalia felt upon their transition to the Afterlife. The true Heaven contrasted sharply to the images put forth by many of the Realm's fragmented religious infrastructures.

Omen had never
understood why The Almighty allowed such varied levels of understanding to continue. Why were the amphibian race on the watery world, Cayem, allowed a true disclosure of the nature of the universe while the Humans of Earth, supposedly the race valued most by The Almighty, were left to plod along a spiritual path riddled with half-truths and gross misrepresentations of The Creation.

The pyramid's entryway cycled open at Omen's approach, and the Overseer pulled his thoughts away from the intriguing riddle to focus on the reason for this visit to the Seat of Authority.

No member of the Hierarchy, with the notable exception of the Horsemen and the Archangels, had the right to interfere in the execution of a Divine Task. That was why Omen had not come to Gabriel's aid during the fight with Mayhem and the Disciples. As a former Celemor, Caleb, or Dichotomy as he now preferred to be called was well aware of this fact. He also knew the possible consequences for such an infraction, yet he chose to intercede. In Omen's eyes, such blatant disregard for the Tenets could not go unpunished.

The Overseer moved quickly along the pyramid's vast, granite-lined corridors, coming to a stop at the
entryway to an immense, spherical chamber. Inside the chamber floated the fluctuating expanse known simply as The Window; a nexus of time and space created by The Almighty.  Through it, the entire Creation could be easily accessed and monitored by the Divine Watch. As usual, the Archangel Michael stood before the Window's rectangular dimensions, observing a confrontation between two opposing Mortal armies on the planet Earth.

"Hello Omen," Michael acknowledged the Overseer.

"Michael," Omen responded, inclining his head respectfully toward the Archangel. "I trust I'm not interrupting you?"

A slight smile creased Michael's lips. "Not at all
; I was merely monitoring this latest conflagration within the Land of Abraham."

Omen's gaze shifted to the Window's contents, and a wave of aggravation emanated from him. "The Mortals of Earth's Middle Eastern region are forever battling one another; usually over the most ridiculous things."

A regretful sigh escaped Michael's lips. "Such is their nature." He turned away from the Window, and focused hazel eyes on Omen's hooded features. "I take it you're here to discuss the actions of your former protégé?"

A ripple of surprise flowed through the Overseer. "Then...you're aware of Caleb's transgression?"

"You of all beings should know that there is little that transpires in Mortalia that I am not aware of; especially on Earth." Michael nodded toward the Window. "Their pronounced curiosity makes them a difficult species to guide."

"That and their boundless arrogance," Omen noted.

Michael smiled. "You're starting to sound like Gabriel. The Bringer of Death also finds Humanity's increasing temerity somewhat distasteful."

"Then his feelings mirror my own. My Task would be so much easier if Mortal minds were structured more along the lines of a Celestial's ordered mentality."

Michael's wings gave a slight flutter. "They are as the Almighty intended them to be. We all are.

The Overseer cocked his head slightly to the left. "Including Caleb?"

A look of uncertainty flickered across Michael's face. "I have to admit Caleb's bizarre reasoning places him in a category of his own."

A wave of irritation
emanated from Omen. "That goes without saying. Still his current behavior is odd even for him. Since his rejection of the Tenets, Caleb rarely concerns himself with Mortalia. His timely appearance suggests that he's been monitoring Nina's Emergence, though for what reason I can not fathom."

"Caleb's interest lies not with the woman but rather her guardian," the Archangel Gabriel announced as he soared unceremoniously through the Window. "That hapless tangle of Celestial confusion seems to have developed an uncharacteristic fondness for my namesake; prompting him to stick his dual-gendered nose into places it doesn't belong." The Bringer of Death favored Michael with a reproving look. "But such is often the case when a Celestial allows his objectivity to become compromised by personal considerations." His malevolent gaze shifted to Omen. "Or attachments."

The Overseer bristled at the Archangel's insinuation. "My rapport with Gabriel has in
no
way interfered with my duties. Nor will I allow it to."

"So you say," Gabriel drawled. "But I wonder; are you angry with Caleb because he rendered aid to the Celemor or because he did so before
you
?"

Omen's hooded form trembled with indignation. "Had Caleb not arrived Gabriel would have received no help from me."

"But your champion was on the verge of defeat," the Bringer of Death cried dramatically. "If not for Caleb's actions he would have surely perished. Are you telling me that you would have calmly stood by and let that happen?"

"Unlike some Celestials, I strenuously adhere to the Divine Mandates of non-interference in matters of this nature."

Gabriel's sensitive ears detected the slight inflection in Omen's tone. His ebony eyes narrowed. "Are you implying something, Overseer?"

"I'm merely reiterating my commitment to Celestial law. Had the situation been one in which the
Harbinger
were directly in danger then yes, I would have intervened, but in this instance, no." The Overseer's glowing gaze bored hard into Gabriel's. "Even if it meant watching my friend end his Mortal existence."

Gabriel regarded Omen's hovering form through skeptical eyes then a slight smile creased his lips. "Bold words, Overseer; for your sake I hope you mean them."

"I can assure you I do," Omen ground out. He turned pointedly away from the Archangel's condescending glare, and focused his attention on Michael. "What are your orders in regards to disciplining Caleb?"

"For the moment you will do nothing."

The glow around Omen's eyes intensified. "Nothing…? But he is setting a dangerous precedent here."

"Of that we are well aware, Omen; just as we are of the fact that his intervention could influence the future actions of other members of the Watch."

Omen's eyes flared again. "I was unaware of Caleb's continued inclusion on that roster."

Gabriel's voice became surly. "Despite his current…disillusion with Heaven's politics, your former charge is still held in high regards by The Almighty. As such enjoys a degree of latitude for his behavior."

Omen couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So because of that, I'm to ignore his disregard for Celestial law?"

"For the moment: yes."

The tone of Gabriel's voice prevented Omen from questioning him further. However it did not quell the Overseer's rising concern.

Why
was
Caleb being shown such leniency? What role did the former Celemor have to play in this unfolding mystery, and more importantly, how would his meddling affect Gabriel and the Harbinger?

Clearly this matter needed investigating, but Omen sensed he would learn no more from the Archangels. Fortunately they were not the only sources of pertinent information within The Creation.

Omen drew his hooded shroud tighter around his bony his shoulders. "My original purpose for coming here was to inform you of Caleb's transgression. Since the situation seems to have already been dealt with I'll take my leave." He inclined his head respectfully and withdrew from the chamber.

"I think Omen disapproves of Caleb's current Celestial stature," Michael noted, resuming his observation of the battle taking place on Earth.

"He is not the only one," Gabriel snapped then launched himself back through the Window, leaving the Keeper of Benevolence alone to contemplate the day's events.

You seem troubled, my child,
The Almighty's heavy voice echoed through the Archangel's mind.
Do you also disapprove of my consideration for Caleb?

"It is not my place t
o question your judgment, my Lord. But I must confess that I am surprised at your tolerance for his erratic behavior, considering the limits you've imposed on the Watch's involvement during this Reclamation."

Worry not, Michael.
The Archangel was surprised by the a hint of sadness in The Almighty's tone.
All matters are progressing as I intended; particularly where Caleb is concerned.

Chapter 16

A black Doge Ram pickup sped down Detroit's Lodge freeway. Inside two grim Seekers contemplated their current assignment.

"I'm still not sure if Cardinal Tullis is right about this," Quinlan remarked as he eased his way around the slower moving station wagon in front of them.

"Nor am I," Sanders replied. "But he does have a valid point. Miss Delcielo might be more receptive to our cause if we simply tell her the truth about our purpose here."

Quinlan gave his partners face a quick glance. "I suppose. It just feels strange breaking from normal procedures."

"Trust me," Sanders muttered, a slight shiver running through his body as the events of the previous evening flashed through his mind. "Normal is not a word we'll be associating with this assignment!"

*

"Daddy, are you coming home, now?"

Gabriel gently stroked his daughter's cheek with the back of his hand. "Not just yet, Gaby; I've still got some work to do."

"But you've been working for a long time already," the five year old protested, her lower lip drooping sadly.  "And we really miss you!"

Gabriel winced as her anguished cry pierced him to the soul. "I'm sorry baby." He took hold of her tiny hands and drew them to his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"We know you are," a new voice answered, and Gaby's five-year-old body morphed into that of an adult woman; her cinnamon skin glistening, her brown eyes boring into his. "But it doesn't make it any easier."

"Clarissa!" Gabriel clutched desperately at her hand. "No," he screamed as she began to fade. "Don't go! Please…!"

"Don't leave me alone..." The dream ended, and he was thrust back into consciousness. He lay still for a moment, taking a series of deep breaths to reverse the metabolic reaction dreams of his wife and daughter invariably induced within him. His pulse and heartbeat quickly returned to their normal, easy rhythm, and Gabriel breathed a relieved sigh.

"Feeling better?"

His eyes snapped open at the sound of that unexpected voice. "Much," he said to Nina sitting on the low table in front of the sofa he was laying on. The Celemor gave his surroundings a quick glance. "I take it Dichotomy delivered me to your door?"

Nina's left eyebrow arched upward. "Are you talking about that glowing thing that just…appeared in my dining room last night?"

"Yeah that's them."

Nina's eyebrow arched upward again. "Them?"

"Dichotomy has two distinct, fluctuating personalities; one male and one female, hence the name."

Nina studied his face for a moment then released an amused snort. "You know, there was a time when hearing something like that would have totally freaked me out."

Gabriel's lips twitched with amusement. "And now?"

Nina shrugged. "The way my life's been going lately I'm learning to take such things in stride."

"I'll just bet you are," Gabriel muttered. "So…" he spoke up in the awkward silence that followed. “Did the glowing thing, as you put it fill you in on what's going on?" In answer to his question, Nina pointed to the Journal sitting conspicuously to one side of the table. "Ah. Have read any of it?"

"Only the first few chapters." Nina's mind was still ablaze from what she had learned about the world around her. "I suppose it's too much for me to hope that this is all just some sort of crazy dream?"

Gabriel gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid not."

"Wonderful." Nina's shoulders sagged with disappointment. A part of her mind still held on to the hope that she was locked in the grip of some overwhelming delusion and would snap out of it at any second. His somber announcement quickly erased all such notions. "Dichotomy said that you were some kind of Celestial something or other, sent here to protect me."

"Celestial Mortal," Gabriel corrected. "Celemor for short; it's the name given to Mortals chosen by the Archangels to carry out specific Tasks throughout the Realms."

"Ah. He, or they," she restated with a sardonic grin, "also said that you got hurt fighting someone named Mayhem." Gabriel gave an affirmative nod. "Well who is he and why were you fighting?"

"
She
is one of Iblis's people, no doubt assigned by him to monitor you, and fighting is usually the outcome of our meetings."

"And just who, or what, is Iblis?"

"The Celestial being most Mortals refer to as the ‘Enemy' or ‘Devil'."

Nina jerked in surprise. "I guess I should've kept reading that journal. I thought his name was Satan, or Lucifer?"

Gabriel frowned. "Most people do, thanks to a misinterpretation of the original scriptures that's been propagated throughout history. The real ‘Lucifer' was a Babylonian king, mentioned briefly in the biblical book Isaiah, whose arrogance cost him God's favor. The name ‘Satan', roughly translated from ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, means ‘rebel' or ‘outcast'."

Nina massaged her temples with the tips of her fingers. "This just keeps getting better and better. First that Dicho-thing gives me a holy book that basically tells me everything I thought I knew about the universe is wrong; now this. Is any of that Bible-crap the nuns used to cram down our throat during Sunday-school true?"

"The passages of the original Bible were taken from the First Journal that Michael gave to Moses following the Exodus. But with so many different authors putting their own spin on the copies handed down over the millennia, the true contents have been lost."

"What do you mean?"

Gabriel adjusted his muscular frame to a more comfortable position on the sofa. "Take Iblis, for example. Most mortals who subscribe to the Judeo-Christian belief system are taught that he was an angel who was thrown out of Heaven after staging a revolt against God."

"Are you're telling me that's not what happened?"

"Not exactly. The angel part is true. Actually he was an Archangel, but it wasn't a lust for power that got Iblis in trouble. It was his refusal to accept the Divine Tenets God set in place to guide the Realms, particularly the ones pertaining to Mortalia. Iblis believed that the limited understanding of the Creation, as well as the system of Celestial subservience being subtly instilled in our collective subconscious, was wrong."

Nina stared at him in disbelief. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the devil was actually
our
advocate?"

"For all intents and purposes, yes. Iblis felt that all beings within the Creation, including Mortals, should be allowed to live their lives based on their own designs instead of being led by the nose down a preordained path."

"Oh I can definitely agree with that." Nina declared.

Gabriel flashed
a wicked grin. "So can I. Unfortunately God felt otherwise, but that didn't stop Iblis from pleading his case. Eventually his negative position drew support from other residents of Nirvana, sparking what many Celestials have come to call, Iblis's Idealistic Revolt."

"Amazing," Nina whispered. "How did the whole thing end?"

"God told His detractors that this was the direction he had chosen for Mortalia, and that was that. Once Iblis and his followers realized that their protests were basically falling on deaf ears, they disassociated themselves from God's mandates and took up residence elsewhere; living what most Celestials considered a desolate existence, earning Iblis the nickname, The Desolate One."

"Whew," Nina exhaled loudly. "Heaven's politics sound even more screwed up than ours."

Gabriel chuckled. "They are. In ways you can't even begin to imagine."

"I don't doubt it," Nina muttered under her breath. "And you're saying that everything you just told me is in there?" She pointed to the Journal, and Gabriel nodded. "Then I'm glad I put it down." Her comment drew a smile from the Celemor. "So if this Iblis is such an opponent of God's plans, why the heck is he keeping tabs on me, since I seemed to have been chosen for some holy purpose?"

"Because as a Harbinger whatever message you've been picked to deliver could potentially affect the lives of millions of people, possibly creating an opportunity for Iblis to reveal the truth of his being and lay down his infamous reputation as a two-horned, pitchfork-wielding monster; a description that's totally off the mark."

Nina glanced sharply at him. "You've met him?"

"A few times; when you have a job like mine, it pays to have an unbiased impression of your potential opponents."

"I guess that makes sense. But explain to me this: if Iblis really
isn't
evil, why do all religions portray him that way?"

"Because every soul-saving organization needs a villain to stand agai
nst," Gabriel said with a wink.

"Hmm," Nina uttered as she considered his point.

"Add to that the fact that most modern religious leaders aren't aware of the ancient truths laid down in the Journal, nor of the true nature of the Creation, and you start to see how such a negative image can be consistently perpetuated."

"So basically what you're saying is that the Christians, Jews, Muslims, and so forth have got it all wrong"

"In terms of their belief in God, no," Gabriel pointed out. "Most modern religions are unanimous in their acknowledgement of a singular, Supreme Being who oversees all, which is surprising considering the general misunderstanding of the Hierarchy. The problem starts with the various ideas on how we should interact with that being."

"Back up a second. What do you mean by, ‘misunderstanding of the Hierarchy'? Most religions have always claimed that God has all sorts of angels and spirits working for him."

"
Now
they do," Gabriel stressed. "During the early days of Creation it wasn't like that. Members of the Hierarchy used to move freely between the Realms; some even establishing rapports with Earth's fledging Human race. That's where the problem started. The primitives mistook the various Celestial's for gods themselves and started worshiping them."

"I've never heard
that
before," Nina cried.

Gabriel flashed an ingenuous grin. "What; you're not a fan of ancient, Greek and Egyptian mythology?"

Nina's eyes went wide with amazement. "Are you telling me…that all those stories and legends…"

"Refer to actual members of the Hierarchy who once roamed the Earth," Gabriel finished her sentence. "This...confusion is why travel between the Realms is mostly forbidden now. There are some Celestials who, for whatever reasons choose to ignore these mandates and involve themselves with Mortals. They're known as The Demonstratives, or ‘Demons' if you will, and generally like to stir up trouble in the Realms just to piss off God and the Hierarchy; usually at the bidding of Lie."

Nina's eyebrows arched upward. "And Lie would be…?"

Gabriel's expression hardened. "A particularly troubled Celestial who fee
ds on the suffering of others; many of history's atrocities can be attributed to her manipulations. In Celestia she's known as the 'Child of Chaos'."

"But why does God allow such a creature to get away with such behavior? Why doe
sn't he just clear up all these misconceptions about the universe? If he is The Almighty, it should be easy."

"Yes it would be, but for Him to do so would disturb the Balance between Order and Chaos."

"I take it that's a bad thing," Nina said after pausing a moment to ponder his statement.

A pensive frown appeared on Gabriel’s face.
"Order and Chaos are the two prevailing Forces that sustain all reality. According to the Archangel's, if left unchecked an imbalance between the two would lead to the destabilization and eventual destruction of the entire Creation, which is why God generally tries to use more subtle ways to help the Realms maintain the Divine status quo."

"Such as?" Nina prompted after considering the concept for a moment.

Gabriel shrugged. "He’ll have The Watch initiate Proclamations, Reclamations, and Decimations such as the Great Flood if the situation warrants it. His biggest attempt at a Reclamation was the inception of Christianity after the elevation of the Prophet, Christ."

Nina focused sharply on the Celemor's face. "The
Prophet
Christ?"

"Originally Jesus Christ Emerged as
a Prophet, charged with the Task of clearing up the growing amount of the incorrect religious rhetoric. But his popularity at the time was such that God thought elevating him to a more prominent position within the Hierarchy would turn him into a beacon to which all wayward Mortals would be drawn; an effort that ultimately failed."

Nina gave him a startled look. "What are you talking about? Half the people in the world look to Christ as their savior!"

A wicked gleam lit Gabriel's eyes. "Yeah, but God wanted
all
the people in the world. With everyone on same Divine page, the truth of Reality could’ve been reintroduced and humanity steered back on the course he set for us. Unfortunately human nature once again came into play and Christianity's ended up being divided into countless splinter groups."

"That's another thing I don't get," Nina jumped on his statement. "How can one religion have so many variations?"