Chapter Sixteen
Still hanging from the cliff side Gabriel looked up at the two self destructed outcasts holding onto him. Snow started to fall from the black abyss above Lura and Tiffany. Large flakes perfectly spaced as though they were placed to immortalize the moment. A snow fall you would see just before a roman battle against the barbarian hordes.
Struggling to pull himself up Gabriel felt the force of the anchors holding him relax their grip. Not helping him up the cliff but holding him there, as a hostage. There was no use in even trying to get up, he was at their mercy looking into pale emotionless faces.
“Gabriel you must listen to me, and I will make it quick because hells bitch, watch dogs approach to keep you within his reach.” Tiffany said pausing to let Gabriel digest the words in his awkward predicament.
“Apollyon has not even scratched the surface about what is to come. You see things in black, grey, and white..Apollyon the black, Cain the grey, and God the white. But there is a entire realm of color waiting to collide with the forces you know of. A realm that Apollyon and even god does not want you to see. When Lura died I found her in the river to bring her to Cain, but I found someone else there. He was there to take her as his own, and introducing me to the truth.” Tiffany paused again.
“There is no time the bitches are close!” Tiffany said as the laughter of the women haunting Gabriel echoed across the mountains.
“If you choose to go with us you must not speak of Apollyon, or even say his name or he will find you...Though he might anyways and when he does you will see his true wrath.” Tiffany said as Gabriel prepared to speak but could not find the words in time.
“Don't speak! If you choose to go with us and meet a man of infinite knowledge than simply let go.” Lura said.
Trying to process the information, the tree's around them began to shake. He thought he was simply being tricked by the women of the house, but it was them being tricked. Now faced with an unexpected choice he simply froze to the ledge. Hesitating he loosened his grip then clung back to the ledge. Looking up at Tiffany's face she had a look of dread like she did in the truck stop just before her rampage.
Letting go once more Gabriel kicked his legs from the ledge as to push off. As he fell away from the ledge Lura, and Tiffany jumped as well, their faces turned to almost greedy smiles. The ledge faded into the darkness, then what seemed as though a thousand tiny shadow's engulfed Gabriel and the two young women. The feeling was like that of landing on millions of crawling rats all pushing against his body.
His vision was filled with wing's and black feathers that swarmed all around him. Stars shined through the swarm and Gabriel could see they were going into the clouds. It was a swarm of raven's carrying them through the cold night sky. The swarm was gaining momentum and all he could see now was darkness flashing around him. Now the feeling was that of a blanket being wrapped around you and hoisting you off the ground.
Forcing his eye's closed to block out the darkness causing sensations of vertigo he relaxed his muscles into the ancient chariot of souls. Thoughts of Apollyon unleashing his fury came into Gabriel's mind as he flew across the night sky. Apollyon was, and would always be his immortal enemy. He was the man who cursed Gabriel's life since birth.
What could he really do to him, cage him up. Seal him in a dark chasm of the earth or hell. It didn't really matter, the battle lines were drawn. Where ever they were going he could only hope that it was far from Apollyon's reaches. Gabriel still needed time to figure out how to out maneuver the trickster. Staying at Apollyon's side like Gabriel had done only allowed him to play into Gabriel's emotions and mind. Their war had to take place not in Apollyon's maze, but in the shadow's where Gabriel could search for Apollyon's weakness.
Only knowing that it was only minutes since they left the cliff Gabriel did not know how far they had gone. The raven swarms place slowed down as they moved from the clouds back to the earth. Old dark forests were below them. Not a forest that you would see anyplace in America, but one almost European. The tree's were massive, stretching out into the sky. Plumes of deep snow rested on their branches.
As the swarm decreased their speed, their ranks also weakened. Leaving Gabriel unprotected from the freezing night sky. Pain and feeling was coming back to Gabriel once more. When he first drank from the grail there was no more pain, or feelings. Now for some reason he was feeling mortal once more. From the hot sands of the deserts and razor sharp rocks, crippling withdraws from an appetite of spirits, to the cold night sky.
Descending from the sky the ravens around them smashed into the ancient tree's sending feathers and snow flying. It was not the descent that Gabriel was expecting but more of a crash landing. Branches, snow, and feathers smashed into him as he was now free falling through the tree's with only a few ravens left to attempt to slow his fall.
Crashing back into the earth debris fell all around him. Landing into a deep snow drift his crash landing was cushioned in freezing pain. Laying face first in the snow bank he could hear Lura and Tiffany crash into the frozen forest as well. Quickly getting to his feet underneath him were dead ravens crushed by his landing.
The moon shined down on the snowy floor illuminating light all around him and revealing the chaos of their landing. Dead raven's and feathers littered the floor like leaves in fall. Lura and Tiffany were already to their feet when Gabriel got up.
“I guess you are used to the flawed landing?” Gabriel said trying not to snicker so his body would not intensify the frozen pain.
“They were not meant to land with the lost souls, but to carry them to their final resting” Lura said.
“So....Where are we?” Gabriel said.
“A forest” Lura said.
“Well I was able to gather that information. Here I thought I would gain more knowledge than I did with...” Gabriel was cut off.
“DONT SAY IT!” Lura said.
“Come Gabriel, we are not far from our destination.” Tiffany said as she began walking into the forest.
“So the raven airlines couldn't have at least dropped us off where we need to be...Maybe some place warm?” Gabriel said.
“He doesn’t work that way, there is meaning in all that he does. Much like the bible you will have to decipher it. We are in his realm now, so you play by his rules.” Lura said as they walked through the forest.
“Great, I can only hope for another mad man to lead me further from where I want to be. Maybe I should have stayed with those crazy bitches. I would have been warmer anyways.”
“They were there to watch you, and spy on you. Their purpose seemed unknown but all paranormal have a purpose.” Tiffany said.
“Hmm and here I thought they were there because they enjoyed my company....But back to the nightmare I came from before this, why were you down at the river to get Lura?” Gabriel said.
“Cain chose her, but she was already taken by the one you will soon meet. I was sent by Cain so she could join us, but then she introduced me to the truth.” Tiffany said.
“The truth huh..Well why did you do it Lura. Not moments ago I walked with you to your doom. I saw the bullies you faced but you only let them win!” Gabriel said.
“Yes, they got what they wanted from me. But by choosing to die young, made me the exception to the rule. Letting me be free from living up to society's expectations of me. Well at least that's what he told me. I just wanted to end their bullshit and my hurting.” Lura said.
Feeling his flesh sting and stab at him begging for relief from the cold, they zigged and zagged through the Forrest. It was like they were doing circles and Gabriel could see their previous tracks all around them. Where ever they were at it was clear Tiffany and Lura were being mentored in death by someone or something.
“Something he once told me was that the mentally weak can no longer survive. This world is no longer survival of the fittest but survival of the heartless. Knowledge and truth is his way even if it's not what you want or need. So he told me and Lura t
hat we are mentally weak, and so we could not survive. At first I was offended, then I understood and it will be the same for you Gabriel. He will downright piss you off, but so will the truth.” Tiffany said.
“Well here is some truth for you, we are walking in fucking circles and I am cold and just want to sit down and die like these fucking ravens that we keep passing!” Gabriel said shaking.
“He is testing you.” Lura said.
“What testing my ability to withstand cold? why the fuck would HE, whoever HE is need to know that?” Gabriel shouted.
“Testing your emotion's, his enemy is ego. He wants to see yours so that he knows what he is up against.” Lura said.
“So I am being tested, and you gave me the answers. So can we move on to the warm introductions already?” Gabriel said shivering even more violently and holding his arms inside of his shirt.
“Not only that but he is ensuring that we are not being followed. Our journey through this forest might be a long one or short depending.” Tiffany said.
“So could his test include a coat or some warm weather. I don't see why I have to be so miserably cold!” Gabriel said.
“Here I thought I was the teenage drama queen!” Lura said laughing.
Too cold and frustrated to speak Gabriel followed behind the young women. Falling behind and dragging his feet through the snow. Just a few yards ahead of him was a tree unlike the others. Massive in height it reached way up in the sky riddled with twisted branches. Making it to the tree he fell to his knee's. He could no longer continue and had reached his destination, or Apollyons.
Struggling to keep his upper body from falling into the cold snow he looked up into the sky and saw the massive height of the tree. Towards the top of the tree was a large javelin pierced into the bark. The javelin was too large for any man, and a man could not have thrown it that high up in the tree. Confused and cold Gabriel fell into the tree to prevent himself from falling into the snow.
Looking at the bark, lights from flames now glowed into it and the forest around him. Using his last strength Gabriel looked around to see the source of the flames. Large men wielding massive round shields, axes, and torches stood around him. Tiffany and Lura backed away from the encirclement and stepped into the darkness behind the men.
His mind raced, was he finally lead to his death. Maybe some ritual that would break his curse. The men had capes of bear and wolves heads and fur over their heads. Scars and thick beards covered their faces, and wolves much like those with Apollyon stood in the darkness behind them licking their lips. The men were expressionless but their demeanor was that of blood thirsty savages waiting to be unleashed.
“No need to kneel before me.” A man said stepping in front of Gabriel from behind the tree. He was old but not frail like most old men. He wore a simple dark grey cloak, and robes. In his hand was an old twisted staff that he leaned on. He had a long dark beard although for the mans age laws of time should have turned it grey. The old man was very tall much like the warriors behind him. He was missing one eye and all that remained was a torn up scar of flesh.
“The god's are our superiors. Our superiors serve us, so there is not need to kneel. When gods refuse to serve. chaos ensures. But one, ego-less pawn can bring down the kingdom of heaven.” The man said. Gabriel could not get up though, he was not choosing to kneel but the environment forced him to.
“Stand!” The man said, not giving any assistance. Gabriel clung to the tree trying to pull himself up, until finally he was to his feet.
“Now I can introduce myself as we are evenly matched.” The man said.
“If I had to guess you are a wizzard?” Gabriel said trying to smirk with frozen lips.
“Loki! a coat for our guest?” The old man shouted ignoring the attempted humor. From behind one of the torch wielding warriors came a sheep, wearing a wolfs pelt on its back. The wolves head was on the pelt and it laid on the top of the sheep's head. Much like the warriors pelts covered their heads. Tilting its head at Gabriel the sheep gave out a mellow dramatic “Baaaah.”
The old man's face looked to give a sigh at the whole display. As though he was ashamed of the sheep in a wolves pelt. Growing impatient the man looked down at the sheep as though he was about to scold it. Then from the sheep transformed a scrawny man with war paint on his face, trousers, and no shirt but still with the wolf pelt covering his head and back. On his belt was an old pen with a raven feather, as well as paint brushes, and a weird idol of a half man half beast. From behind his back he pulled out a white and fluffy wool coat. It looked like one a old rich hag would wear. Loki gave a smirk to Gabriel as to mock him.
“Well...do you not want?” Loki said. Gabriel left the embrace of his tree to get the coat. Just as he reached to grab it from Loki, he pulled it away a few more inches from Gabriel's grasp. Frustrated Gabriel dropped his hands to his side.
“No?” Loki said.
“Loki” The old man said in a demanding voice. With that Loki wrapped it around Gabriel. Now he was standing in the encirclement of warriors in a white fur coat fit only for a fool.
“Please forgive Loki, my family has many......Well..Personality’s?” The old man said
“Now that I am humiliated, who are you people?” Gabriel asked.
“Humility is the greatest weapon of any warrior. My name is Odin, these people are men who I have served and in turn joined me here in Asgard.” Odin said.
“Hahaha, Odin huh, what next superman?” Gabriel said looking up at the sky.
“I do not know of a superman, but yes I am known as Odin.”
“So why am I here before you Odin?”
“Not for fealty, Nor to fulfill desire. You are here for knowledge as I came for at this very spot as a young man.” Odin said approaching the tree and laying his hand on it.
“Yggdrasil, is its name. This is where I sacrificed myself with my own javelin. Here I hung for nine days so I could attain knowledge of the kingdoms.” Odin said.
“So another god who sacrificed himself. If you are a god then why do you have to sacrifice?” Gabriel said.
“Servitude, much as I told you us gods serve you. Some do not though and chaos arises” Odin said.
“Come let us sit by the fire, we have much to talk about.” Odin said pointing at a fire off in the distance where a old wooden chair and a throne sat. Rushing over to the fire Gabriel went for the old wooden chair rather than the throne.
“No, you sit amongst the kings.” Odin said pointing at the throne. Gabriel was in no mood to argue so he went and sat down in the throne in front of the fire. Odin sat down in the old wooden chair and Loki came to his side and knelt down looking into the fire like an insane man. Loki gave out a twisted laugh at the fire. It was as if he mocked all things, and all things were fools before him.
“A scream, she calls, please. Out from inside of me! A spawn of Helheim, plead with my obsession. The addiction to put the pen to the pages of my insanity!” Loki said still staring into the fire. Gabriel did not know what to say after the statement. It was out of context to the meeting with Odin, but so was the fur coat that thankfully to Gabriel was too hot to wear in front of the fire.
Sitting with his legs crossed Loki pulled out a paint brush and parchment and started feverishly writing rather than painting. Odin sat silent soaking in the fire with Gabriel. Every so often Loki would chew on the paint brush like a rabid dog on a bone. Then he would go back to his possession with painting words. Looking around Gabriel could see the warriors and wolves still waiting to pounce.
“So what did you learn of the kingdoms?” Gabriel said wanting to break the very awkward silence.
“You know of god, Satan, and earth as written in the holy bible. But it leaves out all that is before. There are many, many gods. As well as kingdoms, and each are much alike from one another.” Odin said.
“So how can that be, isn’t their suppose to be one true god, that more or less concurs all?” Gabriel said.
“The gods were mad
e by man, which is why we serve you. If man gives enough power to a deity is it not so? can you defy their god by refusal?” Odin said.
“Idols, pyramids, made to be gods, temples and churches to find one god, and man to defy!” Loki said still scribbling on parchment.
“Is he going to be okay?” Gabriel said looking confused at Loki.
“I AM.........A man of words, but in all cultures does it not make me a god?” Loki said.
“I guess....” Gabriel said.
“It is better not to respond to Loki, but he is worth a listen...Back to the kingdoms!” Odin said looking into the fire and trying to derail madness.
“They were built by mankind through their worship. You give us our power, but many kingdoms are falling and what you know as the revelations are coming. But not as you know it..There is WAR coming.” Odin said.
“But what kingdoms are there?” Gabriel asked.
“Nine of them, five old kingdoms, and four new. But all will meet on the battle fields to decide their fate in eternity.” Odin said.
“Name them” Gabriel said more bluntly and tired of the many riddles of the gods.
“Ours, the kingdom of the Norse, The Celtic, The Egyptian, The Greeks, and the Romans. They are the old kingdoms. The new ones are more known to the modern age. The Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.” Odin said.
“So you are saying there will be a war of monks, Jesus, and some planets?” Gabriel said.
“Is their not already?” Odin said.
“Hell if I know!” Gabriel said.
“Helheim!” Loki said to mock.
“They all are linked, from their tales, gods, and origin. Does the bible that you know of not speak of the Greeks god? Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Odin said.
“It tells of the final war, and speaks of one of the nine kingdoms. It is written all over the walls of history, yet the world has yet to see it.” Odin said.
“So then why am I a part in this, and would following one of the other kingdoms make me a sinner. In turn ending the world?”
“I cannot tell you the outcome of another kingdom, I only know the past and what is now.”
“I asked this question too...” Gabriel paused restraining himself from saying Apollyon's name.
“Fool do not give power to your GOD!” Loki said breaking his trance from the pages.
“Forgive me...What am I in all of this?” Gabriel said.
“The ego-less pawn that can bring the kingdom down.” Odin said.
“But what about the grail, immortality, and being a saint?” Gabriel said
“You are a saint, in your kingdom. For humility and not having an ego. Those quality's are extinct in mankind and make you more powerful than the grail or immortality has.” Odin said.
“When I drank from the grail it made me free from pain, but now I am feeling everything and these horrible withdrawals!”
“Yes, its first reaction was much like a drug. The most powerful one, but drugs are toxins in Loki's cloak. Your immortal soul is calling out for the blood of the grail. You are a fiend of it, but you will never drink of it again.”
“So I am an immortal drug fiend, is what you are telling me?”
“A pompous joker, destined for destruction....Maybe a god, maybe a dead man.” Loki said pausing before going into a unusual fit.
“Who am I, who am you. You tell me, you utensil of failed creativeness.” Loki said twitching and put the paintbrush back in his mouth. Gabriel looked at the parchment in his hand that he was painting on. The word was dood, or maybe poop upside down. Loki looked at it sideways for a moment and then threw it into the flames.
“What Loki was attempting to say.....Was that you are what you are and I cannot change that or tell you.” Odin said.
“So what do I do from here?” Gabriel asked unsure.
“For now you prepare for the coming war, by silently attaining knowledge.” Odin said. Gabriel sat in silence amused by the gnawing and twitching of Loki. Now he had his pen out with the raven feather trying to paint. Loki had all the making of a great god, but seemed to be lacking the correct tools and words. Gabriel was about to suggest using the paint brush to paint but looking up at Odin, he shook his head.
Gabriel did not know if he should take Odin's warning or help the confused god. By doing so would Gabriel be helping himself or the god. Maybe Loki's ignorance was bliss, or maybe he was trying to actually make Gabriel look like a fool, by acting like a fool. It was quickly becoming more than he could bare watching him paint with a pen.
“Loki try using the paintbrush to paint.” Gabriel said in a mellow voice of wisdom. Odin let out a long sigh as Loki looked up at Gabriel and stopped twitching.
“A paintbrush to PAINT?! what madness do you speak. Do you not wound to prevent pain? Do you not kill to live? you take ME as confused, yet you don't even know.....YOU!” Loki shouted still perfectly still. Gabriel did not know how to respond, but Loki was pleading for one. His battlefield was in tricking you into the truth. So maybe painting with a pen was not madness, but painting by paintbrush was. Loki turned his head and started twitching again.
“All hail to the KING!” Loki said with a cross legged and crooked bow from sitting, directed towards Gabriel. Odin was simply sitting back in amusement and allowing Loki to get the upper hand of insanity on Gabriel. After all he did warn him.
“Please, stay here in Asgard, gain the knowledge that I obtained. I will provide all you need and you will be safe here. Tiffany and Lura accompany Gabriel to his longhouse for I fear he grows weary.” Odin said beckoning Lura and Tiffany.