Now is the Time: II (426 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 2 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by orph (View user info) at 2007-09-04 07:54:17 EDT
Gabriel spoke again, 'Bring me proof Lucifer. You know more of what happens in the reality than I. But I warn you, deception will bring retaliation.'
'Agreed,' Lucifer responded. 'Proof you shall have, as hope's grip has never been more tenuous. It is my time now Gabriel and I will show you.'
*
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
The Book of Jude 1:6.
*
Asael shrugged of the papal robes that hung from his shoulders, and stretched himself out to his full height of nine feet, dropping the enchantment that concealed his true form as he did. The constant crouching and hunched posture he was forced to retain took its toll, even on his magnificent body.
He scanned the documents awaiting his approval, and decided to leave off until later in the evening. His manservant, Eric, had left everything as ordered, as he always did, for Eric was his thrall. Possessed millennia ago, Eric provided for his needs whilst on the surface, alleviating much hunting and overt activity that could bring suspicion upon him.
Asael had held the office of pope for the last sixty-two years. The Catholic Church was his to control, exhibited in the ever increasingly hard-line policies promoted by the Holy See, accompanied by a return to power of the inquisitorial arm of the church.
Lucifer had planned this master stroke since the church's establishment by Peter following the execution of the Christ. After the old one, the creator, had died, Lucifer had released Asael and the other Grigori from their chains, and charged them with the removal of hope from the earth. Asael took his chance with both hands, ignoring the easy path of spreading destruction and death through seemingly natural phenomenon, preferring an infinitely more subtle approach.
His election had been on the back of removing vice and returning a moral code to the world's people - a creed that appealed greatly to the older cardinals. Afterwards, one by one he had taken them all, replacing their minds with his own will. The invisible strands of his control criss-crossed the Vatican compound - nothing was done without his command, and nothing that did not bring despair in the guise of compassion.
The huge brass gong sounded in an anteroom, sending a splintering hollow blast through the halls of his apartments.
'Eric, receive my visitor,' he motioned his slave. He finished draining the blood from the chest of the writhing young woman, fixed by way of thick silver nails to the black, reeking altar, and followed Eric to the source of the booming ring.
Eric's severed head hit him as he entered, followed by his eviscerated carcass.
'Never send an underling to greet me Asael!'
'Yes, my master. We - I did not expect you,' Asael murmured, bowing low, scraping his horned forehead on the flagstones of the floor, silently cursing the loss of his slave.
Lucifer filled the room, blinding, searing light streaming outwards, illuminating all. He was beautiful, not at all like the twisted minions that flocked to his banner. Like a young man, not more than sixteen years old, with skin perfectly snow white, and his build was lithe and slim.
Yet his eyes burned with a black force; pure malevolence, greed and hate. A crown of fire burned eternally across his brow, and an empty, woe-inspiring mist shrouded his every motion. He radiated power, a power soon to be unshackled.
'The Council is in agreement, except for Gabriel. He has tasked me with providing the burden of proof.'
'We are close then master.'
'Yes, the time draws near. I need more from you Asael. I want the humans drained. Anguish must rule, despair is my precursor. The hope of the world is to be eradicated. You have done well thus far, let not failure at this stage be your legacy.'
'Yes master,' Asael squirmed at the thought of failing, and pushed it to the back of his mind.
The fate of the world teetered and swayed on a knife edge.
*
'Burn them all!' cried the Grand Inquisitor.
Another town fell under the flame of the Inquisition-Neo, the final judgement before the return of God. Or so the front-line perpetrators believed.
Asael had spun a web so deceitful, so intricate and hidden, that the humans believed they were doing their god's work. An old trick, to be sure, yet this time there would be no redemption.
The planet was afire, burning and surging on a tide of religious frenzy, environmental and economic collapse. Through the institution of the church, Asael had formed armies that had swept across Europe and the East, converting and crucifying as they went. The new worlds of the Americas and Australasia were similarly purged.
Hope was being lost.
*
Lillian wept as she was raped - the soldier took no notice. She cried as she rocked in a foetal embrace, blind to the events that had now been set in motion. Lillian had been the last to believe.
*
Gabriel drew out a black key from his robes. It dripped malice and keened a despairing wail out into the cosmos.
He placed it into Lucifer's waiting, quivering open hands.
The Gates of Hell were opening.
![bewitched5[1].jpg (146 kB)](http://stuff.ubersite.com/1188906857592120225/1/bewitched5[1].jpg)
User Reviews
Submitted by tloshjohnson (user info) at 2008-06-10 10:57:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
.
Submitted by zwerg (user info) at 2007-09-06 10:30:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
nice
Submitted by Hairdo2000 (user info) at 2007-09-05 17:51:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Orph, I love seeing you have written another of these after requesting a sequel after the first, thank you kindly, have read them out of order but still amazingly well done and work regardless Good work!!
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-09-04 19:43:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-09-04 18:02:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Most enjoyable. But come on, a demon pope?! Hitler youth pope sure, but demon pope is a bit out there.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2007-09-04 15:50:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
holy fucking shit, this is all types of awesome
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-09-04 12:03:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-09-04 11:35:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
fantastic.
+2 orph
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-09-04 11:27:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Always a pleasure to read some good Orph!
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-09-04 10:55:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-09-04 10:13:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I actually liked the format of this one better than the last, mostely because the level of ambiant detail was greater. Still, grandiose tales of ultimate good vs. evil have a hard time enthralling me, usually 'cause the characters (both good and bad) almost always degenerate into 2-dimensional simplicity.
This does show promise, though. I'd like to see more.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-09-04 09:48:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good, keep going...
Submitted by orph (user info) at 2007-09-04 09:02:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Part 1 is here: http://www.ubersite.com/m/111338
Submitted by hour_man (user info) at 2007-09-04 08:05:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'll +2 this because it's very well written. It also has some very strong elements of Kaos-Kings Kaote series which coincidentally I just read again for the umpteenth time.
What I would like to see though, is some expansion on what happened to lead up to this point etc.
I felt like this was such a short piece and the only reason it was good, was because it road in on the coat-tails of the previous piece (which was written in a totally different manner.) The last piece flowed with, I don't know how to describe it other than viscous like evil slithering over the words, but yet still really nice... it was contradicting in the way it was written and what was being written.
Anyway, a very good piece, but make the next piece longer. No continuity errors that I could see other than the total change in writing style.
Submitted by orph (user info) at 2007-09-04 07:56:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I hope there's no continuity errors - this was not really going to be a series, but I've had some ideas.