Chapter Two
Flying through the air, Gabriel found himself back in the graveyard. The stitched together monster crashed on top of Gabriel as he fell into the gravel pathway. His eye's locked with the monsters for just a second as it leaped from on top of him and ran off on all fours. The eye's Gabriel could not forget, those of the concubine who once covered her face with a veil.
“Hahaha!” Cain echoed in laughter.
Rolling over and getting back to his feet Gabriel looked towards Cain and Tiffany. The concubine was still on all fours hiding behind Cain's legs. Gabriel could see the poorly sown together flesh. Parts had torn and blood ran down from the mangled and bruised tan skin. She had on no clothes and looked hardly human anymore.
“I had to stitch together her broken soul, there are many of us in this....Grey area, we are heavens abominations!” Cain said as he squatted down next to the concubine of Bethlehem. He patted her on the head.
“Well done!” Cain said as he got back to his feet.
“I call her heavens harlot but she is not very fond of the name. She cannot speak, but I have seen her shred through a soldier in Apollyon's legion with her teeth!” Cain said.
“Why is she still here?” Gabriel asked brushing himself off.
“Same reason why I am here Gabriel. Its because god gave us no justice, no saving grace. He left us to wander about this earth and so we have been uniting. That is until we found you, the only one who can be our savior.” Tiffany said as she brushed her hair from her face.
“A savior? A saint? I am none of these things, I am a man who could not even end his suffering. That has to make me just another coward.” Gabriel said.
“No you are not a coward, and you can end your suffering....Our suffering.” Tiffany said.
“I won't join you.” Gabriel said turning around to leave. Just as he did he found a man wearing a black leather breastplate. The man had long, wild brown hair, and a long beard. He was in perfect battle shape with muscles bulging from the armor. He raised a short sword that was at his side so the tip almost touched Gabriel's throat.
“You're going nowhere!” The man said.
“What you think your sword is going to kill me?” Gabriel said.
“No, but the blood on it will kill that last bit of hope inside you!”
“So I have to sit here and walk a mile in all of your lives so you can somehow prove to me that I need to end the world?”
“If that is what it takes, yes!” The man said.
“Gabriel, please meet KING Abimelech!” Cain said.
“Like Abimelech from the bible I presume?” Gabriel said.
“Yes, you know heavens harlot was in the bible as well. I figured you would have came upon her in your bible study's. Her story.... The one you were just a part of is in Judges 19. God's words never even gave the poor woman a name!” Cain said.
“I already know your story Abimelech, the man who killed 70 of his brothers.” Gabriel said.
“Oh you know his but you didn't remember the poor harlots?” Cain said laughing.
“You don't know my story!” Abimelech said in a stern voice, his eye's locked onto Gabriel's as to challenge him.
“So how do you guys avoid Apollyon?” Gabriel said.
“Oh he know's we are here, but we can't beat him. So we hide, and pick our fights wisely.” Abimelech said.
“Oh? so what happens when he finds you?” Gabriel said.
“Some of us are cursed here, while others he will drag to the pits of hell. We have lost many, but our numbers grow as heaven rejects us and hell knows not our names.” Cain said.
“Well as I said, I am not interested in joining you guys. Now can I leave?” Gabriel said.
“No you cannot!” Abimelech said frowning at Gabriel.
“APOLLYON APOLLYOO!” Gabriel shouted but was cut of as Abimelech thrust his sword into Gabriel's throat. The blow severed his vocal cords and throat leaving Gabriel gagging and gargling on blood.
“Fool!” Abimelech said as he pulled Gabriel to him with his sword and reached his palm out and touched Gabriel's head. Instantly jolting Gabriel into darkness, he went from suffocating pain to being thrown into another desert village. Before him was Abimelech standing on a broken stone pillar. He was holding his sword into the sky.
There was a crowd that had formed around Abimelech. Most were old, and worn out people to weak to fight. Some had on armor, others had just robes. Behind Abimelech was a great stone temple with a mighty horned demon statue guarding the front of it. Carved on the entrance to the mighty temple was the words “Baal Berith.” The temple had intricate carving's of demon's and massive monster's with tusks and fangs.
“Mighty people!” Abimelech shouted and paused to wait for their attention.
“Brothers, Uncles, and relatives of my mother HEAR ME!” Abimelech shouted again and paused. The crowed was now content with hearing the warriors speech.
“Is it better for you to be ruled by the 70 sons of Gideon?!” He paused once more.
“Nooo!” One man from the crowd yelled.
“Or to be ruled by only one man!?” Abimelech was shaking his sword in the air as he yelled. Although his words and body language was very dramatic, the crowed was silent. Abimelech looked out at them, unsure of what to say next. He dropped his sword from the sky and made a motion as to turn away, but then he stopped.
“Remember I am your blood! With me as king our blood line will grow as the stars in the sky. Our army's will be as fast as the sand in the desert!” Abimelech yelled and again raised his sword to the sky. The leaders of the village, Abimelech's uncles, approached and dropped at his feet a large coin purse.
“Build us an army that shakes the heavens!” The town elder said. Abimelech picked up the coin purse and nodded to his uncle, the village elder. Following Abimelech Gabriel headed out from the village gates. The village itself was sitting on a large cliff side that erupted from the desert sands. Walking on the path leading in and out of the village Gabriel and Abimelech passed small stone statues of demon's with armor and weapons.
The only way to the village was on the path, defended by the stone creatures of hell. All the other sides of the village was massive cliffs unclimbable by any army. Abimelech walked through the statues with his sword still in his hand. He moved like a warrior marching to his final battle. Gabriel could see that he was very tense and at times even stopped as though the statues were going to come to life and ambush him from all directions.
After walking for a few miles Gabriel turned and looked at the village far in the distance. The statues before the city looked like a mighty army. The old, and weak men and women relied on the demonic statues to defend them. Any army passing by would surely march around the village devote to Baal who served in Apollyon's legion. As they walked Gabriel fell into deep thought's about religion and our society.
The village survived for years because of idol's and superstitions. When really a small band of mercenaries could easily storm the cliffs and take the village for their own. Even today the tactic is used. Wearing chains, spikes, piercing’s, and other idol's will make people fear you. You can be a nice, timid, and physically weak person. But if you appear to be gothic, demonic, or evil than those who believe in the divine will have reason to fear you.
On the other hand, that priest who uses his good image to commit evil act's does the same thing. He wears his godly idol's but behind them is a monster. Gabriel came to the conclusion that those wearing good idol's are far more dangerous to mankind than those wearing evil idol's. Even history itself has proven Gabriel's theory to hold true.
Far more sin's have been committed in god's name than in Apollyon's. The bible has countless tales of god and his saints killing. Gabriel looked back on the passages of god commanding his people to kill. How could such saying's be used in context of god's name. How many passages did you hear of the devil saying kill someone for their way of life?
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdi
ct of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. Deuteronomy 17. So when those many priests judged their followers to acts of molestation, rape, suicide, and immorality. It was fine and anyone who questioned it should be put to death. Gabriel thought, how could that passage be god's word. It sounds more like something Apollyon would have commanded. Then Gabriel thought of the other passages he read that seemed unrealistic of a loving god.
But if this charge is true (that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. Deuteronomy 22: 20-21
It was clear to Gabriel the book of Deuteronomy was either written by Apollyon himself or they let a madman into the scriptures of love and faith. As Gabriel walked he thought of the people in the village that they just left. One of those men trying to determine what woman is a virgin and what one is not.
Thinking back to the cut up harlot who wore the veil in front of her father. How was he, or anyone to know that she laid with many men. It was a passage meant to be abused, where the innocent died and the sinful perished. Had a woman lost her flower due to trama, medical defects, or rape was impossible to determine then, and even now. How could someone have faith that such a vile book was the direct words of god?
Do not allow a sorceress to live. Exodus 22: 18. The passage caused countless innocent murder. Where was their forgiveness, Gabriel thought. When they had stones tied to them and thrown into a river. If they survived they were surely a witch, but if they were murdered and suffocated to death, Then they were free from sin. These were laws that could only be judged by god himself. Why have heaven and hell if it's for man to decide who lives?
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives. Leviticus 20: 13 Why have freedom to choose, if death is consequences of choice. Who was Gabriel to decide who lived and died, Or who love what they loved?
Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed. Exodus 22:20 If a child is born into a life of other gods, and knows not the right one, then he should be put to death. Again to Gabriel it sounded like words directly from Apollyon's mouth.
Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and posses the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with tyrants. Isaiah 14: 21 Gabriel assumed this is why their was blood on all of mankind, and he was the last saint. Was it up to Gabriel to end all of their lives simply because their fathers sinned. Or should they be given the chance to be forgiven and do their own trail of fire.
If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out of the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbors wife. Deuteronomy 22: 23-24 In short, had the concubine of Bethlehem not cried out for the help that would never come, then she should have been put to death. Once again their was no justice for the just amongst the world.
But any prophet who claims to give a message from another god or who falsely claims to speak for me must die. You may wonder, 'How will we know whether the prophecy is from the LORD or not?' If the prophet predicts something in the LORD's name and it does not happen, the LORD did not give the message. That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 This was the last passage that Gabriel thought of while walking with Abimelech. Smiling Gabriel thought, finally justice, maybe the Deuteronomy has something right. All of the priests who believed in the Revelations that had yet to come, should not be feared until such prophesy came to pass. All of those priests and prophets who believed in the unseen, were not really priests or prophets after all.
His thought's ceased as him and Abimelech approached a camp of rebel's and mercenary's. Outside of tents were battle hardened men, getting fat from inactivity. Sheathing his sword Abimelech walked towards the leader of the mercenary's. The man was at least 300 pound's, and not fit for battle.
“Hail, I come to pay tribute to services yet done!” Abimelech said.
“What services do you require?” The leader said while taking a bite from a chicken leg. The man had chicken juice running down his face and all over his chest.
“I come to bleed my bloodline dry!” Abimelech said as he threw the bag of coins at the leader.
“Oh?” The leader said as he dropped his chicken leg and struggled to bend over and grab the coins.
“What is the cost?” Abimelech asked.
“Besides damnation?...It requires all that you have.” The leader said laughing.
“Take it, tonight we march!” Abimelech turned from the leader and walked outside of the camp to wait for the army. Drum's pounded as the lazy, and battle hardened mercenary's began gathering their gear. Gabriel could see at lease a few hundred men starting to gather. Their ranks looked as unorganized as the weapons they possessed. They gathered before Abimelech with sword's, shields, spears, javelins, clubs, and pitch forks.
Abimelech looked at the shabby display of a legion. After looking on with disgust for a few moment's he turned and started walking back towards the village. Gabriel was keeping up with Abimelech, but as he looked back he could see they were quickly losing the poorly conditioned army. The sounds of them marching was fading and Abimelech turned to look for his army.
“I GIVE ALL I HAVE FOR THIS?!” Abimelech yelled throwing his sword into the sand. Abimelech paced back and fourth waiting for his army to show up. They were maybe only a mile away from the village and its idol army was in site. After some time absorbing the heat, Gabriel was relieved to see the army catching up. The look on the mercenary's faces went from calm and no care in the world, to uneasy fear. Abimelech could see them fading from the heat, and fear.
“What are you afraid of!” Abimelech shouted at them.
“You want us to do battle with an army of Hades?!” A man yelled in disbelief, some of the men started to walk away.
“Do not turn in fear!” Abimelech yelled.
“I purchased you not to slay an army from hell, but to fight like an army of hell!” Abimelech said trying to get the men to stay.
“In that village, is only weak men and women. My family is in that village, and I purchased this army not just to take advantage of the meek. But to rule these land, and I swear to you any man who follows me into that village will claim ownership to these lands!” Abimelech yelled as he turned and ran towards the village sword in hand. Some of the men in the army charged with Abimelech. While most of the men turned and walked away.
Standing still and watching the charge, Gabriel could feel hell's tormenter pulling for his legs. As soon as he could feel the tug Gabriel started running after Abimelech as fast as he could. Gabriel was running out of breath as he caught up to Abimelech. A burning pain was growing in his side as he struggled not to stop and let his lungs fill with air.
Making it to the first statue, Abimelech charged it and knocked it over. It shattered as it hit the sand and turned to dust. Gabriel could hear the men behind them cheering and becoming confident in their decision to follow Abimelech. Trumpet's from the town blew as men with weapons rushed to the gates to defend the city.
“RAAAAA!” Abimelech yelled as he crashed into the men at the gate. The first one he quickly parried his blow and returned with his own blow severing the mans head and spraying blood on his companions behind him. The men at the gate looked terrified and had never been in battle. Standing in right in the middle of the battle Gabriel covered up from the blood flying from the edges of swords. Severed limbs, and mangled body's fell at his feet as they rushed inside the city.
At the town square was about
70 men who Abimelech and his army quickly turned into corpses. Abimelech had turned on his brothers and used their money to buy their doom. At the end of the battle 70 of Abimelech's brother's laid dead at his feet as he stood on the broken pedestal. Blood of his brothers ran from Abimelech and his blade.
“YAAAH!” The mercenary’s yelled.
“VICTORY!” Abimelech shouted at them.
A petite old woman walked through the corpses and the cheering mercenary’s. She walked right up to Abimelech and he looked down at her and smiled. She had scars on her arms from being beat with whips. She bowed down at Abimelech's feet.
“MOTHER!” Abimelech cried.
“I am the new king, my brothers are slain. As will be all who oppose us!”
Abimelech reached down and pulled his mother up and they turned to face the mighty temple of Baal. The people in the village came from their home's to see their husbands, sons, and nephews all dead. Some of them ran to their loved one's and cried next to their body's. Others walked over to join Abimelech and spare their lives.
From the temple rang mighty trumpets. Two men in black robes stood next to the entrance with the long trumpets. Priests of Baal Berith came out from the temple in black hooded robes, and black masks. The black masks were carved faces of demon's and each one was unique. Gabriel watched as 8 priests of hell came out from the mighty temple.
The priest in the lead held a black crown, ornamented with blood red gems. As they approached Gabriel could see small demon's carved into the crown. The priests surrounded Abimelech on all side's as the mercenary's and villagers waited for the priests to accept their new king. Abimelech stepped down from the pillar and knelt down before the priest with the crown.
“BAAL!” The priests cried into the sky as the one held the crown in the air just above Abimelech's blood covered head. The bright desert sky's went black and thunder echoed from all around. Lowering the crown onto Abimelech's head, the blood red gem's glowed and the tiny demon's danced. Once it was on his head the demon's laughed, and then their faces changed to a evil grimace and they stayed still. The gem's return to their normal gleam.
After crowning Abimelech king the lead priest walked back to the temple. The other priest's followed and the men with trumpets let out one more chilling composition. Abimelech stood and turned to the stunned villagers, blood still dripped from his armor and face.
“Our KING Abimelech!” A man cheered. In Abimelech's eye's was a red glow of blood lust. The smell of decay was filling the air just as a flash of bright light hit Gabriel sending him back into darkness and into a new biblical nightmare. He found himself back inside the village just before Abimelech's army collided with the men at the gate. Abimelech's brothers were all gathering near the broken stone pillar.
Gabriel was standing next to a small man with his sword out. He looked around at his brothers and made sure none were watching him as he slipped out from their ranks. Gabriel followed him around to the back of the village where they jumped into a sewage tunnel. Just as they jumped in and could smell the horrible aroma of shit and piss Gabriel could hear Abimelech.
“RAAAAA!” It was the same battle cry he heard before.
The man Gabriel was following through the sewage moved faster as he heard the battle cry. After turning around a few s shaped curves they made it outside of the village where the sewage poured off the great cliffside. Looking down Gabriel could see sharp rock's, sewage, bones, junk, and even body's hundreds of yards below.
Grabbing a hold of the rock wall the man shimmied his way along the side of the cliff. Grabbing the same rock outcrops, Gabriel struggled to follow the man. Hanging from the edge of the cliff they could hear the mercenary’s yelling in victory. The man with Gabriel made it to a slope that lead down off the cliff. Gabriel was just seconds away from being off the cliff and on the walkway when his foot slipped. Hanging from a rock with one hand Gabriel desperately tried to regain his footing. His finger tips slipped from the rock due to sweaty hands.
“AHHH” Gabriel screamed as he plummeted for the ground below. Then just before his body smashed to piece’s hells tormentor, or angle grabbed Gabriel's legs and pulled him back into the air. For the first time Gabriel could see the force that had tormented him before. A saggy black hooded robe covered the tormenter. Black massive raven wings sprawled out from its back.
To Gabriel it looked like he had just been saved by death himself as the thrusts from the wings blew air into Gabriel's face. Dangling right next to the man walking on the pathway, Gabriel was dropped on the ground right next to him. Hells tormenter turned and locked eye's with Gabriel. The hood from the robe blew off. Long black hair fell from the hood as a young woman's head popped out from the hood.
Her skin was as white as snow, black lipstick covered her pursing lips. Dark eyebrow's covered dark red and glowing eye's. Gabriel was frozen and frightened by the horridly gorgeous tormentor that had forcing him to follow earth's nightmares. The woman glared and hissed at Gabriel exposing sharp white teeth like those of a shark.
Turning her head the tormenter flapped her giant raven wings and flew away from the cliffside. Gabriel watched in awe as she disappeared into the sky. Looking down the pathway Gabriel could see the man was quickly losing Gabriel again so he jumped to his feet and ran down the narrow path to catch the man. Gabriel could hear the sounds of weeping as he approached that man. He had abandoned his brother's in death and coward from his family and life.
Eventually they made it off the narrow cliff edge and walked along the desert floor below the cliffs. After walking a short distance another village came into view at the base of a small desert mountain. The man was still weeping as he walked passed the village with his sword in hand. The townsfolk knew who the man and some of them were in the cliff village and paid Abimelech for the army.
“Jotham! what troubles you?” The town elder who gave Abimelech the coin purse said. But Jotham did not speak but continued to weep as they made it to the base of the mountain. The whole village was now following them as they made the steps up the mountain. Gabriel could not help but to think about the rocky movie when he ran up the steps and everyone followed him. After a decent climb Gabriel, Jotham and the villagers made it to the top of the mountain.
“Listen to me you leaders of the city of Shechem. Then let God listen to you!” Jotham said with tears running down his face.
“One day the trees decided to choose a king to rule over them. The trees said to the olive tree, ‘You be king over us.” Jotham said as the people looked around at each other in confusion.
“Uhhh...” Gabriel said as he looked at the deranged man.
“But the olive tree said, ‘My oil is used to honor gods and humans. Should I stop making my oil just to go and sway over the other trees?” Jotham paused to let his story sink in to the villagers. Gabriel sighed and sat down on a rock to rest and rub his head.
“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.”
“But the fig tree answered, ‘Should I stop making my good, sweet fruit just to go and sway over the other trees?” The villagers were growing impatient, they just wanted to know what had happened.
“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.”
“But the vine answered, ‘My wine makes men and kings happy. Should I stop making my wine just to go and sway over the trees?”
“Finally, all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.”
“But the thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to make me king over you, come and find shelter in my shade. But if you don’t want to do this, let fire come out of the thornbush. Let the fire burn even the cedar trees of Lebanon.”
“Now if you were completely honest when you made Abimelech king, may you be happy with him. And if you have been fair to Gideon and his family, and if you have treated him as you should, this is also good. But remember what my father did for you. He fought for you and risked his life when he saved you from the Midian
ites. But now you have turned against my father’s family. You have killed 70 of his sons all at the same time. You made Abimelech the new king over the city of Shechem. He is only the son of my father’s slave girl. But you made him king because he is your relative. So if you have been completely honest to Gideon and his family today, then may you be happy with Abimelech as your king. And may he be happy with you. But leaders of Shechem and the house of Millo, if you have not acted right, may Abimelech destroy you. And may Abimelech be destroyed too!” As Jotham finished he took off and ran past Gabriel and the villagers with panic and fear in his face. He ran off the mountain and Gabriel watched in confusion. Gabriel got up and just as he did he was struck again into darkness.