 
## The Seventh Seal

Chronicles of Hunter

Book Two

Frank J Perez

Copyright 2017 Frank Perez

Smashwords Edition

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## Chapter 1

Light colored mist flowed through the dark passageways of the realm created as a holding area for those souls that the God of Heaven felt were undeserving of paradise. From the outset no one individual soul had attained that honor. All had gone through judgment and ended up here-in Hell.

Since the start of time these lost ones had created their own tortures. Each tormented soul bringing to life the individuals worse fears. The darkness was the force that sustained calm amidst the chaos of the realm until the day her master returned, when he would take his rightful place as Lord. She didn't punish, nor did she reward.

She observed and waited. Growing in strength with each passing soul that showed. Century's worth of new individuals seeking redemption for things they alone knew all housed within.

The darkness paused for a moment to look in on the soul in front of her. Visions of a decayed and burnt city building came to her. A naked man sitting in his own filth, chained to the wall. Rats gnawed on his genitals as he screamed in pain as a group of children laughed at his misery while throwing rocks. Whatever transgressions the man thought he had committed during his life being were being paid for as his own imagination saw fit and conjured to life.

She pulled back and moved onto the next.

A bleak, desolate landscape stretching out endlessly in every direction assailed her senses. Once again the smell of Sulfur and burning came to her. 'Why do they always believe Sulfur is part of Hell? Even the ones that create icy-cold darkness include it as part of their world!' Inside a woman just wandered without purpose trying in vain to connect with the people she saw around her. No-one acknowledged her presence or made eye contact. The punishment she inflicted on herself was an eternity filled with nothing. No love, no hugs, no compassion. The darkness paused for a moment longer studying the misery caused by this torture. It was excruciating and far worse than any of the physical ones that others created for themselves. A torture of loneliness and silence.

She withdrew her awareness. Always a different version of the same sort of torture. Every single one based on the soul thinking that they had broken some kind of commandment from a higher power rather than realizing that the only sin they were committing was actually breaking the words of some deranged people looking to have their name immortalized within whatever religion they grew up with. Sexually repressed individuals or groups that were either looking to gain more power or to cover up their own excesses and perversions. A lot of times, both.

The souls that sat here punishing themselves failed to see the universal truth. What they currently underwent as penance was a creation of their own warped minds. The discomfort they were undergoing would never help them in their journey towards enlightenment. How could they not see that the commandments they had failed to live up to during their lives always conveniently tied up with the beliefs of those who wrote them? If these laws had been truly commanded by a God why would they constantly need adjusting? Why wouldn't the Divine Being make them clear? There would be no need for any form of human intervention!

If only she could make them see the truth.

But it wasn't her place to do so. She made them all as comfortable as they requested. Still, it amazed her that they would only know suffering at their own hands in the one realm that had been formed out of sheer love. For all the potential she saw within them it astounded that they could be so short sighted and continue to believe the utter nonsense that had been dumped on them during their brief mortal lives.

Her lord's realm was vast, bigger in size and number than any of the rest. The God currently reigning in Heaven continued to send souls into Hell, ensuring its continued growth, and it was all hers to maintain until her own master showed up to take command.

She yearned for the day that it happened. Perhaps with his guidance these lost souls would finally find peace and the path to eternal happiness and love. That was her ultimate hope.

And then he'd arrived. Not in the strength she had so often dreamed about but bruised, battered, torn and dying. This was something that she would never allow after having waited so long for him to arrive.

Cradling his prone body, after his battle with Gabriel and Michael, she had treated his wounds and filled him with her strength. Her task simple in her eyes. Her master would recover and he would learn. She would pour her vitality into his own and make him strong again. Tying the strength she held to his and allowing him to dispose of their enemies. Giving him the freedom to be able to turn the poor lost souls in Hell towards the light.

She swirled her mist over his body and began molding her essence deep into his core, whispering knowledge into him at the same time.

'It was a crazy attempt for you to take on two of the most powerful beings in existence alone when your power is but a shadow of what it should be. He squirmed as the darkness continued. True, it should have been only one of them but you learned a very hard lesson. Never trust any of those brothers again! The same beings had already turned against your own maker, Luxfer. Not to mention your Mother. She placed her trust in them only to be betrayed! Her teachings lost to them as their ambitions grew.'

' _The potential to bring the poor lost souls who currently dwell in this realm to enlightenment can only be achieved through love and light. Our enemies do not fall into this category. They have shown their contempt for the pure ways. Redemption will never be achieved by them as long as they continue to use, abuse and kill without regard to others.'_

His sweating body thrashed as images of the darkness continued to burrow deep inside him. She would continue to teach as he recovered, showing him where he had made mistakes and how he could avoid making them next time. Mixing in her love with the strength she gave him. They would stand together eternally. The last true bastions against the evil awakening throughout creation. Eventually Hunter would grow in strength and power and gain justice for the brutal loss of her original master Luxfer and the Goddess.

Both would be avenged.

~~~~~

Hunter rose and stretched his tired muscles. The time he'd spent recuperating had now come to an end. Darkness surrounded him like a lover, empowering him with visions, truths and power. No longer was he the simple Hunter that had begun this journey. He had grown immensely in spirit and now stood as the lord of Hell. The deep slumber bringing clarity to his life and the future paths he must walk.

Bonnie was safe and would continue to be so under the watchful umbrella of D'HarmaSan while Luxfer still held the barrier together that contained the Brethren. These things were all under control for the time being.

Gabriel and Michael were his immediate concern.

The two brothers had trained and fought together under the guidance of the Goddess for centuries. In the time before Hunter had been given his mantle of power, Gabriel had amassed many individuals and trained them. The loving darkness made him aware that the odds of winning any encounter against them was not good. Locating any potential allies with enough strength to help would be useless. The only alternative available to them was to create their own army from the powerful souls already inhabiting Hell and the darkness herself had already pinpointed certain individuals that would form his initial training group. His new generals. She had even taken it upon herself to provide the knowledge required directly into the individuals in question anticipating Hunter's acceptance of what they both knew needed to be done.

'The only thing left,' she added, 'is for you to approve the plan and take your rightful place as Lord of Hell. Everything else has been taken care of and is ready to be put in motion.'

A smile lit his features, Lord of Hell. It had a nice ring to it. The odds would be even with a dark army at his command, and once that was taken care of, plans could be made to take out J'ova. The Brethren would be a walk in the park compared to these.

Bringing to mind the souls that filled his realm saddened and filled him with rage. How could anyone ever think that this torture was the meaning behind it all? Endless suffering, constant torture for what? Because they didn't follow some arbitrary rules created by someone else while they lived? Because they ate the wrong animal or took a drink of alcohol? Because they hadn't died in a way that was acceptable to others? "This cannot go on. All these souls need to find the truth. We must find a way for them to be released! D'HarmaSan would be furious if she knew the suffering they endure for no reason."

"All of them have been waiting for you, my Lord. Let me show you the ones I have chosen to begin with."

On the silent command from the darkness the group she had chosen marched wordlessly to her Lords chambers. She measured them again ensuring they were still worthy. Each chosen for the potential they carried within. A certain spark in their awareness had spoken to her of what they could be capable of with the right guidance. Drilling deep into the consciousness of each she had taken each of them back to a blank slate, ready for her to infuse the knowledge they would require. All of them were ready to be paraded for her Lord. The final decision always rested with him. Her job had been to provide.

For the first time in her existence she felt a little nervous. This was the first task she had undertaken for her Master and she didn't want to disappoint. Her eyeless gaze followed the group as they strode in to meet their Lord for the first time.

Hunter sat on a simple wooden chair as the group marched in. Each moving in unison and stopping an exact eight steps away from him. As if commanded they dropped to their knees as one. Getting up from his chair, he paced slowly across the front of the kneeling souls, taking his time inspecting each of those before him. There was no doubt in his mind that the darkness had chosen appropriately and he was not disappointed. He sent his thoughts out to her, 'they are magnificent my love. I couldn't have chosen better myself.'

Her entire being swelled with pride at both the words of her master and also the inherent feeling behind them. 'I live but to serve you, my Lord. All that you desire I will always strive to make happen, no matter the cost.'

"Please. Let's dispense with all this my lord business. Your essence is an integral part of me now, and I wouldn't expect my own heart to address me so formally. Tell me, was it difficult to locate this many? How many others do you think you can find?"

'Millions, my love. The ones you see before you are only a small sample of the total. Each of these souls are a weapon forged within the fires that burn in your realm and instilled with the passion for life that you bring. Many of them are looking for a chance to redeem themselves by perhaps getting another chance at a full life. Others have already started to gain a small understanding about the true path to enlightenment. All of them however, are eager to serve you. Each one a powerful warrior capable of destruction driven by the greatest power of all-love.'

A sad smile crossed Hunter's features, "So many lost ones that need our help finding the true path. How can they all be so blind my love? It would only take them a second to reach enlightenment if they would open their eyes and hearts for the briefest of moments! Instead they languish in these self-created prisons! Why? Because a handful of self-proclaimed power-hungry lunatics told them so when they lived?" He shook his head once more, "The Gods must truly hate Mother to treat her children with such contempt."

The darkness swelled as she felt Hunter's disappointment, searching for a way to help, 'I know love. No one understands the truth the way you do and that's the reason I don't worry about these souls. As long as you're here to show them the way, they will survive.'

## Chapter 2

The fight was even more lackluster than the four brothers had expected it to be.

The bodies of twenty other warriors lay broken, shredded and bloody on the sands of the arena around them. The crowd looked on completely stunned. The raw fury and controlled savagery displayed by the four warriors had rendered them speechless. Never had they witnessed a display of such unbridled power and carnage. They all thought it magnificent and a new standard had been set for future games.

For the four brothers standing on the sands of the arena however, it had felt like nothing more than a warm up session. They'd barely broken a sweat and no dirt clung to their garments.

The first couple of attempts by the twenty warriors had been met with tentative defensive replies as all four of the brothers had regained their initiative and the rhythm needed when fighting as one. From there it all turned ugly for their opponents. Twenty warriors who had never known fear or defeat had not lasted another full minute. Nothing in their training had prepared them against the savage assault suddenly facing them. Death had finally come.

Exchanging looks, each brother's face broke into a grin as memories of their past battles came to mind. As one, they disappeared from the sands of the arena leaving behind a stunned world and one ludis owner who was now bankrupt. His life most likely to come to an end on the very sands in front of him at the hands of those who controlled the games. All of them would scream for his blood and his death would be the only price they would accept. Closing himself away from the furious cries of the crowd, he wept.

~~~~~

The sun's rays streamed in through the giant lead-lit window overlooking the room. Tiny multi-colored dots hitting the grandiose banquet table sitting in the middle. A table that could easily have held twenty people with room to spare.

The four brothers sat around the table. Gabriel easing back in his chair, a wine-glass raised in front him, "Here's to my brothers, united once more and our glorious first victory as one in centuries. To Us!"

"To us," echoed the rest.

Servants stood in the background anticipating any need that each of the seated warriors may have. Gabriel at the head of the table, undisputed leader. To his left sat Michael, the Gods most fearless warrior with the largest of hearts. On the other side were Uriel-the calming influence and balancer of the group seated next to his twin Raphael, the healer.

The table in front of the group was overflowing with an assortment of meats, vegetables and fruits. An impromptu celebration decided upon by the brothers on their return from the battle and claiming of the twins.

Popping a grape into his mouth, Gabriel continued "I've been waiting so long for this moment. You'll never know how much I missed you all while you were gone. Now, we're together once more and we can finally take care of the things that Mother wanted from us."

"As we all agreed before the split, I've kept certain things moving. I've convinced J'ova that we serve him and making him look upon Luxfer, and now Hunter as his enemy. The power that continues to flow into his realm powers each of us as well, though I don't believe he understands this. United, we match any of the remaining Gods in power. You may not recall this yet but Mother was wary of them all. This universe was created by her to ensure her own survival. That she was betrayed by Luxfer was unforeseen and has brought us to this point. Her last wish, whispered to me as she faded was that her chosen ones should inherit what she'd created-not any of her brother Gods."

Taking a sip of his wine, he added "That's us brothers. She trusted no one else to care for her universe."

Michael leaned forward, gazing into his glass, "Luxfer and his apprentice have much to answer for. They stole my true memories, planting completely false ones instead. They made me go against my own brother and fed me false information about the events that led to Mothers death. These are not things that I could easily forgive and yet, we tried. Gabriel and I extended the proverbial olive branch to Hunter. Only to have it thrown back at us. I agree with Gabe. Hunter is an infection that must be destroyed. A disease to be lanced. The darkness has completely consumed him as it did Luxfer."

Raphael shrugged his shoulders as he looked over at Uriel, "Our memories of all this are somewhat sketchy brothers. That we went into training the way we did is a bit surprising to us both but we do see the purpose behind it. If this Hunter is the menace you say he is, then we side with you-always. Without our Mother's guidance, this universe won't survive long, and if it was her intention for us to inherit its leadership, then we do whatever is necessary to make that happen, even if it means taking on the other Gods."

Uriel moved forwards, slamming his open hand on the table before him "It has always been the four of us that Mother relied on. Luxfer betrayed not only her, but all of us in the process. That the God J'ova would even consider giving him his own realm speaks of just how dark and corrupt they have all become. This Hunter will only be more of the same. They weren't chosen-we were. If Mother was wary of these false Gods, then we must be too. All of those who opposed her need to be destroyed. This universe was created for our family, no other. J'ova and his brood must be destroyed. Hunter must be destroyed. Only then can true happiness and prosperity return to us all."

Gabriel feigned a sigh for the benefit of his brothers, "Once again it falls on us to do the things that others won't, brothers. We will unleash the might of the celestial army. First against Hunter and the might of Hell, and then, we go to war with the other Gods." Taking a last sip of his wine, "Mother would be proud of us. Especially considering all the sacrifices that we've made to get to this point."

Michael placed his elbows on the table looking over at Raf and Uriel, "Tell me more of what happened to you two. My recall of those times are either sketchy or non-existent and honestly, I don't fully trust any of the memories I have at the moment."

Gabriel leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to hear the story about to be told. He had inserted the memories directly into their minds so long ago that he could barely recall the exact details himself. Safer to hear what his brothers actually believed and keep that in mind for the future.

~~~~~

Raphael's eyes took on a distant look, as if seeing something in his mind, "The last thing I remember from those times was Gabe telling us to go and take care of the Queen while he protected Lux. The three of us were more than enough of a match for her and he was right. We went to where she lay with the Prince, shielding ourselves from her sight. At the right moment we all attacked as one, taking her out of the picture. When we returned we found Luxfer standing over Gabe with a sword at his neck..."

The forms of Michael, Uriel and Raphael appeared just in time to see Luxfer standing over a kneeling Gabriel, sword in hand, swinging straight at his exposed neck. Gabriel ducked his head and turned, avoiding most of the blow but getting a cut across his forehead for his troubles.

Michael screamed "Gabe. What's happening?"

"Luxfer betrays us, brothers." answered Gabriel, as Luxfer disappeared from their view. "He goes to confront Mother. I don't know what he'll do. We need to help her."

The three brothers looked at each other unsure of what to make of this, "What of the Brethren Gabe? We can't just let them go after all we've gone through?" asked Raphael.

Gabriel rose to his feet, wiping away the blood flowing down his face, "No we can't. Michael will stay here and get the final gem ready. The rest of us go to find Lux and stop him from doing whatever it is that he is doing."

~~~~~

Gabriel raised his sword to take the onslaught of yet another wave of attack from Luxfer, taking the impact meant for the kneeling Goddess behind him.

He looked over at the spot where both Uriel and Raphael had last been standing. Luxfer had inflicted a lot damage to them, both lying still on the floor. His heart ached at the thought but tears would have to wait. He would join them soon if he didn't keep his wits about him. He watched Luxfer stride back across the floor. All swagger and full of pride. The color of his aura a muted gray with flashes of dark red streaks flaring through it. The same color as The Brethren. How could this be?

Luxfer's smile broadened, almost into a leer.

The last of the Goddess's four little protectors stood between them, her final line of defense pitiful as it was.

Luxfer threw his head back and laughed. A deep guttural laugh. He lunged forward and threw another blast at Gabriel. "Your powers are waning brother. You fail to see that I will obliterate you, both" as he renewed his attack.

Gabriel's knees buckled as he took the brunt of Luxfers latest attack. He was weakening quickly now. Looking back towards his Goddess he threw a silent thought her way, 'Whatever you're doing Mother, please hurry.'

Gabriel had withstood everything that Luxfer had thrown at him up to now, his power draining with every blow, whilst Luxfer just got stronger. One more direct hit and he wouldn't survive. Luxfer drew his hand back to land the killing blow. Just as the force of the power leapt forth from his outstretched hand Michael materialized, taking most of the impact himself. Luxfer turned and immediately sent another blow at the Goddess. The blast taking her out completely.

Luxfer sauntered over to the charred outlines of the Goddess and Michael, smiling. Their bodies lay in complete ruin. No power left within either of the shattered shells. He smiled to himself. The smile turning to screams of terror as the force of Gabriel's power hit him from behind. While he had been busy gloating over the minor victory, Gabriel had pulled his essence within and unleashed them on the unsuspecting Lux. The power encasing and sending him hurtling back to the world of the Brethren, to be trapped as part of the barrier.

Gabriel opened his eyes to look at his brothers, "It was at that point that I found myself completely alone. Our Mother totally destroyed. Michael barely alive and both Uriel and Raphael in serious condition. I could see that the twins would survive given some rest but you Michael were another matter. Raf was badly wounded and couldn't even try to heal you. My own powers in that regards would be useless and with Mother gone there was no option left to me but to go and beg for J'ovas help, and even then it was touch and go for a long time.

"When the twins had recovered enough, we began to make plans to ensure that we would never be caught unawares again. Uriel actually came up with the plan. I won't lie, it was not something I agreed with initially and it took him a long time while recovering to convince me of it. The plan? Simple really, we figured our training had not been extensive enough under the Goddess. So we searched for somewhere in the universe where we could get the skills we needed. After much traveling I found this little world that was full of nothing but combat. A world where warriors battled to the death for fun. Surviving in the sands of the arena would teach us everything we would need. Unfortunately one of us had to stay behind to nurse you back to health. That fell on me. Uriel can tell you about what happened in the arena after I had wiped their memories."

"Why wipe their memories, Gabe?"

"That idea came from Raf. He figured it would be no use to go into this type of training fully aware of the powers they held. There'd be no challenge to it. To really learn all that they needed to they would have to be just another pair of warriors like the rest. No more, no less. It made sense at the time so I created a bracelet for each of them that nullified their powers."

~~~~~

The cheering of the crowd drowned out the dying warrior's scream of pain as he fell to the sand. He stared up at his opponent with hatred in his eyes. Death had come to him upon the sacred sand and he would die a warrior's death. A smile crossed his features as his opponent casually strode into view over his body, sword poised over his heart. Both warriors raised their eyes to where the controller of the games sat, waiting. A downward pointed thumb signaling to the crowd his judgment. Without emotion, the still standing warrior drove his sword straight through the fallen one's chest piercing his heart and exiting into the sand beneath. More blood spilled for the entertainment of the crowd.

The final contest of the day now complete. The crowd satisfied.

Max punched the wall that held the heavy gates, breaking the skin on his knuckles and drawing blood. "Damn them all to Hell. That's six bloody warriors I've lost today to that madman." He turned to look back at the three men at his back. "Tell me more about these two Gabriel. Your stories about their prowess intrigue me but I've been around the block a few times in my life. Do you really think they would be able to stand up to the likes of that warrior on the sands?"

Gabriel pointed at the two warriors in the middle of the arena, "Having watched what you consider great in the arena today, I can honestly say that my brothers would take any of them out, without a doubt. I guarantee it. Hell, I'd put them up against anyone you can think of right now, without training."

Max rubbed the blood accumulating on his knuckles stemming its flow, "Let's not rush things. If these two are really as good as you say then you won't have any issues with me putting them through a little test. Say, tomorrow? At my ludis?"

Gabriel smiled at the tactics Max was employing. Of course he would want to verify the twin's skill for himself, far away from the prying eyes of any of his competitors. "Dawn OK with you Max? Or do you prefer to sleep in?"

Max laughed, "Dawn sounds good. Let's see what these twins of yours can do and if all goes well, we can discuss terms."

Gabriel motioned to the twins to follow him out, "Tomorrow morning then, Max. See you at dawn."

~~~~~

Max sat at the open window watching as the rising sun cast its morning warmth upon the training sands below, the normal yellow color tinged with the orange of a glorious dawn. These quiet moments were his favorite part of the day. A time before his entire household were up and the craziness of training warriors began. The entire foundation of his business had been built upon the lifetime of hard work that his father had done before passing it into his care. Every single person's lives resting on his shoulders.

With another six of his warriors falling in the arena the previous day his stock had dwindled to only three individuals who were ready. Another dozen were currently finishing their training he hoped would prove worthy of the arena. The next boatload of slaves to be purchased weren't schedule to arrive for another fortnight, too late to be of any use in the following week's games. The appearance of the mysterious Gabriel had been a Godsend. A couple of extra warriors could be the difference between him staying in business or being sold to one of his competitors to join the warriors on the sands himself. The great rewards of the arena called for greater risks. Risks, he understood all too well.

A glimmer of reflected light caught his attention from the training ground below. His eyes widening as he watched the forms of Gabriel and the twins take shape from out of nowhere. He kept quiet and watched as Gabriel leaned in to speak with the others. Too far away from him to hear the whispered conversation. Turning from the window he strode out of his room to meet them. Making a mental note as he did. If the guards on duty failed to realize that three fully armed warriors had appeared from nowhere in his household by the time he reached the training sands below, they would pay for their failure with their lives. A lesson to the rest of his household. Incompetence would not be tolerated.

The house slaves sprang into action on hearing the slight noise of their master up and about, years of abuse having made them attuned to his moods, their lives dependent on it. Max ignored them all as he moved through the halls heading directly to the training grounds. One of his slaves would have already started running to inform the warriors in training he was coming. He slammed through the doors that led to the sands not slowing for the slave to open it for him, looking at the three brothers who still stood alone and unchallenged outside. The guards on duty were in for a bad day.

The brothers all turned at the sound of the door smashing against the lintel. The smile on Gabriel's face completely at odds with the chaos beginning to take shape around the entire house. The guards only becoming aware of the three as they had come to greet their master and had quickly taken up arms to surround them. 'Too late', thought Max as he moved towards Gabriel, 'the damage is already done and your lives are forfeit.'

Gabriel raised his arms, hands open to show he was not holding any weapons. The universal sign of peaceful intent. "Good morning Max! Nice of you to join us."

The look of confusion on the guard's faces irritated Max. Flicking one of his hands at them was enough of a signal for the smarter ones to understand that the three men did not pose a threat and more importantly, that they had clearly failed in their duty to protect their master. They stepped back still wary of the strangers despite the reassurance of their master. Each hoping that something might happen during the day that would allow them to avoid the punishment heading their way.

Clapping his hands at the waiting slaves Max started moving back into the villa motioning for Gabriel to follow, "Come inside and join me for some breakfast before we begin."

Gabriel followed his host through the open doors to the waiting table within. A hustle of activity came from all quarters as the most beautiful slaves on the estate brought courses of different foods and drink to their master. Uriel and Raphael taking up positions behind their brother as he sat. A quick look around telling Gabriel all he needed to know about his host. Faded artwork adorned the walls. Various pieces of furniture dotted the room. Everything had clearly seen better days. The story it conveyed, a simple one. A once fortunate and wealthy family lived within these walls trying in vain to keep up appearances. The naked drive and ambition of trying to restore the family's prominence was exactly what the type of person that Gabriel sought. Someone manipulated purely by money and the prestige that it would bring once more.

While everything else had taken a back seat and expenses cut, the stunning beauty of the every slave within the house-hold had never been compromised. Each one that Gabriel laid eyes on was stunning in their perfection. The women all exotic in nature compared to the pale color of their master. The men just as beautiful. All clearly brought in from other parts of the world by slavers. Something that Gabriel had despised when growing up, though he now saw the benefit in it. As long as one is on the right side of the slave trade that is. "So Max. You mentioned something about a small test when we left last night. Care to elaborate a little?"

Max was in the process of grabbing a small pastry off the table when Gabriel had opened the conversation with business matters. This wasn't the way it was usually discussed in these parts. He filed it away for reference. It might come in handy when negotiating price. "A simple test is usually enough to suffice Gabriel. Normally I would have my doctores assess new recruits and those that we purchase for their usefulness. Your case is a little different though. The way in which you've shown up here intrigues me. They have a look about them that speaks of a natural affinity for the weapons they carry but looks can be deceiving and I'm not in the habit of parting with my coin quite that easily. A quick fight for each of them against one of my men should show me enough, if you're still up for it?"

Gabriel brought the cup of tea in front of him to his mouth, covering the smirk on his lips. His host still thought the twins were being sold. Placing the cup back on the table he brought his steepled hands in front of his face, leaning forwards, "I'm not here to sell them Max. Your normal practice doesn't interest me and I could care less about any profit. I'm here to offer your school a lifeline. My brothers will train with you and fight in the arena. You can keep anything that they make. I will take care of funding their stay here. You won't be out of pocket in any way. If you're smart enough to handle the marketing of my brothers in the right way you'll walk away a very rich man. Your family name will once more grace the halls of power and the invitations to the best parties will once again be delivered to your door. The prowess and skills of your men will be held above all others. All this on the back of two of the mightiest warriors this planet has ever seen." He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the twins, "Not to mention the best looking by far. The women will literally drool at the sight and the men will wish they were like my brothers. A marketing dream and I offer it all to you free of charge."

"It takes a long time to train even the best of fighters Gabriel. The normal rules of combat don't apply. It's a spectacle, a show that we put on for the entertainment of the masses, with death coming at every turn. Are you comfortable paying that much with no immediate return and the possibility that your brothers may die?"

Gabriel leaned forward in his chair, grabbing a small piece of fruit from the table, "I have full faith in the twins Max. The spectacle they will provide will earn you lots of coin. I'd like to speed the process up however. Instead of setting each of them up against one of your fighters, why don't we pit the twins against all your men? If my brothers lose, you can keep them, free and clear. If they win we do it my way."

Max leaned back thinking about the possibilities. He had three gladiators ready to battle. Looking at the form of the two brothers standing behind Gabriel he judged more would be needed to ensure victory. He would throw the three fully-fledged gladiators and add the three trainers he currently owned. All had been previous victors and champions in the arena. Enough fighting prowess to take on two unseasoned men, no matter how powerful they appeared. "Deal Gabriel. Let's put breakfast aside and get this done. We can finish up afterwards. If they prove as mighty as you say they are then they shouldn't have any problems going three to one against my men."

Gabriel savored the taste of the fruit he had just picked up. Licking his fingers as the juices flowed he said, "That my dear friend, I have no issues with."

~~~~~

The sun's rays moved over the top of the buildings in the ludis when the warriors had lined up on the training sands for the twin's test. Each of them had been armed with a training sword made of heavy wood, twice as heavy as that of a normal weapon. Sweat already evident on the almost naked bodies of those on the sand.

Max looked at the six men he had left under his command. Three of those were his doctores, training instructors to the rest. The other three were his final chance at making an impact on the games. Strong, good-looking and capable fighters ready to take on any challenger. The twins stood opposite his six fighters, completely still. No evidence of any nerves.

From his experience Max knew the signs. These two were either so skilled they weren't even worried or so hopeless they didn't understand what they were in for. He took a last quick look at both sides to ensure their readiness, "Begin." he thundered.

The six warriors moved out quickly at the command, spreading around the twins. Quick effective movements placing them into positions to attack. The twins had taken one quick look at each other for a brief moment and then simply turned to stand back-to-back. Once more becoming completely still and waiting.

The warriors lunged in a haphazard attack towards the twins. Interfering with each other's lunges. Raphael took the opportunity without pause. Swinging in a vicious high attack, he took out one of the trainers then quickly turned in the opposite direction to strike hard into the stomach of another. Both had gone down in pain, unable to stand again. The third warrior had held back watching the initial attack made by the other two. Sensing an opening, he unleashed an overhead swing directly at Raphael's exposed back. The twin had been expecting it however and the sword met no resistance as it passed through the empty air. The warrior had only a moment to register his surprise before the heavy wooden sword came crashing into the back of his exposed neck and darkness took over. Raphael turned to look at his brother. Everything appeared under control so he took a moment to watch and enjoy himself.

Uriel laughed as the two warriors went crashing into the other. As formidable as they may have been in single combat, training to fight as a unit had obviously not been one of their strong points. He waited for them to collect their weapons and regain their feet. Everyone knew he could have taken them out in that moment but had elected not to. Something they would never live down.

The twin knelt, driving the wooden sword hard into the sands at his feet. He stood back up to face his opponents, unarmed and smiling. All three warriors looked at each other. No fighter would ever give up their weapons. To do so would mean their death. They renewed their attack.

Swings, slashes and thrusts from every angle met nothing but air as Uriel moved through, around and under every single one. No matter which way the warriors moved, Uriel was no longer there. Punches, kicks and open-handed slaps pounded into each warrior as they attacked. The twin clearly toying with them.

Max let the demonstration go on for a little while, studying the way the twin moved. Between them they had proven everything he needed to see. Raphael's vicious attacks had taken out three opponents quickly. Uriel's open-handed fighting technique demonstrating they would provide the crowds with a show. To top it off, both of them so damn good-looking that the women in the city would be dreaming about them nightly, and no doubt so would some men though they would never admit to such publically.

All movement came to a halt as the sound of Max's voice cut the through the air, "Enough! Doctore, get everyone cleaned up and ready for training."

Turning to Gabriel he added, "You've got your deal Gabriel. Let's do this your way."

~~~~~

Gabriel paced the halls in thought. Everything he had put in place was coming together. The little impromptu banquet with his brothers had tied them effectively back to what he required. The tiny inconsistencies in their stories had been justified internally by their own thoughts. He reflected once more on how powerful the brain was. Able to deduce things in leaps of logic that astounded while molding the truth to suit the conclusions it had already formed. Self-delusion was a powerful tool.

His brothers were busy building up what they believed to be the Celestial Army attempting to teach them the skills they would need to survive the coming battle. Gabriel knew better. Every soldier in the army was nothing but wall fodder to be carved up by the Army of Darkness waiting for them. His true strength would come from this very realm. His own. An army with no known equal in the universe. One he'd spent centuries developing and growing. His own soldiers would be deployed at the same time as the Celestial army took position in the war with Hell, interspersed through their ranks. When the battle was over the remainder of his people would move back to Heaven and be installed in key positions. The armies of Heaven would then be loyal to him alone without J'ova being any wiser. It would be a simple matter of timing to take over Heaven at that point and add the God to the list of those that had disappeared.

He smiled thinking about the other Gods he'd dealt with already.

The God Jomiel had been the first to understand what the Goddess had created and the potential that lay within it. The initial experiments he had started had been disastrous almost ending his own life a few times before stumbling across his first success of a tiny universe that had lived but for a moment. Elated, the God had poured more of his energy in creating a larger version. The end result being a new universe that would rival that of the Goddess. The power that Jomiel had spent in his creation however, had left him vulnerable and in a weakened state. So weak that Gabriel hadn't even required the services of the Jackal. He had handled it on his own. A simple matter to keep track of the energy flows as the God had undertaken his experiment. Waiting for the appropriate moment of weakness he had followed. Jomiel's body had slumped to the floor for a split second. Enough time for Gabriel to lunge forwards and behead him, taking the God's power as his own.

Standing over the remains of the fallen God he reminisced. The Goddess had been right about her brother Gods. Not a single one of them were worthy of the mantle that had been given to them. Their tiny powers and shortsightedness a liability for the future. Better they should fall now and become one with a greater force, himself.

Three other Gods had fallen quickly after Jomiel. Each subsequent destruction adding to the might that made him. His powers had finally reached the point where he was a match for any God on their own except for J'ova. Having usurped the worship of the individuals in the Goddesses universe had made him stronger and powerful than the other Gods. That power would diminish when his brothers and the celestial army took on Hunter. Every soul destroyed would weaken the God exponentially. Less worshipers would mean a quick demise and his power could then be incorporated with Gabriel's.

Hunter was the only unknown piece of the puzzle. His power matched Gabriels and its source was a mystery that he had yet to unravel.

The souls in Hell did not worship nor pray to him and the initial powers handed to him by Luxfer should not have continued to grow. And yet, every time they crossed paths, his powers had been greater than the last. Something, somewhere was feeding him and Gabriel was at a loss as to what exactly it was.

He reached the balcony that oversaw his kingdom.

A hundred feet below, the training of his own army continued. The sound of a hundred thousand weapons clashing rang through the air. One hundred thousand strong and yet Gabriel wasn't satisfied. Each of his warriors matched the might and animal fury of his beloved Jackal. Every single one created in imitation of the most perfect being in existence, himself, although shorter. Wouldn't do to have them all looking identical to me!

Yet more was needed.

Footsteps from behind signaled the appearance of his favorite general, who would stand to attention awaiting acknowledgment Gabriel let him stand there for a few moments before asking, "How do we stand, Mio?"

The general stood rock-solid, looking forward. Every movement and gesture calculated to not annoy his master. "All goes as planned, my Lord. Our current numbers stand a little over one hundred thousand. Each new soldier coming better prepared than the last. We cull less individuals with each group."

"Perfect general. And what of the Circle?"

"The Circle now stand at over a thousand, Lord. More of our warriors are achieving entry to the elite unit."

Gabriel turned around, leaning back against the balcony. "That won't do General. Attaining entry into the Circle should be a lot harder. The word elite should mean something. Let's begin with changing the process. As of this moment that unit has no members. All have lost their place. From now on gaining entry into the Circle will be twice as hard as it was before. Draw up some of your thoughts on the matter and present them to me an hour from now. No later."

Mio pounded his fist to his chest, just over his heart. "Your will, my Lord."

He turned back to continue his assessment of the army, "One last thing General. If any single one of the warriors who currently form part of the circle proves unworthy of the new Circle, I'll take your head."

"Yes my Lord."

Gabriel turned to look over the balcony again, the general out of his mind. You see Mother? Fear is the only path to perfection. Love only leads to utter chaos and confusion.

## Chapter 3

Only six remained of the original twelve Gods.

The awareness of the Goddess had disappeared and no sign had been seen of her for centuries now. This was nothing new to the surviving Gods however as she had done so quite a number of times in the past. Though never for quite this length of time.

Five of the other Gods had simply disappeared with no-one knowing the reasons behind it. The Goddesses stupid little experiment was rapidly bringing around the demise of their entire existence. They would gladly have spanked her if she had not disappeared already.

J'ova was now corrupt, believing himself the one and only true God. His powers had grown exponentially with every living soul that worshiped him from the new worlds that the Goddess had created leaving behind his own family.

Quick, decisive action was a foreign concept to those assembled, yet this was exactly what would be required if they wished to be around much longer.

They had let the war begin without realizing what it was and all five were now caught in the middle of it, unprepared.

Each of them thought they were greater than the next, having come to the same conclusion eons ago. They had all gone their separate ways and created their own universes when they had begun to realize the power that J'ova was gaining from those worshiping him. It was at this time they had done something completely alien to them and reached out to organize a meeting. Their combined might would be required in the coming madness.

They settled down on couches that had appeared underneath them, the God Ebrum bringing them to order, "The time for debate is now behind us. We all know what's at stake. Our dear little sister has left us all in somewhat of a quandary. Her experiments have brought us all to the brink of disaster. Some of our brothers have already disappeared and it's safe to assume it was because of her stupidity. The power that J'ova wields increases every second because of all this. The rest of us must unite if we're to survive the coming onslaught. Make no mistake my friends, this is a war we find ourselves in."

The others nodded their heads in silent approval with Ebrum which he took as a cue to continue, "The combined might of his four generals is not something to be sneezed at. Together, they have the ability to match each and everyone one of us! J'ova knows this and uses them to his own purpose. We cannot allow this to happen! Their might must be matched by a mightier power, one that we control."

Ados stroked his beard as he looked at Ebrum, "While that all sounds good on the surface it's just not workable. For us to create that kind of army would weaken us. We'd leave ourselves vulnerable and exposed. None of us would consider doing such a thing. There must be an alternative solution."

Getting to his feet the God paced, hands clasped behind his back. "Agreed, my friend. Which is why I put forth a different solution. After a little digging I came across an interesting fact. The little Goddess created her universe and as we all know a lot of good came out of it. However, not every single species turned out the same. On one particular planet, things went a little awry. The inhabitants so morally ambivalent that their very presence was a danger to us all though we weren't aware of it at the time. To counteract this threat, D'HarmaSan created a unique individual and imbued it with her own essence. I guess you could call it a lesser God. One incredibly powerful individual totally beholden to her alone."

Looking at each of the others for emphasis, he added "I think this might be the way we should go. D'HarmaSan herself showed us this is possible. All of us will create one powerful individual being and instill our own essence within them. If our dear little sister could do it, so can we and let's forego the whole conversation of who will answer to whom-none of us will allow any of the others to be in charge. Therefore I propose that none of us should be."

Confusion moved through the other Gods at Embrum's words. Ados took advantage of their silence to question, "So just who would be in charge if we can't agree on one of us? Are we just to turn them loose? You expect us to relinquish a part of our own powers to create these lesser Gods and then have no control over them?"

Ebrum stopped his pacing and took a seat. The confusion of his brothers and the subsequent question was one he had wrestled with for some time now. "Not at all. That would be crazy. My suggestion would be to place them under the command of the Dark One in Hell."

The nodding heads of the other Gods let him know the solution was adequate, "We send our own soldiers to help Hunter and place them under his command. J'ova and his merry bunch won't be the wiser. They all trundle off to their little war and we keep our hands clean. Gently guiding the outcome our way." Moving his gaze across the assembled Gods, he added "and once that's out of the way, we concentrate on bringing our almighty brother back in line with the rest of us, as well as taking care of our little sister if she ever shows up again."

The room fell silent as Ebrum finished outlining his plans. All of them silently thinking through the possible scenarios. Placing their own men under Hunter's control was a stroke of genius. If Hell failed to win the war, each of them could walk away as if they had nothing to do with it. If the opposite happened and Hell's army took out the Celestial one then each of the five Gods assembled would have an ally in Hunter and their own dear brother would have to bow to them.

It was a win-win situation as far as they could see.

## Chapter 4

Bonnie opened her eyes a little, searching. The Brethren still surrounded her on all sides, powerful streams of their essence attacking the sphere of protection woven around her. It still held, and would do so for as long as she needed. For a long time now they thought they had captured her within this sphere when in truth, she had been working on a very delicate situation from the start.

Looking at the tendrils of red that snaked upwards, she smiled. Smart of the Prince to turn the rebounding energy into an attack on the barrier. Too bad for them that D'HarmaSan had seen it and taken steps.

The Prince believed that every pulse of the power that radiated towards the barrier was weakening it, and while this held true, he had failed to notice the slight alteration that she had woven within it. Each pulse would weaken the barrier but would also energize Luxfer at the same time, and that was her ultimate goal and reason for having stayed so long on the planet.

Even now her child above was stirring. When the barrier finally fell, it would free him to pursue his purpose. She sighed, 'it will also allow me to finally leave this dreadful place.'

She probed outwards to see the current state of things elsewhere. The others didn't understand how much danger they were in. All of them corrupted now in their quest for dominance as she had foreseen so long ago. Her four children caught up in the madness that seemed to be taking hold of every part of creation, not just her own universe.

Only Luxfer and Hunter were still true to their nature amongst the higher beings, and herself of course. The universe kept whispering to her, imparting all the knowledge it gained each second. She wept and looked forward to the time when her child would be free.

'Soon.' She thought, 'the time for reckoning is almost here.'

She looked down at her new body again. It felt strange to have the wisdom and knowledge of all-time being housed in a seven-and-a-half, almost-eight-year-old girl. She was both Bonnie and the immortal Goddess at the same time. It would be an interesting future to see how things would work. 'Still,' she thought 'the others always saw me as a young girl so-no harm, no foul. Appearing to be an innocent young girl will do no harm, it may even work to my advantage if I can survive puberty somehow!'

A wave of sadness washed over her as the image of her mother-Bonnie's mother, entered her mind. This was the one thing she had yet to broach with the young girl and she wouldn't do so until the rest of her consciousness had merged. Bonnie would need all the strength she could get when she learned about Ren's death and with the power of a Goddess in her hands, there was no telling what the consequences would be.

'Not that all hope had completely disappeared. Things weren't quite that grim yet', she thought as her gaze turned once more to the barrier in the sky and her child trapped within.

~~~~~

He floated in a sea of unending warmth, dreaming.

Time held no meaning for him but somehow he still felt it moving swiftly. He knew centuries had passed as he watched over the planet below, showering his protection and love over it.

Now, it was all coming to an end.

Snippets of memories from an earlier time-before he had become the barrier filtered into his awareness. A small sampling of unconnected events. Moments spent with his mother and brothers and with others in conflict. They swam past, lightly caressing his consciousness leaving him confused. Some of them filled him with hope and joy, others with nothing but despair and at moments, even hatred.

He began to question as full awareness slowly returned. Why had he spent centuries surrounding this one planet, holding back those within the sphere? What was so important about this? Had he taken this on for himself or had others made him take it up? Was this punishment for misdeeds or rewards for good behavior?

The questioning continued while he sought to understand his purpose in life. 'Life. Is this what I currently have, or is there more to it? I'm not the same as those below me! Why is this? Who am I? Who are they?'

A slight whisper in the surrounding darkness caressed his being. He listened intently to the woman as if she were speaking from a vast distance. The female voice had visited him many times before adding to his recollection of memories. She spoke in hushed tones, "The time is almost here, my son. The task you've been doing is almost complete. Nothing more will be accomplished by continuing down this path. Other tasks await you."

He listened closer to the voice, trying to make sense of his surroundings, "Long ago, those below us were the greatest threat to this universe that I could have imagined. Their very presence a danger to all existence. At this moment however, the threat they pose is minimal compared to the pure evil that exists elsewhere. Of all the things I've learned these few centuries, this is the one tenet that underlies all else. There is no such thing as pure evil or pure good within any of us. When free will is given to all, then the outcome is never certain. We hope and believe in the best but must prepare for the worst; what we believe is the worst. Those that choose a different path also think they do no harm."

'Perhaps you should consider ending the entire thing?' he had asked of the bodiless voice, 'If the potential harm is as great as you see it to be, then it could be best to just remove it from existence completely? Maybe take away their free will?'

"I actually considered doing so for a long time, my son. Perhaps the other Gods were right and I shouldn't have gone down this path. The time for that however, is well past. Each of my brother Gods have their own universe now, all filled with different dangers. Though they keep that a secret from the rest. They struggle amongst themselves for superiority, hoping to become the greatest God. They create worlds filled with worshipers for no other reason than to increase their own power. Goodness and the path to enlightenment not even a consideration. In fact, they ensure that no-one will ever rise to those heights, afraid of giving their power away to another."

He heard her sigh with disappointment, "Most of my very own children turned against me, looking to become more powerful. Only you have stayed true to me. And now I find myself about to fight a war on many fronts. The forces taking the field will overrun us if we're not careful. Billions of souls will be destroyed in the process, but I see no alternative. Our enemies have left us none. At this very moment, we gather an army of our own under the guidance of your son, Hunter. But I fear that even this may not be enough. For each soul that fights for us ten others will take the field against them.

"I've witnessed the effects of wars between the lesser beings. Terrible things! And yet these will be nothing when compared to a war between the Gods. A war which appears to be our fate. Heed my words Luxfer, in order for the light to continue the dark army must prevail. For only then can the balance be truly maintained. When the time comes, take yourself directly to your son and join forces. Only together will we have any hope of stopping the coming onslaught, and even this may not be enough."

The whispered words bore deep into his essence, filling him with dread. When the Goddess that created everything around you became afraid, it was time to worry. 'How much time do we have left before this madness begins?'

"The madness began eons ago! This coming wave of lunacy starts now, my son. I came to prepare you for it and make you understand the dangers we face. Hope still lies within us, but love must prevail."

Bonnie closed her eyes once more and drew back her awareness from Luxfer, pondering her last words. Love must win else evil would prevail. Yet I have spent centuries pouring this energy throughout the universe and they still come! If anything, the evil has become more prevalent. Even my own children now plot against the very thing they were created from. Power and might the only thing that matters almost everywhere with only a handful of true beings of goodness shining bright on occasion.

Stretching out her awareness into a separate realm, she looked over the few souls she had collected over time, No. Evil would not win. It does not have the ability to nurture, to grow or to succeed. Her children of Light would survive, but was it worth having centuries of unspeakable evil in charge of the universe for this to occur?

Time would tell. The process was about to start.

~~~~~

The brilliance of the light permeating the atmosphere below him had faded over time, becoming less pronounced over the recent days. The barrier which had held the Brethren at bay for centuries was now coming to an end. He was both happy and anxious at the same time. Happy that he'd done the best he could with the barrier, anxious that it may have all been for nothing if the words of his Goddess were anything to go by.

D'HarmaSan did not foresee what the consequences of her own actions would create. A universe with the potential to destroy everything in creation, and once again he was being asked to be at the center of things-to turn the tide. His full awareness back under his command once more along with all the sorrow and heartbreak.

Thinking of the last command that his Goddess had given him, he sent his awareness out to probe the location of Hunter. Invisible to others he came across as a shining light to Luxfer, pinpointing him in the realm he'd claimed. The same realm that J'ova had offered him so many centuries ago. My realm I guess. He continued watching, assessing the man that Hunter had become. If they were to become partners and work together to overcome evil he would need to know everything prior to making his presence known.

With the barrier below no longer requiring his full attention he moved a small part of himself to Hell, invisible. Darkness assaulted him as he did, latching on to the small bit of essence that had materialized. It picked him up and violently thrashed him back and forth, finishing up by washing over him and expelling him from Hell. Luxfer drew back, dazed. He hadn't anticipated to be so brutally attacked. Whatever guards Hunter had posted around himself seemed to be working. They were powerful enough to eject an unwary Luxfer from the realm in moments. He smiled, a partnership with Hunter seemed well worth forming!

Concentrating, he sent out a thought to Hunter, wondering if the guard would allow it to get through. "Hunter. The barrier holding the Brethren in place is failing. Heed me. Mother needs us. All existence needs us, and we must work together."

Hunter's head jerked around at the sound of struggle from his darkness. She'd mentally sounded a warning to him before launching herself into whatever had tried to get into Hell. A short silence followed the quick intense moment, "Nothing to fear, my love. Whatever that was, it won't be back too quickly. I've made sure of that."

He smiled. The darkness had proven to be a formidable friend. She would destroy anything that came anywhere near him with wrong intentions. Turning back to survey the training of those below, he replied "I never fear with you at my side. How do you think the new recruits are holding up? Do we need to push them harder?"

The darkness swirled around her masters' body, caressing "Never fear. They will be ready. I'll make sure of that. Those who disappoint us will be taken care of." She felt the thoughts of the intruder she'd just ejected trying to get to her lover and quickly smothered them, "and those who try to meddle will be dealt with harshly."

## Chapter 5

The clash of sparring swords littered the air as Michael ducked underneath an inept swing by the warrior before him. He swung his own straight back around in a reverse arc that took his opponents legs out from under him, leaving him in a heap on the floor. He shook his head, disgusted at the performance of those they were training. Few if any, showing potential to make any difference in their upcoming battle with Hell. "Is this a waste of time, brother?" he asked of Uriel who had been watching him.

Uriel looked around the grounds at the thousand so-called warriors in training, "It appears so Michael. I could take the whole lot of them on myself and be having lunch with you in an hour."

Gabriel wandered over to the two, having overheared the conversation. He placed a gentle hand on Michael's shoulder, "They will always look like children to the likes of us, brothers. I sometimes try to think back to when we began our training wondering if this is the level we began at." The sound of bodies hitting the ground made him turn and look. Raphael stood over the three fallen trainees he'd just taken down without a weapon, "although I can't recall ever being quite this inept."

Putting an arm around the two, he added "We make do with what we've been given. No matter how unskilled we think this group is. We always remember, they're being trained by the greatest warriors ever known-us! Something is bound to rub off on them. The enemy won't have this advantage. Anyone that Hunter throws our way will be even more inept than these and won't have the benefit of being led by the greatest generals in history. This war," he continued "won't be won by having the biggest or mightiest army. Remember the ultimate aim. Every single one of them that falls, from each side will weaken both Hunter and J'ova."

Shaking his head as he caught Rafael taking down another six warriors, "Let's promote these and get them to take over the training. We've better things to be concentrating on."

## Chapter 6

Footsteps echoed off the tiled walls as the young woman strode towards the old man's room. Only the single guard covering the entrance had questioned her presence, and he had been easily diverted. Every part of her outfit was black, from the knee-high boots that covered the lower part of her leather pants to the long overcoat covering the skin-tight top. The ponytail of her hair swinging back and forth across her back with each step she took.

The small touch of power she had weaved through her essence making sure that everyone who saw her quickly looked away, not taking any notice. When they were inevitably questioned later, their answers would be vague and inconsistent. No descriptions would ever be noted of the individuals attired in black with a sword strapped across their backs.

The Children of the Light would forever remain anonymous to the masses.

She turned left at the end of the hall knowing exactly where the old man's room was. Not like it's the first time I've been here.

Toby lay propped up in bed, an open book in his lap, looking around. The past twelve months had been spent living here. 'If you can call this living,' he thought, 'more like staying as comfortable as possible before the end.' His entire life had been torn apart after emerging from the darkness of his coma.

The only person in the world that meant a shred to him was dead, murdered at the hands of some psychotic killer who remained uncaught. Her daughter was still missing, presumed dead by authorities. The culprit still running free. Were they the same? Were the kidnapping and murder linked? Or were they both only the initial part of a greater plan to get at him?

He thought back to the books he'd written. Did I unwittingly place Ren in this position?

Toby understood the way life worked better than most of humanity. Being a priest had given him the insight to one side of it, being chosen by the Goddess the other. These two aspects of his life had given him an intellectual knowledge of how grief operated but had been a poor teacher when it came to the emotional cost.

Early on grief would take a hold on him in a life crushing squeeze. Leaving him unable to breathe. No sooner had one wave subsided when there would be another giant wave just waiting to take him under. The tiniest thing would set off a new one. Twelve months on, the waves had slowly moved apart. Grief could still bring him to his knees but he knew the next might take a few days, or even weeks before it hit. Breathing room that allowed him a normal life in-between.

Now and again he would consider the things which had occurred, wondering if he had made a mistake. Perhaps he had interpreted the Goddess' vision incorrectly. He understood the futility in these thoughts and would mentally scold himself each time. The thoughts however, kept coming-and for the first time in his life, the voice of his Goddess stayed silent no matter how hard he prayed or screamed at her.

A choked sob escaped his throat, "Oh Ren. I should have just kept my mouth shut and not involved you in any of this."

A low chuckle made him look towards the open door, "That would be a first for you, old man. I'd be disappointed if you started to keep your opinions to yourself."

Stunned at the voice, his mouth made several attempts at speech but failed to utter a single sound. "Can't believe I finally found a way to make you speechless padre. And to think, all it took was for me to die and then show up here. Would've done it sooner if I'd known."

Toby's hands clenched on the sheets of his bed as he took in the smiling face of his adopted daughter, "Ren? Is that really you?"

Ren smiled at him, enjoying the moment "Take it easy old man. Don't want you having a heart attack on me now. Not after everything I've gone through to get here."

The old man relaxed the death grip he had taken on the sheets and exhaled, "They told me you were dead!"

Ren walked over to the padre, hugging him, "Funny that, they told me the same thing!"

~~~~~

She pulled back from the hug but held on to the father's hand, ignoring the tears falling down his face. "Come. Get out of bed and walk with me a little. You must be sick of lying down so much with only yourself for company."

Father Toby moved himself into a seated position on the bed, expecting the pain to take hold. Instead, he felt completely energized. Throwing back the covers of the bed, he stood and took Ren's hand. They strolled out of his room towards a lounge area two doors down. "Feels so good to be out and about. Amazing how it's the little things you end up missing the most," He locked eyes with Ren, "not including the people of course."

The smile on her face grew wider, "Thanks old man. Good to know that my time on this planet actually made an impact on someone." Closing the door to the sounds of a medical emergency alarm that had begun to wail in the corridor, she guided them to an empty spot on the large couch.

"Won't be long now until those alarms are for me, I guess", the father said as he sat.

"Death comes to us all eventually padre. There's nothing to be scared of. Of all people, you should know that it isn't the end. More exists."

Father Toby sat forwards, elbows on his knees and his hands clasped under his chin, "I should know better, that's true Ren. But let me tell you now. There's a world of difference in knowing something in your head and actually living through it. I know there's more. I've felt the presence of the Goddess and yet, doubts persist. It's only when you live through something that you can truly comprehend it. Your death and the following months taught me that. Even having you here, in front of me won't remove it, I think. There's a doubting Thomas that lives in each of us, regardless of how much faith we hold."

Ren made herself comfortable, leaning back into the couch, "I'm so sorry I put you through that padre. It's one of the shittier things that we go through as part of living. Wish I could change it. There is a different side to it all though. Which brings me to why I'm here. Get comfy old man and enjoy someone else telling a story for once."

She looked off into the distance gathering her thoughts, "I guess I should begin just before my murder, though I won't dwell on that particular event. The Only thing important about that part of my life is that I died. Regardless of how it came about. I only had one thought going through my head- Bonnie. Was she still alive and OK? What would she do without me here to guide her? Would she stay the little angel I knew or would my death turn her into a crazed psychotic? All questions that any parent would have about their children. I was distraught, even in death. So much so that I wasn't even paying attention to what was happening around me.

When I finally started to pay attention to my surroundings I found myself standing in a queue, waiting for judgment. Billions of other souls in front of me standing in complete silence. I look back on it now and think how ridiculous it was yet at the time, it seemed the most natural thing to do.

I don't know how long I stood there. Time passes differently within the different realms. All I know is one moment I was quietly standing in line and the next, I was sitting on this huge divan-staring at my daughter!"

She took a moment to gauge the old man's reaction. To her amazement she saw him sitting there paying rapt attention. Questions clearly on his mind yet he waited for her to finish her story before asking. 'I shouldn't have expected anything less from the old man,' she thought, 'if nothing else-he knows how to listen to stories!'

She breathed deep trying to clear her thoughts. This was the first time she'd actually tried to articulate what had happened and it wasn't coming as easily as she thought it would. Then it struck her. This was the padre she was talking to. All his life he'd dealt with the visions that the Goddess would send his way. That was the way forward! She reached out and covered his eyes with the palm of her hand, "This should make it easier for both of us old man. Sit back and watch."

~~~~~

D'HarmaSan reached out and grabbed Ren's soul from the throng waiting in line to learn their fate. This was one soul J'ova would not be judging. She owed Ren a debt and the Goddess always paid her dues.

Moving her to the sphere she currently lived in, D'HarmaSan created a beautiful divan for Ren to sit on. Trying to ease her into the things they were about to discuss. Showing up in the form of Bonnie had been a deliberate decision on her part. Ren would need to get used to the fact that the mind of a Goddess now lived within the body of her daughter. She would understand once she realized what the alternatives had been. She prepared herself for what she was about to put Ren through as she watched her materialize on the couch.

A stunned Ren leaned forward towards Bonnie. She headed this off, "No Ren. This body may be that of your daughters but her spirit is no longer the only entity within it. I am the Goddess D'HarmaSan, soon to be the Goddess Bonnie I guess." Leaning back on the divan she let a touch of her power move through the body, making it a little older and tinged with a small part of her previous form. The woman that now looked back at Ren appeared to be in her early twenties rather than the eight-year-old that had been sitting there. "This is much better. I wasn't really looking forward to going through puberty, anyway. Perks of being a Goddess."

Shock ran through Ren's body at the sight before her. The woman still exhibited parts of what were her daughter; the voice that spoke however, was ageless, filled with wisdom. "I think I would have died of a heart attack-if I wasn't already dead... My Goddess?"

Bonnie's laughter echoed across the entire cavern, her entire body shaking with it, "Oh hell No! Not from you!" She leaned towards Ren, tears of laughter still falling down her cheeks, "Listen babe, I get enough of that groveling crap from everyone else. We've been through way too much for you to be paying homage to me, or for me to even want it for that matter. That's never been my style, though some of the other Gods have gained a taste for it, amongst other less desirable things.

"But that discussion is for later on. First things first, a question. How much of what you've read or been told by father Toby do you actually believe Ren?"

"The truth? I guess you could say I was ambivalent about his stories originally. Not really believing it but at the same time not dismissing them. They were definitely great stories that would sell-that much I was certain of and I came to care deeply for the old man. He believed every word, without doubt. At the time, well, let's just say I was little skeptical."

"At the time?"

Ren took a moment to gather her thoughts again. "Yes. At the time. When all the stuff happened with Bonnie and Hunter, Michael... Gabriel; it kinda makes you look at things a little differently. Truth is, I haven't had a chance to think and digest it all."

Looking around herself, she added "and finding myself here, after dying-that definitely puts a different light on it even more. Makes me lean more towards believing the padre's story, I guess."

Bonnie pursed her lips in thought, "I guess that's a good a place to start as any. Let me try to fill in some of the gaps for you.

"Point one, I created everything you see around you at the moment. Your entire existence is based on my intervention over millennia. This is a fact, pure and simple. Now, just because I created everything does not mean that I control everything. All creatures in this universe have free will to choose as they decide best. It's always been my one true hope that the majority would choose what I consider being the right option. Doing so would put them on the path of enlightenment Ren. Allowing them to eventually rise to the same level of being that I am.

"I'm not all-powerful and all-knowing as some would have you believe. The truth is that I struggle with decisions the same as everyone else, and sometimes, well let's just say that even a Goddess can make a mistake now and again. One of those mistakes almost cost me my life. We'll come to those in a minute, though. Let's start with some of the good stuff.

"Humans are an unbelievable and incredible species, Ren. Without prompting, guidance or any input of any sort from the Gods, they've managed to find their way to creating unique souls. I didn't create them like this Ren, they made these themselves! And they didn't stop there. Some of these clever little things figured out something even before I did! They learned how to reincarnate their own essence over several lifetimes! I only just figured that out myself.

"It really proves my point about this whole experiment. The potential that can grow here is beyond even my imagining, and while I was quite happy to not interfere up to this point, now, well the other Gods are forcing my hand. Each of them has taken to creating their own versions of reality Ren. Some of them are even creating multiple versions. I can no longer sit on the sidelines and hope everything will be okay. Steps need to be taken."

She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Ren, "I want you to help me with this. These clever little souls, these wise ones must be protected. If the other Gods learn of their existence, I have no doubt that they will collaborate to destroy them. They will see them as a threat to their own existence and take action. I don't think this should be allowed. Will you help me Ren?"

Ren sat back on the divan thinking over recent events. Her one and only concern, Bonnie, had now transitioned into a Divine Being. Exceeded my expectations for her I guess. I thought she might grow up to be a doctor or something equally important. Becoming a Goddess? That clearly trumps anything I could have wished for her. "One question Goddess. Why me? You've got powerful individuals at your command. People like Hunter, Michael and others no doubt, yet you tap a nobody like me on the shoulder for help. Why? And where would I even begin this? I know nothing of these wise-ones you mentioned."

"There's a few reasons for this Ren. All lining up like it was fated. I feel I owe you a debt for taking Bonnie away from you although the alternative would have been much worse. Those others that you mention, Hunter, Michael... the others? Let's just say that the future paths that are in front of them are not quite clear to me. Too many things are happening which have the potential to take their focus away from this or any other task I give them. As to your last question. I can't tell you much about these wise ones. I've only felt their existence while I slumbered and joined with this body. I don't know how many there are, or where they dwell, but I do know where you can begin. And that's the final reason I chose you, Ren. There is one wise one whom I do know. You see Ren, the first one I'm one hundred percent sure is one of these wise ones is none other than your old buddy, the padre.

"And there's no one else I would trust to bring this truth to him because if I don't miss my guess, he'll outright reject that he is one."

Toby's eyes cleared as images of the Goddess faded from his mind. She had never led him astray as yet but this time a twinge of doubt entered his mind. Wise one? Me? I think maybe someone needs to review that decision! "Are you certain about this Ren? I have no memories of having lived other lives before this one. No special knowledge in this chestnut of a brain. Could the Goddess be mistaken?"

"I don't have the answers to that padre. I can only tell you that She believes it. Personally, if I had to lay a bet on it, you would be my choice. There's definitely more in that head of yours than you know. I just feel it."

"Feelings aside Ren, I know nothing more than what I've already written about. All those are just stories that the Goddess imparted. I'm not special! Why me?"

Ren smiled at hearing the same words she had uttered to the Goddess coming from the padre. "I know how you feel Toby and trust me when I say that I feel the same way, but tell me honestly-if you had to choose, who would you pick? If something like this is happening, we might as well be involved! Beats just hanging out in line waiting to be judged. Besides, my daughter now lives as part of the Goddess. Ain't no way I wouldn't take her side. Right or wrong."

"So where do we begin then Ren? Like I said, I've got no special knowledge, there's nothing extra inside this peanut brain."

"I have a little insight in to that padre and a theory. When I first passed, my only thoughts were about Bonnie and what would happen to her without me. As I stood in that line, little fragmented bits of thoughts came to me. Tiny pieces of previous lives. Now, I'm no wise one but I'm thinking that perhaps the full knowledge collected by each of us only becomes available again once we cross over. If that's the way it works, then all the information we need will come to you eventually!"

Toby shook his head as he pondered Ren's words, "That would mean that I'm useless to you Ren, until I die. Do we have time to wait for that to happen?"

"Sorry to break the news to you like this padre, but that process began the moment we walked out of your room.

"Welcome to the afterlife father."

Toby moved his head around taking in the room, a twinkle in his eye, "Not exactly what I was expecting but no real disappointment though." his gaze came to rest on Ren, "I've heard of these so-called wise ones in my studies Ren. I'm not exactly happy to have my name mentioned in the same sentence."

"Why not padre? From what Bonnie told me I figured they would be the ones that have found the right path!"

Toby brought his clasped hands up in front of his face like he always did when about to impart knowledge, "Let me tell you what I've learned of these wise ones.

"The people that I've researched in my life, my former life, which took the mantle of 'wise one' believe that they are reincarnations of earlier beings who existed. Now I won't ever deny that, for I truly believe that there are those amongst us who do so. The ones I've come across though all believe that they were sorcerers, witches, shamans and high priests of one sort or another. They go around claiming to be 'this' or 'that' and mostly, they part fools with their money, justifying it to themselves in many ways.

"How could I possibly ever learn what it feels to live different lives if all I've ever done is the same damn thing over and over again Ren? Not once did I come across any single one that claimed they were a peasant or slave or just ordinary in any way. I would be more impressed if some of them claimed that they had been homeless, abused or tortured. Learning through actual experience and struggling in some way!

"They seem to believe that they were put here to teach others and dish out advice. They absolutely love to do so, and while there's nothing wrong with that per-se, they get upset that others continue to ask for advice.

"Answer me this Ren. What kind of teacher would get upset that those they wish to teach continuously ask them questions? Or worse, take issue with the fact that some of their students won't heed them? That's being self-centered Ren, not wise!"

Pausing for a moment, he allowed Ren time to take in what he was saying. Walking over to the open window and looking down, "Maybe these poor souls are on the path to becoming a wise one and this is one lesson they must learn. I don't know, makes a sort of perverted sense I guess. Their minds need to be opened a little more.

"We both know that the Gods are not foolproof, Ren. They make mistakes and misjudge! Even my own beloved Goddess has admitted to doing so, and she created everything we see! No Ren, I refuse to don this mantle of wise-one if this is what's expected of me. Far too many people have I seen walk the dark path when they so righteously believed themselves to be so damn good! So many giving sermons about evil and then doing the same damn thing behind locked doors somehow defending the wicked acts within their minds.

"This world Ren, may not be completely evil but we come damn close. So very few people actually perform acts of good for no other reason than doing so. There's always some sort of reward associated with it. Some small wish to ease a troubled mind, to balance the scales. To become a martyr or a saint.

"They visit their churches the required minimum hoping to avoid Hell. Once again not because they wish to be closer to their God but to avoid punishment.

"They confess their sins to their priests, again to avoid punishment and not because they're truly sorry!

"The very religious ignorance that brought us hundreds upon hundreds of different forms of war. As humans, we twist things around to conform to what we believe. Even the word itself Ren! The modern word religion is derived from the Latin word religio. Let me enlighten you. Its meaning? An individual virtue of worship. It was never meant to be a doctrine or practice, let alone the ultimate source of truth! The original word was about the individual's form of worship. An individual's relationship with their God or Goddess!

"Unlike what every person would have you believe these days Ren, true relationships are not formed on the basis of how many people see it on social media or how many of your friends like it or how many times you call each other babe or honey. True love and relationships come from the light, love and interaction of people and their Gods.

"And that, we're failing at. Miserably.

"Look around you, even today Ren. The stories that you printed regarding the Goddess not that long ago, my own words. At this very moment, they are being used in sermons and lectures that support different opinions. All taken out of context. I know of at least two different ministries out there which have been founded upon the words in a couple of paragraphs alone! One mass shooting of innocents based on one warped individual, who probably didn't even read the entire book! Killings performed in the name of my Goddess. I warned her this might happen! Told her to think twice!"

Ren sat back taking in everything Toby had just told her.

This was the first time she'd heard him say these things and it only confirmed her suspicions that Bonnie had chosen correctly.

In her own small view of the world, the only souls that would have reached such an approximation of perfection would be those that denied they were. Those who actually considered themselves a wise-one would still have a long path to travel. "All that padre is the exact reason I need you. Let's put aside the question of whether you belong on the list or not. You do agree there are those out there, somewhere, who may have attained or are on the path to achieving it, don't you?"

"Of course Ren. I don't see there would be much point to anything at all in life if that wasn't the case."

"Then help me find them, padre. Help keep me on the right track. Let's find these wise ones and get them somewhere out of harm's way. It may not be completely altruistic of me but it might let me balance out my own ledger. At least let a little good come out of my own selfishness."

Padre Toby smiled at how Ren had turned his own words around in the discussion, "That's the one thing I've always loved about you Ren. You learn quickly. Where do we begin?"

Returning his smile, Ren said "I've given that a little thought padre. Finding them would be useless if we have nowhere for them to stay safe. Where in all of existence can we possibly hide these wise souls who probably shine brighter than the rest of us combined? Where would they be safe, away from the prying eyes of the other Gods? There's only one place I could think of.

"Hell."

## Chapter 7

Ebrum considered himself greater than the rest of his brothers combined. They had failed to foresee the ramifications of D'HarmaSan's experiment. Only he had seen the potential chaos and destruction that would come out of it and taken protective action. The version of the universe he created did not contain any of the mistakes the goddess had made in hers. Free will was a useless notion and not required at all, just enough different populations who all worshiped and prayed to him daily. Not that he paid any attention to their desires, dreams, hopes or prayers. He had no time, patience or need to fulfill any of those or the desire to listen to their useless rants.

Each planet in his version of reality contained the same individual, endlessly working towards powering him with their own essence. That's all that mattered from any of this, power.

With all her talk about free will and love, D'HarmaSan had learned that particular lesson the hard way. Only the Gods held the power and capability to determine the course of events. The lesser beings were too fragile and inept to be allowed its use. That one small oversight on her part had led to the current dilemma they all found themselves in. His little sister had paid the price. She was now either dead or as close to it as possible for a God.

He would miss her and the endless mischief she got up to. It had helped passed the time in the years before this madness had begun. 'At least I won't have to destroy her as I will the others.'

His other siblings were a different matter entirely. He was looking forward to their destruction. Every single one had been nothing but a pain throughout his existence. Forever debating and arguing over inconsequential things and not seeing the truth behind it all. I mean, all they need to do is listen to me! To shut their damn mouths for a moment and pay attention! But no, not them. Yap, yap, yap... Should have taken care of them a long time ago.

Thinking back to the purpose of their meeting, he plucked one individual from his universe out of their present reality and brought them to him. Every being within his realm looked the same to him. 'This one will do', he thought, 'you can be the one I send to Hunter. After all, my brother are of no consequence and will soon be dealt with. Let them believe what they will.'

Waving his hand, he sent the selected warrior to the agreed upon location, 'Not long to go now and everything in creation will worship me. I AM the one and only God!'

Across other realms in different realities four other deities had just finished up similar conversations with themselves. All claiming to be the one and only and all believing themselves supreme. Each at war with the others.

## Chapter 8

Leaving Toby to continue his investigations into the wise ones, Ren left to try and find where Hell resided. After much time discussing it with the padre, they both felt the most logical place to start would be the realm where she'd been taken from by the Goddess, the line waiting to be judged by the God J'ova. It made sense as this was the only place they actually knew of where the search could begin, their knowledge of the other realms lacking in clarity.

With a quick goodbye to the padre she vanished from his sight and materialized well away from the gates behind which the God had his throne. The place least likely to get caught out.

She looked around. Everything was as she remembered. Utter silence from the throng surrounding her. Every soul waiting patiently in line, ready to be judged. All eyes staring straight ahead.

'Incredible to think that I just up and went along with this. When so much wonder, joy and happiness is around us the afterlife should not be this gray!' She moved forward on foot. Distance had no meaning.

Days passed without incident, each identical to the last. The gates coming closer into view the only change. The souls surrounding her were dressed in antique outfits. No doubt she'd passed through generations of them without realizing. None gave her a second look, each having eyes only for the upcoming gates and their turn at judgment She shook her head, 'Would they actually do anything if they realized that they were all going to Hell?' Thinking back to the time that she herself had spent standing in the line she added, 'Probably not. Nothing else mattered to me except for those damn gates when I was here!'

The gates in question were only about half a mile in front of her and she had been hearing the decision of J'ova for the past half day. Without fail, all had been found wanting and moved on. Not once had she heard him grant entry into his heaven. 'Must be lonely in there for anyone that's actually made it!'

She moved slowly through the line approaching the front. A flash of light caught her attention for a moment. Peering closer, she saw a gorgeous young man in armor motioning to the next in line. The soul trudged forward through the gates. A moment later, the booming voice uttered the words that she had come to detest, "Unredeemable. Let the Dark One handle you."

Another flash as the God's light shone against the young man's armor again. The arm motioning for the next soul that had waited centuries for this split second in time to move forward. The time had come. She would not get another chance. Moving quickly to the next person that waited, she casually moved to the place in front of him. He stood there saying nothing. Not complaining about her cutting in the line before him. She shrugged her shoulders. 'You've waited who-knows-how-long and yet don't argue when someone skips in front of you. That should count on the positive for you!' Smiling to herself and knowing full well that nothing they did seemed to make a difference to the judgments being made.

The voice of the God sounded again, followed by the flash of light. Her turn had come. Time to go to Hell.

Trying to imitate the walk of those around her, she ambled towards the throne where the God sat. Hoping that no one would notice that the way she was clothed was absolutely nothing like those who had come before. Her worries were for nothing as she stopped to listen to her own judgment. The God didn't even bother looking at her. She peered closer and realized that he wasn't even truly there. This was just an apparition of the God. All the talk of judgment, redemption and salvation she'd been led to believe while she still lived had been a lie. J'ova hadn't even bothered to take the task her Goddess had given him seriously. The illusion sitting before her would give the same outcome regardless of who stood in front of it. The voice bounced off the walls around her as the illusion of the God faded, "Unredeemable. Let the Dark One handle you."

~~~~~

Her senses returned and she found herself in a dark, slimy cavern. The smell of sulfur surrounding her. 'Is there something in the burning smell of sulfur that we all associate with depravity?' She smiled. Getting into Hell had been easier than she had thought it would be. The smile fading quickly once she took a good look around.

From what the Goddess had told her, Hell had been a place created out of pure love. She could picture Hunter in charge of that version. What she saw all around her however was plain misery. Complete darkness and the absence of love.

It didn't tie in with what the Goddess had told her about Luxfer, Hunter or Hell. Something else was going on. 'Have I come to the wrong Hell? Is there more than one version of it?' She would need to keep her wits sharp until she found Hunter and understood what was going on.

Taking two strides, she reached out her hand to the door holding her in the cell. It looked impenetrable yet opened at the slightest touch from her fingers. 'Bonnie was right about that part. The realms respond to our mental thoughts. I would have been locked in there forever if I didn't realize that. As above, so below. Better be careful what I wish for while I'm here, cos it damn well is gonna happen!'

Not having any knowledge of the ways or layout of Hell, she turned left at the door and began the trek down the long corridor, walking for what seemed like hours before catching herself for the first time. There was no need for her to walk like this. Distance had no meaning when it was all in her head! 'Damn! No sooner did I tell myself to be careful than I began to walk like I expected the corridor to be long.'

Sitting down, she crossed her legs and meditated a little. 'The mind is so powerful that we delude ourselves without even knowing. Much greater care needs to be taken. This happened to me and I understood exactly what was happening!' She stood dusting off her leather pants, "Lesson learned."

Ren's voice bounced off the walls around her, "Lesson learned, again. For the hundredth time!" Frustrated at herself for once more falling prey to her own internal thoughts.

She had thought momentarily that she should be dying of thirst as she had not had a drink in hours and her mind had completely altered the reality around her to suit. She sank to her knees and began crawling as though she was traversing the largest desert on Earth. Parched, with no water. No end in sight. Her death assured.

It was only when her head fell onto the floor that she remembered where she was and screamed in fury. Frustration giving over to anger. Slapping herself hard across the cheek, she stood back up. Once more in control of herself and ready to go.

The darkness watched on. So many times now this particular soul had found a way out of its own torture. No other soul had ever done so and she was intrigued. For the first time she took a much closer at one of the damned, probing deeper into her mind.

Visions of the woman playing with her daughter sprung forth with clarity. Utter devotion and pure love. Maybe that was the key to to the woman's power. Pure love would easily see through the self-created tortures of their own mind and allow her to break the spell. She pushed deeper into Ren's memories trying to understand more. Love of a daughter could not possibly be all there was to it.

A life filled with both the lowest points of sadness and despair and the highest joys of pure love for her daughter and husband. Nothing amazingly clever or new in any of it. Nothing that gave this woman any special insights into the ways of Hell. Intrigued, the darkness went further still.

'Hunter!' She screamed within the confines of her own essence. 'This woman knows the Lord. She knows my love!' She brought more of her attention back to the smiling woman, snaking her essence deeper still. 'Not only does she know him but she's in love with my man! NO! This cannot be! He belongs to me, always!'

Ren looked up as the atmosphere around her got heavier. Somehow darker and more angry. It felt like a living presence. 'No, not again. There is nothing real about any of this. Remember yourself. You create this reality. The darkness is nothing but that, darkness.' She took a few steps towards it, determined to walk right through it, telling herself that it didn't exist other than within her mind.

The swirling dark however, had different ideas. Ren's body almost bounced backward as it met a physical resistance that she hadn't anticipated. 'This isn't the same. Something else is happening here. Keep a blank mind, think nothing. If I am creating this, it will disappear because it is not real.'

The darkness continued to swirl in concentric circles in front of her. Slowly taking on the shape of a woman. Identical in form to herself. Closing her eyes to it, she spoke aloud "This is not real. I created this reality and you are not part of it." She took a half step back on opening her eyes. The swirling mist no longer existed. Instead she was looking upon her own face, with a slight alien cast to it. The eyes a little more angled, the jawline a tad squarer. "What the Hell have I gotten myself into now?"

"More than you can imagine I would say. Tell me Ren, how is it that you know our Master? What is it that you are here for? Come, Speak! I cannot help you if you won't."

Ren hesitated, still wondering if this was actually happening or if it was but another torture her own mind was dreaming up for her. "I've come to talk to Hunter. To ask him a favor."

"What, exactly does this favor entail? What makes you sneak into our realm under false pretense and search out the master?"

"I came here to ask Hunter for a safe spot for certain individuals that need protecting. I couldn't think of a better place for them than here, under his guidance." She paused taking in the feeling of hate emanating from the feminine figure before her. Her female intuition literally screaming that something else was at play. Something yet unknown. She would hold back further information until she saw Hunter. He was the only one she trusted.

The woman turned her back on Ren and casually walked down the next corridor. Looking back she said, "Come then Ren. Let me take you the Master so that you can make your request. He is but a short distance from here." Pointing a hand at a door in the distance, "in fact, three doors down is where you will find him."

Ren reassessed her feelings towards the woman. Perhaps being in Hell was causing her intuition to play up. After all the different weird and warped realities her own mind had conjured, the possibility was real. She would keep her guard up but follow. Nothing would be gained by not doing so. "Thank you. I don't know how much longer I could have kept going without any help."

The darkness stopped in front of the door she had pointed out, hand poised on the handle. "It's truly my pleasure Ren. My only thoughts are to protect the master, nothing more. If all you are here for is to ask a favor, then he should know. After all, it is his realm." Turning the handle, the darkness opened the door revealing a brightly lit room. Hunter sat on a throne at the far end, a scepter casually held in one hand. His head adorned with a golden crown.

The words left her mouth as she flew across the room, "Hunter!"

She reached him before he had managed to get up fully from his seat, hanging onto him tightly until she felt him force her arms away from his body. Looking into his face, she was met with a scowl, anger coming off him like a heat wave, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hunter? It's me. Ren!"

"I know who you are bitch! What makes you think you can just walk in here expecting anything after everything you've put me through?"

The voices trailed off as the Darkness closed the door on the couple, a smile of satisfaction crossing her features as she created locks to ensure there would be no escape. Ren had finally found her Hell, and this time the darkness would ensure she didn't break out of it easily.

## Chapter 9

The five individuals chosen by the Gods to help Hunter in the war against J'ova stood just outside the entry to Hell. Each of them imbued with some of their Gods essence. Powerful, minor deities in their own right.

On the surface they had been sent to help, within each however, lay the seeds of different instructions from their respective God. Help the dark one achieve victory but be on the lookout for a chance to take out the rest. They waited.

The darkness stirred, assessing the powers each of them held. They were unaware she was even present, expecting only Hunter. Easing towards the nearest one she probed deep. 'Powerful, but not nearly as powerful as my beloved. You stand but children in a playground. Easily handled.' Moving across the five she found the hidden instructions within each of them. 'The Gods show a distinct lack of respect for my Lord. They would be better off fearing him instead of trying to deceive, then he might show mercy. These actions will only bring misery and pain to them all.'

She kept probing. 'It is a wonder that my love survived at all without me. Every time I come across one of these individuals they wish him nothing but harm! They all want to destroy him. Evil must rule the worlds outside this realm. How much suffering did my poor darling go through when he was surrounded by nothing but evil all this time.'

She pulled back, preparing to report the five to Hunter, 'Never again will I allow him to place himself in such danger. Not from the likes of these, the Gods or that bitch that showed up. Never!'

One hundred meters behind the five, Luxfer watched from the darkness of a sheltered grotto. The beings standing before the entrance to Hell were powerful entities in their own right and would wait and see how Hunter's guards handled them to better prepare himself for entry.

A frown marred his features as he witnessed the darkness gather around them. They five stood still, unaware they were already being assessed. No one in creation apart from Hunter and himself should have that kind of power and yet the creature he saw exuded the same symptoms of internal light as his own. Perhaps Hunter had created this creature from a part of his own being. That would explain it. He continued to watch, paying closer attention to the dark being.

It swirled and coalesced into a semi-transparent form in front of the five. Luxfer cocked his head a little, 'Definitely female in form, yet they still don't see her. Interesting! Maybe not quite as powerful as I originally thought.'

The dark woman kept her attention fixed on the five before her. Bits of dark smoke moving through each of them before returning to her outstretched hand. 'She sends her own essence within each one. Going deeper than they know. By the time she's finished, she'll know them better than they know themselves. Nothing will be kept secret.' He nodded and tipped an imaginary hat to Hunter, 'Well done. The perfect guardian! She even caught me off guard the first time.'

Luxfer watched as the female form turned to march through the entrance, the five following behind her, having passed her inspection without realizing. Waiting a heartbeat before striding toward the same opening, completely cloaked and unnoticed. She would not know of his presence until he decided it would happen. He would only approach Hunter once he was convinced about all that was happening.

Standing in perfect formation, the five waited for Hunter in the large cavern that the female had taken them to. The dark entity now a swirling mist surrounding each with only a hint of the outline of the woman Luxfer had seen outside to be seen. 'Almost as if she hides her true form.' he thought turning his gaze to his own created son.

Hunter paced in front of the beings that the darkness had just brought before him, probing each as they passed, judging their power. They all stood almost identical in strength. Nowhere near as powerful as himself but combined they would prove a worthy adversary, sending a silent question to the darkness, 'Will they stand united against our enemies?'

The darkness coalesced for a moment outlining the face of a woman. Ruby red lips parted against Hunter's ear, "Absolutely love. They harbor a different agenda deep within but they all have instructions to do what they must to gain your trust. At the same time they will be looking for any opening to either destroy one of the others or you. If we never give them that opening they will do as we wish."

"We already have an army at our disposal. A trusted army that will march on my word and meet the enemy head-on. Each of our warriors more powerful than those they will meet. Of what possible use can these five be to us? Do the Gods really believe that I will trust them just because they send five warriors to help in the struggle? So late in the game? Can they think me so gullible?"

"I can only give you my opinion based on what I've witnessed so far together with what I felt within each of these my love."

"And what do you think?"

"These Gods you mention absolutely believe that you will be taken in that easily. Each of the individuals you see before you has been created with the belief that they are more powerful than the next. An imitation of what their creators think! They will try to outdo each other to gain your trust, only to turn on you and deliver you up to their masters. All of them, without fail are so proud of the being they are.

"That is a weakness that we can use against them. They already believe themselves to be individually better than the rest. We use that to keep them under control and reach our goals. We use that to crush our enemies. And when we're done with them, we use them to destroy their masters!"

Hunter walked back to his chair and sat, "And the best way to use them would be?"

Luxfer's voice echoed throughout the chamber as Hunter sat, "Why not send the five to take care of Gabriel and Michael?"

Hunter had risen halfway out of his chair before realizing who the voice belonged to. The darkness swelled around him in protection. Coiled, ready to pounce. She'd been caught unawares, 'Get ready love. This one is very powerful and crafty. I've removed him once already and yet he shows up again unannounced.'

"Slow down, relax. He's no threat to us." He got up and walked straight up to Luxfer, "I was told you no longer existed Luxfer. That the only parts left of you were holding the Brethren at bay as part of the barrier. What's happened to change all that?"

Luxfer took his time taking in his surroundings. This entire realm reached out to his being, filling him with hope and joy. Not once in his entire existence had he felt like this, like he belonged. Even the dark entity weaving a protective barrier around Hunter felt like an old friend. "The Brethren no longer hold our attention the way they used to Hunter. They are no longer the threat we believed them to be. In fact," he added as he strode to look at the five, "I don't think they ever truly were. I think we made a huge mistake at the time, confusing their apathy with evil. True evil exists Hunter. We were just looking in the wrong place for it. These five who stand here before you, they're the agents of where evil really lurks. Those that call themselves Gods are finally showing their real nature to us."

The darkness curled herself around Hunter, confusion coursing through her being. Her master sat within the cocoon barrier she had weaved and yet, the stranger before her called to her. Even more so than when her love had first arrived, torn and bloody. She inspected him, trying to probe within his exterior, searching for the truth.

Luxfer motioned to her with his open hand, inviting her towards him, "Please. Delve deeper. I hide nothing from either one of you. You have nothing to fear."

She paused uncertain of the correct action to take. Her master knew the individual in front of her and considered him a friend. She couldn't detect even the tiniest wisp of power emanating from him, yet knew that he was powerful. It was almost like this person and her master were one and the same, and then it struck home. Luxfer! The Original lord of the realm! Hunter's memories had lain open to her from the moment he'd arrived needing to recover and Luxfer had been a part of those. Her confusion compounded. Do I now have two masters? I was created to serve one. My entire being attached to my love.

Luxfer smiled at the darkness knowing what she was going through. Every rock and grain of sand in this realm was speaking, guiding and filling him with knowledge. Only she held the power though. "Please. Let's all take a moment."

Turning his attention back to Hunter, he pointed a thumb back over his shoulder, "Sending these against Gabriel has the potential of ending this war before it even begins. If they manage to take out the brothers, their army is done. J'ova wouldn't know what to do. We can use that as leverage to get what we need from him. If they fail, then we've taken out the most powerful beings that the other five Gods currently have. We can use that as leverage to get what we want from them. Either way is to our advantage. We seem to be caught in war where we have different enemies lined up against us. The only advantage we have is that they aren't working together. Keeping them divided will make our lives much easier."

Hunter leaned forward in his chair, hands clasped in front of his mouth, "We had already decided that Gabriel and Michael were our biggest threats at the moment. You're right Luxfer. Sending these won't hinder our progress in any way. It may actually buy us some time." He turned to the surrounding darkness, "See to it my love. It's time we took the fight to our enemy's doorstep."

## Chapter 10

Toby put the book in his hands on the table in front of him. Everything he had come across regarding the wise ones had left him disheartened. He had no doubt these beings existed but like everything else that humans had a hand in, it had been twisted to suit the thoughts of certain individuals.

He picked up the book and began reading once more.

Wise ones are an intense and exotic human, often eccentric, glowing from within. When you come across one you will notice a deep, penetrating stare as if they can see your very soul. The truth of everything is apparent to them as they are highly intuitive. They dress in long flowing robes and look like characters from a romance novel.

Throughout their many different lifetimes they have learned to channel their powers to affect everything around them, including things like the weather.

Reincarnated sorceress, high priests, shamans, witches and wizards they have a solid energy associated with Earth, reaching maturity well ahead of others.

Many of these wise ones have been called back from the spirit world to help the Earth through its current bleak situation.

Toby slammed the book down on the pile of others. More of the same nonsense. All the things that at one time had been completely forbidden and heathenish were now being incorporated into a new belief. Everyone searching for that one truth, unable to see more than one side of the story. Snippets of what he felt instinctively to be the truth layered within the views held by the individual. Absolutely no difference between these and the writings of old.

Looking at his watch, he got up to leave. Time to catch up with a guru. Him and five hundred others who had all paid a tiny fortune for the privilege of hearing wisdom, supplied with lunch and beverages followed by a book-signing.

He looked closely at the faces of the crowd in the auditorium surrounding him. Most sat completely enamored with the talk of their guru. Scattered through the crowd were some obvious non-believers.

The hall was massive, filled with uncomfortable chairs where they would all sit for the best part of the next ten hours. A top of the range sound system ensuring that every word uttered by the current speaker would be heard by all in attendance. Merchandise stands stood ready at the back of the hall covered in books, video and t-shirts. A modern-day concert given by a non-musician.

He had paid three times the amount others had to ensure he was as close to the speaker as possible. Only two rows separating them. One of the privileged few if the glances of those around the hall were anything to go by. Their new messiah seated on a comfortable couch of red velvet, dressed in long flowing robes with her hair held back by a headband weaved through with yellow flowers at the center of the elevated stage for all to see. The entire scene would have felt at home if he could travel through time and transport straight to the 1960s-minus the LSD.

She had talked about the different realms that had been told to her by an angel. Interspersed with stories from the crowd where everyone appeared to have led an earlier existence of being a witch, warlock, pixie, sorcerer and at one point, even a unicorn. He stifled a yawn as the speaker continued, " they may like to wear long flowing robes all dark in color as they are very somber individuals who have seen everything there is to see throughout the ages. All the pain and suffering they carry in their hearts. They demand respect. The respect due to those that bring lessons to others. Some of these wise ones are now transcending into a mix of wise one and angel." She paused for effect, "These are the Knight Paladins. Think of them as knights in full armor, crusaders or Templars."

A quiet chuckle from his left made Toby turn. An older lady, large round glasses held by a plastic chain draped around her neck leaned his way a little, "Methinks she should have had one of her assistants do more research. Bringing in the Templar knights into a talk about the different realms? A bit like asking someone to talk to Hitler to gain a better understanding of a day in the life of someone of the Jewish persuasion, or perhaps more politically correct, ask a shark what it's like to be vegetarian." Looking deeper into Toby's eyes, a slight hint of a smile on her mouth, "or fail to give the microphone to somebody who claims to have spoken with a Goddess."

"You know me ma'am?"

"Yes I do padre. I know all there is to know about you. I know the story of your training as a Jesuit, your early childhood, even how you like your tea! Perhaps I should have worn my long flowing black robe so you would recognize me as a wise one." Slowly standing out of her chair she motioned with a quick jerk of her head toward the exit, "or maybe I'm just a charlatan who recognized you from the nice photo on your dust jacket and the small biography that went with it? Buy you a coffee?"

Toby smiled as he made his way behind her, eager to see where this would lead. His first interaction as a recently deceased, with a still living person. I wonder if I can pull it off?

Sitting at a plastic table he watched as the woman returned with two coffees in hand. Everything about her was average from her height and weight to her clothing, a pair of faded jeans, runners and a t-shirt. And yet, he sat there intrigued. Something drew him to explore further.

He half rose as she placed the coffee on the table in front of him, "Thank you for that. Not very gentlemanly of me to allow you to get them though."

"Fear not padre, its free." she said sitting across from him, "if you don't count the three grand that I spent to be here, that is."

Toby laughed as he took his seat. The old lady had a way about her, appearing to see the lighter side of life. "So tell me a bit about yourself. You don't come across as the type to frequent these sorts of gatherings. Unless I miss my guess. You seem to know about me but perhaps I may ask your name?"

The old woman brought the coffee to her lips, blowing on it gently trying to cool it down a little, "A little hard to have a conversation when you don't know the other person's name. It's Marjory. As old fashioned as I am." She smiled, "just call me Mags. Everyone else does. Where to begin? You're right padre, I'm not the type to blindly follow where these flowery worded self-proclaimed deities will take me. I guess I'm just searching for ... something. Don't really know exactly what if you were to press me though."

"Like there's a piece of the puzzle missing? The full picture not showing properly?"

Mags laughed and actually slapped an open palm on the table, "Well put! I couldn't have stated it better myself! Oh, don't get me wrong! I've lived a wonderful life. Was married for over fifty years to the best man ever to live. Children, grandchildren and even my first great-grandchild on the way. No unusual heartache or dramas. Well, nothing that is any worse than most families go through and truth is, better than a lot of them have it. I've lived through world wars and witnessed the worst mankind has to offer. Times of hardship and despair. But I've also seen some truly marvelous things in my time. The courage and hope that some individuals bring to the world. And yet, at this late stage of the game I find myself questioning. Not about life itself padre but the meaning behind it all."

She sipped her coffee once more, "Maybe I'm just finally going senile. Some of my kids seem to think so anyway. Afraid I might be wasting away their inheritance on gatherings like this." The smile washed across her features once more as she added, "Or maybe I'm just going through a mid-life crisis!

"Either way, I don't plan on just sitting out the rest of my time on my lazy ass waiting for the end. If answers exist, I need to find them. At the very least, the last chapter of my life will be filled with adventure and new stories. Not laced with me trying to find new hiding spots for wads of cash that I don't want the government to find out about, trying to hide it in my drapes or under my rocking chair."

"So you visit all these gurus hoping to come across the right one for you? For a version of the truth that ties in with what you believe?"

Mags waved her hand in the air between them, "Bah. Please padre. I can't believe such an inane question would even be uttered by the author of such enlightening books, regardless of whether they are true or not. A Jesuit professor and that is the best you can do? Spare me. Did you have someone else write those books? Please!"

Toby sat back in the plastic chair taking a sip of the now lukewarm coffee, "Playing Devil's Advocate has always been one of my failings, my dear. I apologize."

Mags gave a small chuckle, "Devil's advocate. Don't you find it strange just how many religious platitudes have made their way into general language padre? I always found that one to be among the funniest though. Someone appointed by the church to challenge a proposed new pope or the reality of a miracle. Someone who knows all about every skeleton in their closet. I've always found that hard to reconcile with the fact that the pope is supposed to be God's mouthpiece on Earth. Picked by God himself. Shouldn't make a difference to the rest if the chosen one has a million skeletons in the closet or not, you'd think. If it's good enough for the man above, it should be good enough for them!

"But, enough of the maudlin stuff padre. Tell me, why would a dead person like yourself have any interest in this little get-together anyway? Please don't tell me that the missing piece is still lost after we pass! That would be a sad thought indeed."

Toby sat back in his chair astounded at the composed manner in which Mags had casually mentioned him being dead. She hadn't given any outward signs of anything unusual taking place, just a normal conversation between two people. "Are you usually so blasé about chatting with those no longer alive Mags? I thought I'd been fooling you all this time."

The cheeky half-grin returned to her face, "I've always been able to see them padre. Though I've never had the chance to sit and have such a normal conversation with one of them. When I was a young girl my parents actually spoke to their priest about what they called my visions. I'm fairly certain they thought me possessed by the Devil himself. I know they were only doing what they felt was the right thing by me padre but, can you imagine the absolute horror I was put through? The worse things I should have been worried about at that age should have been whether Timmy from the next block up was going to ask me to the dance at school! Instead, I'm surrounded by three old men in full church regalia drilling me about my sins and thoughts on God and the Devil."

She sat back in her chair, "Young Timmy never did ask me to that dance. He went with Jane down the road. I still wonder whether it was because of the gossip at the time."

"So you just kept quiet I assume?"

"Tried to padre. That was the easiest way out. Made a great big show about how normal I was after the fiasco with the priests. Kept my mouth shut for a long time afterwards about it all. Almost drove me crazy keeping up two separate lives. Life however had something else in mind for me. As I grew older I realized that this wasn't the curse I thought it to be. At some points I actually considered it a blessing. Now I'm even older and not necessarily wiser. I see it neither a blessing nor curse. It's just part of who I am.

"You see padre, one of the hardest lessons I've learned in this life is that we're not here to punish or reward. I try to help others when I can. Sometimes those who have passed over show themselves merely to pass on their well wishes and love at other times, there's a slightly darker reason. When I was younger I used to charge large amounts to those who came seeking. Later on I began doing it for free. I went from one extreme to the other yet a lot of people went away disappointed and sometime angry with what I had to say. Do you know why padre? People weren't looking for answers. What they were after was somebody to validate the things they had already decided for themselves! I couldn't handle it any more. Life came full circle and once more I became normal, telling everyone that I could no longer help them. Only took me seventy years to realize that I needed to help myself before I could truly help others."

"And have you found what you've been looking for? Any of these self-styled gurus helped in any way?"

"I really don't know padre. There are little bits and pieces of things. A snippet here, a throwaway line there that sometimes resonate with me, like they're just touching on the real meaning behind it all. Overall though it just doesn't gel. I honestly wish I wasn't quite so inquisitive sometimes. That I could just follow like the others in the room. Life would be so much easier that way. But enough about me now father. Tell me. Why are you still hanging out here? If the stories you wrote are real and the Goddess does truly exist, why haven't you moved on to... wherever it is she is? It's got to be a damn sight more exciting than rehashing things from this life!"

"That my dear, is a very long story. Let me alleviate your mind a little. The Goddess most definitely exists, but before I go to her and give her a piece of my mind there's a little something that she's asked of me."

"You plan on meeting the Goddess and giving her a piece of your mind, padre? I don't envy you."

Toby smiled at Mags, "Oh, it's not the first time I've called her nuts, believe me. I doubt it'll be the last if she continues making such stupid choices. But that's a discussion for another time Mags. The sixty-four million dollar question of the day is this. How much do you truly know about these so called wise-ones?"

## Chapter 11

Luxfer wandered through the halls of Hell without any particular purpose, trying to get a feel for his realm. Every speck of dirt whispered to him as he walked past, filling him with a full history of what had transpired since its inception, something that it didn't appear to share with Hunter. So far he'd been less than impressed at the progress of those souls currently inhabiting Hell. No matter how much positive energy was spent on their guidance most of them continued to punish themselves for things that shouldn't have even been an issue in the first place.

He paused at a random door listening. Another misguided soul housed within tormenting themselves over some perceived sin foisted on them by a secular religion. Apparently it had been a mortal sin on their home-world to steal. He slapped the wall with his hand, what was the greater sin? Stealing a loaf of bread or allowing your own children to die of hunger? Too many choices in these worlds were made in black and white, when Luxfer knew that most things sat in the gray. Putting his forehead against the cell door he pushed some of his love towards the woman, trying to alleviate her pain in the hopes that she would stop torturing herself when it wasn't required.

Moving on to the next cell he paused once more. No signs from within this room of any kind of pain. He sighed anticipating what he would find when he looked.

A man was sitting on a comfortable couch sipping a drink. The remains of a banquet lay on the table before him. Expansive ocean views could be seen from the floor to ceiling window he was currently looking out from. Paradise. Luxfer looked deeper. In life, this man had been a sadistic, psychopath who had mutilated, butchered, tortured and raped over fifty people-men, women and children included and yet he sat within the walls of Hell, completely at peace.

The darkness appeared beside him taking the form of the gorgeous woman he had first seen. "Makes you think whether we're following the right path, doesn't it? So much evil resides in this soul and yet he sits there perfectly at peace. All because he doesn't think he's done anything wrong." Waving a hand towards the other cells, she added "and others are in continuous pain over the most minor things."

"It truly does. Behind this door sits nothing but evil, yet he sits comfortable without a care. I'm surprised he hasn't brought into his world some other beings to torture, rape and mutilate. Then he would truly feel like he was in heaven."

The darkness reached out, caressing Luxfer's face, "He tries hard to do just that, my lord. All the evil ones do. Please forgive me as I know I'm not supposed to interfere but I couldn't sit by and do nothing. I may not be able to punish these wicked ones but at the very least I can deny them the things they most crave." She looked back towards the closed door, "If I had my way, they would not sit comfortably at all. They would be punished with my version of Hell. Like they truly deserve."

Luxfer looked at her beautiful oval face where the beginnings of tears were forming, "Worry not. There's nothing to forgive. I'm starting to agree with you. Mother cannot possibly have imagined that this would be the fate of these horrid things. They make the Brethren look like angels. Don't say a word to anyone, especially Hunter. Let's keep this our little secret." Reaching out a hand, he used one of his fingers to bring up her head to face him, "and if you sort of punish them now and again, who's to know?"

The darkness stared deep into Luxfer's eyes, her own shining with tears of gratitude, "The true lord has finally arrived."

"I've expended too much love and pure energy upon true evil over the centuries without anything changing. Something different is required. If only mother would come once more, she would know what to do. In her absence, I will do what I feel is needed. Come. Let's return to my son to see what needs doing next."

The darkness began to dissolve her form as Luxfer walked off. Stopping when she heard him say, "Keep that form, my love. It pleases me so much more than just the dark mist you change in to."

A satisfied smile spread across her face as she hurried to catch up to her true master as the screams of torture began in the cell they had just left.

~~~~~

Hunter looked up on hearing different footsteps approach. Having been left with nothing but his own thoughts for a while had started to clarify some of the fuzziness that had been upon him since his near death at the hands of Michael and Gabriel. The feelings of love and desire for this realm had subsided a little, confusing him. It had made him wonder if something else was at play here. Was this some elaborate scheme by the brothers to ensnare him? Was everything around him formed by his own mind, his own personal Hell?

He shook his head. That didn't feel right. A personal Hell of my own making and what? I make myself the master of it? No. Something else was happening and he vowed he would keep his mind open to what it was.

Luxfer strode into view, closely followed by a gorgeous young woman. I know you! The thought flashed through his mind, only to dissipate before he could catch hold of it. His love for this realm had become a burning passion once more, all other thoughts banished. "So how was your little stroll through Hell?"

Luxfer walked to the empty chair beside Hunter and sat. His body draping into the seat. "Not exactly what I expected if truth be told. There's a long road ahead of us if we're to make any kind of impact on any of these souls. They're all lost, adrift in their own suffering with no end in sight." He sighed, "There must be a better way."

"I know what you mean Luxfer. But for now we have larger problems to handle. Until this mess with the Gods is sorted it won't make one single bit of difference to those who abide here. Don't you agree?"

Luxfer straightened his back in the chair, no longer slumping. Looking straight at Hunter he said, "I would love to see you argue that point with the ones that are going through the suffering, Hunter. See how quickly they agree with you over the bigger picture." He thrust his arm towards the hall he had just come from, "Stand before them and say that. Tell them that the suffering and torture they currently go through is all for the greater good. Let them know that we are about to go to war with Gods. A war that we may not win! And if that happens, then what? Do you honestly believe that these Gods will be so gracious in their victory that they will spare them? Isn't it more likely that they'll take out their anger on them? Make them suffer even more?"

He stood and began pacing, "No Hunter. I've lived centuries trying to do things for the greater good and yet we stand now in a far worse place then when I started! There must be a better way!"

His pacing came to a stop before Hunter, head bowed slightly, "I just wish I honestly knew what it was." Raising his eyes to meet Hunters, "But for now, you're right. The greater evil and threat come from Gabriel, and the rest. We don't have the capacity to be fighting a war on two different fronts and make the changes needed here at the same time. We do what we can. How goes the plan for our illustrious fighters? Are they ready to go up against the combined might of Gabriel and Michael?"

"As much as I would love to say yes to that Luxfer, I can't. At this point it's a fifty-fifty outcome. I've spent a lot of time with them, training. They're now about a hundred times more prepared than when they first arrived but still I have my doubts. I wouldn't even consider sending them at all if we didn't have the element of surprise on our side. Even with that I wouldn't lay a bet on the outcome. It's like the other Gods don't truly understand the power and skills that the brothers command."

"We always knew that may be the case Hunter. Not the outcome we desired but a possibility all the same. Have you given any thought to your approach to the Gods if their favorite warriors fall? What will you do to make them place their support behind us?"

"Some Luxfer. I think the best way to get their support is to drive home just how powerful Gabriel and Michael are and how much more powerful J'ova must be to keep them in line. Point out that if their very best warriors weren't a match for the two, even when they were outnumbered three to one then drastic measures will be needed. Their only option and hope for survival will be to band together as one. A united host against J'ova and Gabriel is the only possible way that they may come out alive. If by some miracle the five do come out victorious J'ova should be a much easier sell. Point out the fact that he's completely outnumbered and outclassed and his only hope of survival is to support us. At least that's the plan."

"As good as anything I can come up with Hunter. So tell me, when will you set this in motion? The sooner we do this the better our chances and the less prepared Gabriel will be."

"The five are ready to go the moment I decide Luxfer. Gabriel's pride is so damn big that he doesn't even bother to hide his whereabouts. I thought that it might prove useful if we were to wait until the next time he visited J'ova so that the God can witness the outcome fist-hand. That may prove handy when the time to negotiate comes around."

"Good thinking, as long as Gabriel's visits to J'ova don't happen once a century."

Hunter put one of his hands on Luxfer's shoulder, "That's the interesting thing. Since I've been keeping tabs on his movements I've noticed that Gabriel visits extremely often. Way more than I would've thought so."

~~~~~

The gates allowing access to the God J'ova were closed. All the souls waiting patiently outside for their turn. Inside the room J'ova sat on his throne contemplating his latest discussion with Gabriel, who was currently lounging on a very comfortable recliner before him. The two had been meeting constantly for a while now ensuring the plans that were being created would be carried out the way they needed them to.

At first, he had been astounded at the level of deviousness within Gabriel. He had expected something entirely different from a creature created by D'HarmaSan. Something a little more in line with who his sister was. Instead, he'd been confronted by a powerful entity that held no love or compassion for the lesser beings. All should be destroyed as far as he was concerned. The thought completely at odds with the Goddess. The reason why she would have chosen this particular individual eluded him.

J'ova was considered a radical by the others but even he didn't hold the fanatic views of the creature before him. He did however, share some of his views on Hunter. He needed to be stamped out completely if he wouldn't fall in line with what was required. Someone else could always be put in charge of Hell if that's what it came to. This was the point that the two were discussing, "Look Gabriel. You know I agree with the overall view of what we need to do. I still think that we need to take care on the timing of this. It would do neither of us any good to make an attempt on Hunter only to fail. My brothers would quickly join forces, only seeing us as a threat that would ultimately attack each of them in turn."

Gabriel leaned back, willing a glass of ale into existence. Not that he was the biggest fan of the beverage but he understood how much J'ova disliked it. Just another minor way of letting the God know that he was not complete master, "Understood J'ova. We've been over this ground a hundred times, more! The army that I've been putting together for you-your celestial army stands ready now. Hunter has too many potential warriors in that realm for you to ever be comfortable with. If we don't take the initiative and do something now he'll come after us. At a time when he thinks appropriate." Bringing the glass to take a sip of the ale, "Wars are won by those willing to take risks, J'ova. Calculated ones but risks. The time for planning sits behind us. Now we need to act."

The God sat quiet for moment, still not completely convinced on the necessity of taking out the entire army of Hell. "Tell me again why we need to take out so many of the souls in Hell Gabriel. Hunter needs to go, I totally agree. But if we remove the head of the snake the rest of the body can be used by me. Why annihilate a perfectly good army?"

In his dealings with the God this had been the only true sticking point, the complete destruction of the army currently serving Hunter. J'ova was correct, there wasn't any real reason for it, from his point of view. To Gabriel though, any army he could take out of the equation would be one less battle he would need to fight. Having no other option left, he'd lied. "Because they wouldn't be your army J'ova. Regardless of what happens. I've told you of the ones that we captured. Nothing turned them from being loyal to Hunter. Each of them went to their ends loyal to him. You have no other option but to remove them entirely. Only then will you have the chance to rebuild from scratch. Think on it, a God with the power of both the Celestial and the Dark army behind him. You will be unstoppable. The others will have no option but to call you master." Bringing the drink to his lips once more he watched as the magic words: loyalty, power and master washed over J'ova. Naiveté was not solely the province of the lesser beings.

A slight change in the air brought Gabriel to his feet a moment before the five individuals appeared. The couch and ale were replaced with his sword as he came fully upright.

The other protectors that J'ova had with him took a moment longer to react, forming a protective ring around their God, waiting for instructions. Gabriels quick assessment of the five made him realize that something more than just a simple attack was under way. The five beings in front of him exuded an enormous amount of power shining from each. Combined, they may even prove a match for him! He sent out a mental command to his brothers. A united front would be needed. It was also the perfect opportunity for Gabriel to drive home his point to the reluctant God. "Stay your hand J'ova. I sense that they are expecting you to interfere and have something nasty in mind. Let your angels take care of the intruders. There's only five of them against your twenty."

"Truly Gabriel. You're right. Not worth getting worked up over." He pointed at the five, "My angels. Destroy the intruders."

Half of the angels protecting J'ova moved forward to engage the five. Gabriel watched, amazed that the God hadn't picked up how powerful they were and just how easily his mighty angels would be defeated. He stepped back to study the way the five moved. Information he would need when they had finished chopping up their current foes.

~~~~~

The clash of steel swords echoed across the chamber as Uriel brought his weapon up to defend a fierce attack from Michael. The brothers had been sparring with each other every chance they got, ensuring their skills were kept sharp.

Initially they had trained with the army before realizing that they would never give them the workouts they needed, regardless of how many warriors they pitted themselves against. Only the four brothers were capable of doing so. They would take turns sparring with each other or at times, going two on one.

The different styles of training each had received in their lives gave them an added edge against the others. Michael's more traditional training completely different to the arena-based self-preservation style of Uriel and Raphael. Each picking up tips and insights from the others.

Sweat glistened on Michael's brow as he took a half-step to the side, anticipating Uriel's next move. He'd been caught out a few times with the same maneuver in previous encounters and was looking for it. Without hesitating, he jumped over the swinging leg and brought the training blade down across Uriel's back. "Not this time brother. Saw it coming a mile away!"

Uriel laughed at Michael's comment, "About damn time too Michael. I was wondering how many times you would fall for the same thing!"

Michael's reply stuck on his lips as the voice of Gabriel came through to them all, 'Quickly brothers. To me. We're under attack!'

Each of the brothers instantly dropped the training weapons they were using. With a quick glance at the others, they moved quickly to where Gabriel was currently discussing things with the God. Ready for battle.

~~~~~

Gabriel motioned to his three brothers to hold back as they materialized, ready to jump in the fray. The first lot of angels lay dead around the hall, easily dispatched by the five warriors who were now in the process of systematically cutting down the rest. The three brothers looked on trying to understand what was happening. Gabriel's voice cut in on their thoughts, "These five just appeared here. I get the feeling that they're an advance attack courtesy of Hunter. Watch closely as they finish off J'ovas angels. They are not without power or talent. Don't engage until I say so. This is the perfect opportunity to get our point through to the God."

Michael took a step back immediately followed by Raphael and Uriel. Each had heard Gabriel and moved away from the fray, weapons ready to do battle. They watched as the remaining angels were quickly dispatched with. Not once had they even come close to doing any damage to the five warriors before them. Studying their movements in anticipation of what was to come. "Interesting brothers. Even though they are easily taking care of these others, they don't appear to really be working together in unison. If you look closely you'll notice that they actually get in each other's way at times. Five powerful individuals, not a team as such."

Gabriel's thoughts cut through to each, "I noticed the same thing myself. It's making me wonder whether they actually have been sent by Hunter. I would have thought that if he had trained each of these, that they would know how to work together much better than this. Perhaps it's something else? Doesn't make a difference to us at this point though. If we don't know who has sent these then you can best believe that J'ova won't have a clue either. We can attach the blame to whoever we wish and he won't have any option but to follow our suggestions."

Gabriel kept quiet at the last comment made. While he agreed with the basic premise of it, knowing who had actually created these individuals was something he needed to know. Luxfer had the power to create these but was no longer in the picture. He didn't believe that Hunter had acquired enough knowledge in the short span of time to do so. D'HarmaSan was the next to come to mind but once again, she was out of the picture. He hadn't created them so that only left the other Gods or Hunter having control over powers that he shouldn't have. No. There's no way to rush that kind of thing. It takes centuries to build. It must be the other Gods and yet they claim to be here on Hell's behalf. Could the other Gods have aligned themselves with Hunter? The only reason he could think of that would make them do that was if they felt J'ova had become too powerful for them. Or have they somehow found out about my own desires?

Gabriel put the thoughts on the back-burner as the five finished taking care of the rest of J'ovas angels. As one they turned their attention to where he stood next to the God. "You see? This is the kind of underhanded treachery I've been warning you about." Taking a step to place himself between the God and the warriors he added, "Imagine the outcome if I hadn't been here at the same time! Think on that while we take care of these pests for you. Come Brothers."

~~~~~

The last surviving member of the five lay prone at Gabriel's feet all four brother's swords aimed squarely down towards him, "Tell us who sent you?" Gabriel thundered at him.

The warrior looked up at the four blades poised over his body knowing that his time had come. It would not be to his God's advantage to allow J'ova and Gabriel to know the full truth. Adding in a barely audible whisper, "Luxfer. That's who sent us."

Gabriel controlled his surprise on hearing Luxfer's name, turning his hard eyes turned towards the God, "By their own account J'ova, it appears as though Luxfer has somehow returned to take the mantle of Lord of Hell. The very thing that he fore-swore against when you asked him. Not only returned but if this warrior speaks the truth, he is gathering an army to rival yours! You cannot allow this J'ova. To do so would mark the end of your time! Five warriors of their power could easily be enough for any one of us individually. It was only through pure luck that they attacked at a time when we were ready. What will happen next time? Luxfer is returned and he will never bow down to you, Lord. He has always been and will continue to be loyal to D'HarmaSan. Regardless of whether she lives or not. Having Hunter in Hell was one thing. There was at least a chance of talking reason with him. But Luxfer? I don't see you have any other choice. Gather the Celestial Army Lord. Take your heavenly might and completely destroy Luxfer. Hell can be rebuilt and another put in charge but not while Luxfer exists."

J'ova sat back staring at what remained of the twenty angels that he had hand-picked for protection. The ease in which the five warriors had dispatched them made him wary. They had been amongst the most powerful of those that served the Celestial army. Now Gabriel was telling him that his only choice was to throw the entire army at the forces of Hell. It made sense to do so before Luxfer could create more of these powerful warriors, but it would leave him at the mercy of his own brother Gods. 'Still', he thought, 'my army is being trained by the four fiercest brothers ever created. The four of them easily taking care of the assassins that Luxfer had sent. That must count for something!'

"Okay Gabriel. I see your point. Take your brothers and yourself to my army now and prepare for the attack. From this moment on, The Celestial Army is at war with Hell, and more importantly with Luxfer. Send me some warriors for protection in the time being, just in case this attack was only the first."

"Thank you Lord."

J'ova turned his gaze to encompass all the brothers, "With all four of you leading my army, Hell won't stand a chance! Now finish it."

The warrior let out a final shout of defiance as the four swords fell as one into his body.

~~

Gabriel strode a step in front of his brothers towards the waiting army, eager to begin this part of his plan. The attack on J'ova had played into his hands nicely allowing him to gain the God's confidence to unleash the horde of angels against whatever Luxfer currently had housed in Hell. The only wrinkle in the entire plan had been learning of the return of Luxfer. This was something that he hadn't planned for.

Michael's voice came from behind, echoing his own inner thoughts, "What do we do regarding Luxfer, Gabe?"

"Nothing right now brother. First we gather our army and get them ready to move on Hell. While that process is happening we can sit and discuss what our options are. Regardless of which dark master is currently at the helm there, the outcome will be the same. Both J'ova and Hell's power will dwindle to nothing, or close to it. Our original plan still holds. The only extra thing we need to consider now is Hunter. Has he been completely expelled from Hell? Or has he been destroyed somehow? That is what truly worries me, not which of the two of them is currently in charge."

Uriel had been keeping step with the others on Michael's right, "Do we then continue the plan as is and lead this army ourselves? Perhaps one of us should take some time to investigate what's happened between the two so we can plan appropriately?"

Gabriel stopped mid-stride forcing the three behind to almost crash into his back. "I thought about that Uriel and I'm not convinced that it will give us any advantage. We can get the truth of what happened between them when we decimate his army. Luxfer won't be in a position to keep anything from us at that stage. Remember, Hunter managed to evade the combined strength of Michael and myself the first time. No telling what he's learned in the meantime. Let's not make the mistake of underestimating him again." He turned and continued walking towards the waiting army, "When next we cross paths with him, Hunter must be neutralized. Once and for all. And the odds are better for us if we take him on united."

~~~~~

Within moments of the four brothers heading off, J'ova had sent a message to his brother Gods to meet with him on the neutral world they had all agreed upon. Gabriel had been right in his assessment of what would happen if Luxfer had indeed returned. Each of them would be taken out-one at a time. A united front from all the Gods would be required to handle D'HarmaSan's little hound dog. This was something all the Gods had discussed very early on when they had found out about her experiment and agreed that this action that could be invoked by any one of them to meet on neutral ground to discuss things as a fail-safe mechanism.

Almost as one, each of the Gods had materialized on the world. J'ova had been the last to arrive and quickly begun, "My brothers. Thank you all for coming. I have something urgent that needs discussing. All our fates hang in the balance."

The others looked back and forth at each other, wondering if J'ova had found out about the warriors that each had sent to work for Luxfer and preparing themselves for any surprise he may bring. Ebrum took the opportunity to find out more, not trusting that the others had somehow not ganged up against him, "So what exactly is this news brother? Tell us about this calamity that exists."

J'ova took a step towards the empty chair meant for him and sat. Slamming an open hand on the arm, "D'HarmaSan's little pet, Luxfer has apparently returned and taken over the realm of Hell, supposedly ousting Hunter. I have no idea how or even why, but his first action was to decide we're a threat to him brothers! He sent a full half-dozen beings of his own creation and attacked me as I sat in my own realm. With no provocation! It was only through sheer luck that I managed to destroy them and escape!"

The other Gods sat back in their chairs relieved that J'ova had assumed the warriors behind the attack had come from Hell. It should have been Hunter that sat behind the attack and yet now they found out that Luxfer had returned. The only being in existence they truly feared since the demise of their sister God. Their plan to oust J'ova had failed but at least the steps taken to ensure their own survival had worked. There was no way that J'ova would ever believe a word that came from Luxfer. Not after such a blatant attack. Their secret was safe for the time being.

Ebrum leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "This Luxfer has always had the potential to be an absolute disaster for us all, J'ova. From the very beginning. Each of us thought this being had disappeared, no longer alive. Now you tell us that he's not only alive but in control of Hell? Is he the reason that we now only number half what we did? This, my brothers is very dangerous indeed. Thoughts?"

J'ova sat back now that he had the full attention of the remaining Gods, "Indulge me for a moment and listen to what I've learned. All the creatures that D'HarmaSan has created come through my realm for judgment. Until very recently, most have been quite benign. Needing just minor punishment. Lately however, the ones that come before me have been much darker of spirit, the capacity for pure evil exists within each and every one of them. For a while I thought these an anomaly. It wasn't until more and more of them came before me that I delved deeper. They all seem to be coming from one particular source. A tiny planet on the edges of some newly formed galaxy at the end of nowhere. The inhabitants have somehow evolved to the point that their essences are capable of either becoming completely enlightened or committing truly dark evil. A darkness never before seen anywhere!"

Getting up from his chair, J'ova turned to face the others, "They cannot be allowed to continue to grow in spiritual power if the potential for evil still exists. There's no telling what will happen if we let it go on."

"So what is it you suggest we do? Destroy it completely?"

J'ova returned to his seat, slumping wearily, "No. I don't think we can just up and destroy them. I get the feeling that this is just the first species of many that will begin to pop up in the future. A better plan needs to be put in place, and while it may be that we will have to step in and destroy them I don't think that it should be decided by us, as such.

"No. I suggest that we do the same thing that D'HarmaSan did all those centuries ago. We create one single unique individual that is imbued with all of our essences with the sole purpose of going to this planet and living among them. Study them as much as possible. This one individual can be the final judge of their fate."

Ebrum half stood from his chair, astounded at the complete lunacy he was hearing, "That's ridiculous! There's no way I'll ever give that kind of power to any individual who isn't under our control somehow! We'd just be creating the same thing and making the same damn mistake that D'HarmaSan did! Count me out!"

J'ova looked around at the faces of the other Gods, realizing that not one of them would agree to this course of action as it stood. He'd have to move onto plan B. Waving his hand in the air in front of his face, "Of course we wouldn't do the same thing as our dearest little sister. The creature will be created with all our essences partly, and with that much power they will not be allowed to a damn thing without the consent of each and every one of us. Independently. Each of us will unite and create a seal. One for each of us. When it comes time to decide on the future of this planet we all will have the choice of breaking our own seal if we want it to go ahead. Only when the six seals are broken will this creature be able to move ahead with the plan. To make sure that we are all able to keep track, one final seal will be created. The Seventh. This seal will be kept by him. When all six of us have agreed, he will then break the seventh to acknowledge and let us know that they are about to be destroyed."

"And this creature? What will be its nature? Will it be looking for the darkness that hides within these others or will he be looking for the good? How will he determine their fate?"

"I think that's one of the other mistakes that D'HarmaSan made that we can avoid. Our creature will be neither. They will not be looking at these people from either side of the spectrum. To be truly unbiased, they will need to be able to see every side of the equation. Let's face it brothers, Love & the Dark haven't worked out so well. This new creature, our new creature will be totally ambivalent. Complete logic with zero emotions to weigh down any decisions that must made. And upon the breaking of the Seventh Seal, complete destruction will rain down upon this so called, Earth."

The Gods looked upon each other in thought. The idea taking hold. Luxfer was a force unleashed on them that couldn't be abided. Someone that was outside the natural order of things with the ability to destroy them all. It made sense that they had someone on their side that would be his equal. Luxfer may be the king of Hell but it would be completely devoid of any followers if no new souls were sent his way.

Ebrum sat forward at the silent approval from the others, "I think this would be acceptable to all of us J'ova. As long as no single individual God is in charge and we all have equal say. I think I speak for all when I say that the potential power that we will all receive from these individuals if they stay on the right path is worth allowing them to continue, at least for the time being that is. If we then allow our own angel to determine their fate then not one of us can get mad over the outcome. All would have an equal say. Angel of Mercy or Angel of Death. The outcome is in their own hands, not ours."

"So be it. Let us get to work then brothers and create our angel and see to the end of Luxfer once and for all."

~~~~~

Gabriel's eyes raked across the ranks of the army below him where every angel was standing in perfect harmony waiting for the coming battle. Freshly cleaned weapons gleamed bright under the white lights of Heaven. He peered closer through their ranks. Unknown to the God or any of his own brothers, Gabriel had inserted his own highly trained warriors. His general Mio standing amongst the other angels as well. The ruse would ensure that his own army would end up gathering in Heaven once this battle was done. All under his control with no one the wiser. Having seen the level of incompetence in the God's warriors he had no doubt that the only ones who stood a chance of surviving would be his army.

Michael, Uriel and Raphael all stood beside him ready to take their individual vengeance on Luxfer and Hell. The three of them had been so easily converted to Gabriels way of thinking that it made him wonder if he had ever been as naive as they were.

Years of planning and hard work were finally falling into place. His own army interspersed with the celestial one, soon to take their place. Hell's own army about to be dispatched, Luxfer with them. J'ova completely under his control and the other five Gods soon to follow. He would be unmatched and unstoppable. The greatest God ever to reign.

Michael's voice cut through his thoughts, "The calm before the chaos, brother. Not having second thoughts now, are you?"

Gabriel turned to face his three brothers. Michael, strong and ready was looking at him, waiting for an answer. He grinned, "Never brother. It's in these moments before the chaos that you ensure everything is in place. Nothing forgotten." Placing his hand on Michael's shoulder, he added "Wouldn't do us any good if we open the gates and then remember that we don't have any weapons, yeah?"

Uriel laughed at Gabriel's comment, "Truth be told, with some of those below it wouldn't make any difference if they went without a weapon."

All four brother joined in the laughter, "Probably right Uriel, but let me assure you. We will be victorious today, have no doubt. Oh, I know that most of those below us won't be coming back. That's the price they pay. Some however, will. Whether through sheer dumb luck or otherwise. From our point of view, the four of us shall survive. Remember the plan. While this lot is keeping the rest of Hell busy, we take out Luxfer and Hunter, but take no chances. Against the two of them on their own turf? It could get dicey. No chances. If we can, we take them out. If not, we live to fight another day. Our end goal will still have been achieved."

Gabriel hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the waiting army, "They're the fodder in this attack. Not us. Are we ready for this?"

The three brothers drew their swords, nodding. Gabriel drew his own out of his scabbard and raised it in the air. The entire army of angels below him took the sign and drew their own weapons, getting ready to attack. Michael, Raphael and Uriel all placed their swords on Gabriels to unite their powers. The swords began to glow as their combined energy was poured within, ready for Gabriel to open the portal to Hell. A portal that each and every soldier below would have access to simply by taking a step forward.

In unison, they all took that one step and marched into Hell.

~~~~~

Luxfer looked on as Hunter sat trying to locate Gabriel. The five warriors had been dispatched a while ago and should have reported by now. That no word had reached them in the time they'd been gone could only mean one thing that they'd failed. Gabriel and Michael must have taken them down. First, Hunter had tried locating the five without success. To ensure that they had the correct outcome, he'd then gone on to look for Gabriel. This would determine what their next move would be, to talk to J'ova or the other Gods. Hunter's face took on a frown. Something was troubling him, "Gabriel is still in Heaven Luxfer. I can sense him but there's something else."

Luxfer took a step towards Hunter, "What? What do you feel?"

Hunter jumped out of his seat causing Luxfer to take a couple of steps backwards, barely keeping his balance. Hunter had drawn his sword out of thin air, waving it around "We're under attack. My love, get the army ready. Lux, they're here."

At the same time Hunter had been pushing to his feet and drawing his weapon, millions of individual warriors had begun to march through into Hell. Luxfer watched as each one moved through a brilliant point of white light with a weapon drawn and looking for an enemy. Hate bubbled up within him. 'They dare attack my realm, en mass? They will pay for this!' Drawing his own sword, he met the first assailant as they crossed into Hell. Slicing hard across where the incoming soldier's throat would be. One down, a few million to go.

The Darkness had been sitting watching Hunter as his cries came, moving immediately to action. The army was always ready. She'd made sure of that. It took her a moment to see the way they were pouring into the realm and she took immediate steps to materialize as many of her own soldiers into the same areas. Hell would not be overrun quite as easily as her enemies believed it would.

With both armies engaged in a battle for survival, she moved over to Hunter and Luxfer. Both would require her power if they were to survive. The bulk of their enemies would concentrate on taking them out, no doubt. She fumed and the entire environment within Hell took a slightly darker cast, causing everyone to take a moment to wonder what had just happened. Pouring her anger deep within, she built an invisible barrier around her lovers. None of these warriors would even come close to touching them while she lived.

Hunter's sword whirled around his body as he targeted the enemy. Each slice finding its target, each slash drawing blood. The bodies of angels from both sides of the conflict piling up around him and taking a terrible toll on both sides. "This is insane, Luxfer. No one comes out a winner from this craziness! What were they thinking?"

Luxfer spun a half-circle, decapitating three warriors in the process, "No idea Hunter. Maybe they lost all reason when the five warriors showed up? A God's pride is even bigger than his ego. And for some insane reason I tend to think that the ego of a certain Gabriel is even bigger than that of the Gods."

Hunter spun as the voice of Gabriel came from behind, "Now that my brother, truly hurts."

~~~~~

The darkness hissed in anger at the voice of Gabriel. This was the cause of Hunter's injuries and the source of Luxfer's troubles for a long time. She poured even more of herself into the barrier, ready for an attack. Hunter's voice came to her, "Easy love. They pose no threat to the three of us, not here on our home soil."

Luxfer took a step towards the brothers, not quite believing his eyes. All four of them stood side-by-side, including Uriel and Raphael! He'd thought them dead for so long. "Not exactly a warm family welcome Gabe. What the Hell were you hoping to achieve with this nonsense? There's no way that you can take both Hunter and myself out in our own realm! You should know that! The only ones to lose out of this will be those warriors who even now die at your command! Its nuts!"

Gabriel took a step towards the waiting Luxfer, swinging his sword around at the fallen angels, "These are nothing Lux. They only provide the opportunity for my brothers and myself to face you two. Four on two and you believe us incapable of taking the victory? It seems all those years of inactivity and useless containment of the Brethren has weakened your mind. You're outnumbered and will die today... brother."

The darkness within the realm went shades darker. An ominous heaviness growing around the cavern, enveloping all of them as they watched the misty darkness take form between them. Brilliant pulses of blue lightning streaking between her outstretched arms, as white flashes brought everyone to near blindness. Her voice boomed throughout the entire realm, seeming to come from everywhere at once. All signs of struggle stopped as fear gripped everyone at the same time, "No one enters the dark realms of Hell with evil intentions and lives. You're all judged guilty, no appeals will be heard."

Gabriel took a millisecond to assess the situation and sent a silent command to his own warriors within the army, telling them to flee. His army would survive and be waiting for his return in Heaven, the others would die.

A dark wind began howling through the tunnels and caverns that made up the realm, a living thing formed from the very darkness of Hell itself, winding its way through every corner. Celestial warriors who had moments before been battling with the army of Hell began screaming as they were torn apart from within. Neon green streaks of powerful lightning lashing out at those who were attempting to leave, entwining through their legs, preventing escape. The darkness advanced on all, none escaping her wrath.

The chaos and noise of the battle had stopped within moments of the darkness unleashing her powers. None had been able to escape her. The only ones left standing from the celestial army within Hell were Gabriel and his brothers, waiting to see where Luxfer and Hunter were headed with this. Each ready to disappear.

The dark mist swirled back towards the figure that stood between them, revealing the female form that she had begun to take regularly. The lightning and power streaks had now subsided as she stood, staring at the four brothers. Each of them could feel the unbridled raw power she held within. Knowing instinctively that she would prove the difference between victory and defeat if they took on Hunter and Luxfer within their walls.

Gabriel made a chopping motion towards Michael as he was about to speak, sending a silent thought. 'No brother, say nothing. Give nothing away. This entity before us is too powerful within this realm for us to take on and survive. She's useless outside it though, like all other powers within a realm. Let Luxfer and Hunter believe that they've won the day and that we run from them in fear. Our purpose has been fulfilled if not our desires. Let's go.'

As one all four brothers turned and disappeared from Hell, leaving the darkness seething with hatred and unable to wreak vengeance on them for her lovers.

## Chapter 12

Luxfer looked around at the mass of dead angels littering the floors of his realm. Millions from both sides lay amidst pools of blood, weapons strewn in all directions. His own sword covered in the blood of the angelic host. J'ova had outmaneuvered him. They had been so sure about their plan with the five that this level of consequence had not even entered their mind.

At worst they had assumed that Gabriel and Michael would make some form of attack on Hunter and himself, not talk the God into unleashing his entire army against Hell. That action just didn't make any sense. Both sides would dwindle in power and J'ova himself would be decimated to the point that the other Gods would easily take him to task.

Hunter's voice came from behind, breaking him out of his reverie, "We've really fucked up here Luxfer. What in heaven's name does J'ova think he's achieved with this lunacy? The only thing I can think is that he was hoping that we would be taken out at the same time."

"I think it's safe to assume that our destruction is his ultimate goal Hunter. We pose a threat to him that he cannot allow." Turning a half circle, he swept his arms across the bodies, "What we need to figure out is what the destruction of so many millions from both sides gets him. Sure, the might of Hell is taken down a notch. But the expense to his own power is in equal proportion! This is pure madness!"

Hunter sat on the step in front of him, his sword thrown casually on the floor, "That I agree with. Complete madness. An attack on Gabriel and Michael bringing this kind of revenge? Totally unexpected. I'm starting to think that just maybe, we've been wrong in our assumptions. Perhaps the brothers truly have just taken up positions with J'ova. That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense. To top it all off, it appears that all four of the brothers are once again united. Another mystery."

Luxfer strode back towards Hunter, waving his sword back to the fallen angels once more, "You're right Hunter. I've made some terrible assumptions and even bigger mistakes. It's a safe bet that all my brothers are now in league with J'ova. And I can't stop there either. The others Gods must be in league with him as well! If he has enough power to control the likes of Gabe and Michael, the others would have been nothing!"

Bringing his sword forwards once more, he planted the point straight down, looking Hunter in the eyes, "This is no longer the case of having multiple enemies against us Hunter. This is clearly Hell against everyone else. All of them. My previous plans of divide and conquer no longer stand or make sense." He stood straight putting his sword away in its scabbard, "From this moment on Hell is at war with all and I'm going to make them wish they'd never been born, the whole damn lot of them."

Hunter got to his feet quickly, not liking where Luxfer's words were heading, "Now Luxfer, let's take a moment before we decide anything. We're angry and can easily make the wrong choices here. Let the dust settle a bit and we can discuss it again."

Luxfer face remained unchanged, Hunter's words not making an impact, "No Hunter. For too long I've done things based on someone else's thoughts. That stops now." He looked around, "This realm is mine to do with as I see fit, and I think it's time I do so. Love and compassion has only led to the utter destruction of my warriors. My new army will be structured a little differently. There are souls within my demesne that are the darkest of evil. They will no longer sit having banquets and living the high life. Evil will be punished, severely. Even those that have managed to elude me will be hunted down and returned to me for punishment. My loving darkness will oversee this for me. The current Gods have no idea what's really needed here. They are the ones that have allowed evil to grow to the extent it has, so therefore they are the greatest evil to exist. One way or another, they will all bow down to my will in the end."

"So you will try to dethrone the current Gods and take their place Luxfer? No love in your heart, just as there isn't any in theirs? Who wins out of that? That's crazier than the madness that's just fallen on us! Don't do this Luxfer. Nothing good can come of it!"

"Good will only ever reign once we clear the evil away Hunter."

"But don't you see Luxfer? Our mother created you to bring the evil of the brethren to the light using pure love, not hatred and evil. Will you turn your back on everything now? Will you go against her wishes?"

Luxfer took two giant strides and grabbed Hunter by the coat, lifting him into the air, toes barely touching the ground, "MY mother, created me to turn the Brethren. True. She also took in my brothers and gave them every advantage and training she could. AND WHERE DID THAT GET HER? Dead! At the hands of the very children she created, protecting one from the other. The other, MICHAEL, now sits on Gabriel's right hand side against ME. And both have joined forces with the other Gods."

Hunter fell heavily on the floor as Luxfer let him go, "The only true innocents in this entire affair have been the Brethren themselves Hunter. They were attacked by us. They're not evil at all. In fact, compared to a lot of the souls that are currently housed here, they may as well be angels! And they will form the back-bone of my new army."

"The Brethren? You can't be serious! They're filled with nothing but hate Luxfer. You yourself kept them at bay for centuries. How does that make any sense at all? We just survived the utter lunacy of a direct attack on Hell and now you go and decide something that's even crazier. Think for a moment on what you're proposing to do here."

Luxfer ran a hand down his tired face, "I have Hunter. All these souls that are in the process of enlightenment do not have the inner fortitude to take on the Gods. They're saddled with useless and wrong information about them and they will never be able to do what's needed." He knelt down in front of Hunter bringing his face to the same level, "The Brethren have never had any of that nonsense thrust upon them. They are like a clean slate that I can work with and show them the true path. Once they're aligned with me Hell will be unstoppable and we can finally purge evil from this Universe as D'HarmaSan wanted. It's the only way to ensure we make our Mother's dream for this universe come to fruition."

"No Luxfer, it's not. Doing this will lead to nothing but chaos and destruction. Please, I beg of you, don't do this."

"Sorry Hunter, my mind is made up. This is the way we move forwards. No other."

"There's no we here Luxfer. If you choose this path to travel I won't be a part of it. I can't be a part of it! Please. Think! Take a bit more time before deciding."

Luxfer walked away from Hunter head bowed, "No Hunter. There's no other option open to us, to me. I've tried different ways and they've all ended in failure. No more. Centuries of going by other people's rules haven't made an iota of difference. Everything is now worse off than ever!" He stopped and turned to face Hunter, "That stops now. If you won't be a part of it, that's your decision to make. Leave Hell now. But let me be absolutely clear on one thing. Lift a hand to impede me and you will be classified an enemy like the others and I won't hesitate to destroy you."

Hunter shook his head not believing where the conversation had gone, "Are you truly serious about this Luxfer? Is this the way you want to part ways? Will you be able to live with the outcome?"

Luxfer looked at Hunter, the seriousness of the situation etched in every part of his face, "I've lived through worse Hunter. This will be a walk in the park. Now decide. Stay and help or leave Hell. I go to collect my new army now. When I get back you'll either be here or not. Your choice."

Turning his back, he left Hunter with his own struggles. The plan had been brewing in his mind for a while now and much discussion had been had with the darkness of Hell as to the possible outcomes. They'd both agreed that the Brethren were the logical option to form the base of Hell's new army.

With no previous feelings about the realms of the Gods, they should be easy to convert to his way of thinking. The only sticking points would be the Queen and the Prince. Both of these would likely be opposed to anything Luxfer put forth. The Queen would need to be disposed of as there would be no place in Hell for her. The Prince however, could prove an asset if approached in the right manner and be convinced to work for Luxfer, his former jailer. "This meeting should prove interesting my love. I have no doubt in my mind that the moment the Prince lays eyes on me an all-out attack will follow. Your thoughts?"

The darkness enveloped Luxfer like a hug, "We've been over all the alternatives Lux. I totally agree that the Prince will do as you say in the first instance. I also have no doubts that you will sway him to your cause. As we've discussed, use every means possible to gain his trust. Lie if need be. But I don't think it will even come to that. Once he hears that the Brethren will be released and have the power to move between worlds and provide punishment, he'll agree to whatever you want him to. Get them here, however you can Lux, our combined might will bring them into line. We'll have an army like none ever seen before. The Gods will tremble!"

"My thoughts exactly. Let's get to work. I'll be back shortly."

~~~~~

Memories floated through Luxfer's mind as he looked across the wilderness of the world, as familiar to him as his own body. Centuries spent as part of the barrier controlling the Brethren had given him a unique insight into all he could see, from the vast red deserts that took up half the planet to the wilderness of the rain forests and every species of creature within it.

He knelt and grabbed a handful of the red sand beneath his feet allowing it to trickle through his slightly parted fingers, feeling the power that was held within. A tiny sigh escaped his lips as he thought back on the conversation that he'd had with D'HarmaSan all that time ago.

They had made a terrible mistake in assuming that the basis of this entire planet was evil. It was nothing of the sort. Natural selection, the weak willed ones were culled and the strong survived. That's the only thing that was taking place here, until they had intervened. Once the external presence of the Goddess and himself had been introduced into the mix, evil had begun to sprout within the hearts of the Brethren, not before. The Prince and the Queen had been doing nothing but taking care of their own, the only way they knew how.

Now it was up to him to convince them all to join Hell and become his standing army. The reasons to do so were numerous, a benefit to both sides, if they could be made to look past the fact that he had been the one to keep them jailed for centuries. The one behind the war that had been waged against them, centuries ago.

He stood and dusted off his hands, looking west towards the cavern that held the Queen and in all likelihood, the Prince. The plan was simple. Appear at the very last moment, gather the Prince and transport him back to Hell, where the darkness would be waiting to subdue him and allow Luxfer to try and get his point across. Simple, as long as the Prince didn't kill him first.

~~

Luxfer had taken most of the morning making his way unseen to the Queen's chamber, avoiding any of the brethren that crossed his path. Within, the Prince sat alone having a one-sided conversation with her. The torches lining the sides of the irregular walls giving Luxfer plenty of shadowed locations to listen in to what was said.

The Prince leaned in, placing his head against the Queens, "We're getting close now, my Regent. Even though the Dark One has disappeared the way he did we still have enough lingering power to allow us to move from this desolate rock to somewhere more hospitable. The link that the girl has given us shows me that we will have no problem in taking over her planet and there are literally billions of losers living there. Enough to power me to a level unseen before."

Raising his hand in the air he added, "The witch and the Dark one will not trouble us. We were ill-prepared for them when they last attacked. This time however, we will take the fight to them. With the newly birthed warriors that you have been pumping out there will be no-one who can stand in my way." The Prince's hand came full circle to land pointing directly at the Queen, "And you my darling Queen, will stay here under my protection and continue to give me the warriors I need."

Luxfer had stayed silent in the shadows while the Prince had been talking, expecting the Queen to put an end to his rant, surprised when she had stayed silent. Looking closer at her he realized that she had not even moved a muscle or acknowledged anything that the Prince had said. Risking discovery he pushed his awareness out to her, stunned by the complete silence he felt. The Queen was just a husk of a body with no thoughts or even a mind! Somewhere along the line the Prince must have taken over with no other brethren the wiser. Crafty old devil! Pulling back his awareness he stopped to think over the new turn of events. With the Queen no longer a threat the only one he needed to worry about was the Prince. That made things a lot easier for his plan, only having to turn one devil was hell of a lot easier than dealing with two.

The Prince had continued his ranting as Luxfer watched on. The perfect opportunity to grab him while his mind was focused on other things. Pushing aside further thought he moved into action. Harnessing the full power he possessed into a single point, he unleashed it on the unsuspecting Prince, covering him fully before he could react. The dark mist lashed from his outstretched hands taking over the unsuspecting Prince, transporting him instantly to the cavern in Hell where the darkness awaited his presence. Within moments it was complete and Luxfer was left alone in the cavern with the Queen. He moved into the light to examine her a little closer. His initial assessment had been correct, she was nothing but a shell with no will of her own. The perfect vessel to continue breeding warriors for Hell.

He smiled to himself as he thought how easy this had all become. First the Queen had been taken out of the equation and then the overheard conversation of the Prince had given him the details required to turn him into one of Hell's minions. Concentrating, he reached out to the darkness, "My love."

The reply came quick and sharp, "Well done my Lord. I currently have the Prince caught up in my web ready for us. Are you OK?"

"Everything is perfect my dear. I don't think you'll even need me to turn the Prince over to our side. It appears his most intense desire aligns with what we ourselves want to achieve. Let him know that the Brethren will have full access to the planet he wants, including every individual within it. All theirs for the taking as long as he bows down to me as Master."

"Is that truly all he wants?"

Luxfer smiled at the insinuation within the question, "Of course not my dear. It was always his intention to use that planet as a base to operate from with the ultimate goal of taking on the Goddess and myself. I think we should be able to come to some kind of agreement."

"Leave it with me, my darling. I'll make sure it happens."

Bringing his focus back to the cavern he approached the Regent Queen trying to see if he could find any other useful bits of information.

~~

Brilliant pulses of blue mixed with the white light streaming from the vertical opening in front of Luxfer. For two days the darkness and he had been working on creating the rift opening that would give the Brethren a direct portal from their world direct to Hell. Now all that was required were the final touches.

The Prince would bring his immediate lieutenants first. The initial process of gathering the entire army of Brethren within the walls of Hell. Over time the rest would follow, as required.

The mist of the darkness lay heavy across the entire cavern. Trying to anticipate anything that may go wrong-the perfect guardian. "Relax love. Everything is going according to what we planned."

"I know Lord. I cannot control it though. It's my nature to worry over any possibilities that may occur, even though we've planned it all out."

"I know and really, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now let's finish this up. Pour your energy my way so I may put the final piece in place and we can start gathering our army, once and for all."

The darkness pulled her essence in a tightly controlled ball of energy, extending it towards Luxfer. It would only take a moment to open the gateway with both of the energies in harmony. Luxfer took a deep breath as the power of the darkness reached him. He looked around seeing every minute detail of his realm. With as much power as he currently housed within his body he could take over the entire universe. Unfortunately it wouldn't last long. He moved his sight back to the pulsing lights, infusing the tiny strands of magical life that flowed between the blue and white pulses.

The gateway glowed brighter as Luxfer's power touched its edges, seemingly alive for a moment. Luxfer hunched over as the power he had just used left his body completely, a rasping voice barely whispered, "It's done. Give me a moment to catch my breath and I'll send the command through to the Prince that he can begin to bring his brethren through."

"Take as long as you need, my Lord. You must be at your most powerful when they start to filter through. Any sign of weakness from you at this point will not help our cause."

Luxfer's words trailed away as weariness overtook his body, "Truly, my love. What would I do without you?"

The darkness looked down at the form of her sleeping master, "Nothing my love. You wouldn't be able to do anything without me. As it should be."

~~~~~

The prince lay back in his chair facing Luxfer. Taking a sip of the wine from his raised cup, savoring the taste, "To think that I've gone so many centuries without having these little luxuries is unbelievable Lord. We should have sat down and talked things over a long time ago. My home-world could have been a drastically different place."

Luxfer sat studying the creature in front of him noting the difference in attitude. The Prince had struggled valiantly when Luxfer had shown up within the cavern that housed the Queen and himself. The sight of his most hated enemy appearing from nowhere in the heart of his stronghold had given the Prince a momentary pause. Enough that Luxfer had been able to weave his power around the Prince and brought him to Hell and the waiting arms of the Darkness. It was all over from that point on.

The Darkness had pounced on the Prince before he'd even become solid. A complete barrier that stopped him from accessing his powers. Helpless, he'd thrashed, ranted and raved at Luxfer for a long time. It had taken her hours of constant nudging with her essence to finally calm the Prince down enough for Luxfer to begin talking to him, trying to get his point across. Working together, the Prince had finally been subdued and started listening as Luxfer got his points across. An agreement had been reached quickly once the Prince saw what they were being asked to be a part of. The Queen would continue to do as he asked and the Brethren would become the new army for Hell.

Once that had been achieved Luxfer had begun exposing the Prince to the finer things he'd never had access to. The Prince had taken an extreme liking to them all. "It's fair to say that we all stuffed up big time. Each of us were entrenched in our own little corners, pushing our own views upon the other. I've apologized for the part I played in that. All behind us now. The future awaits and it's a much brighter place for us all now that we're working together."

The Prince shifted in his seat, getting more comfortable, "Agreed Luxfer. So tell me a little more of this Earth and the creatures there. Are they truly as evil as you say?"

"Evil beyond words prince. In this universe there is no other species that comes close to what they're capable of. The destruction of their wars, famine, power and greed innate in their being cannot be described." He leaned forwards in his chair towards the prince, "In fact, I won't even try. Let me show you so you can witness it first-hand."

~~~~~

The Prince took in his surroundings wondering where Luxfer had taken him. It became apparent to him immediately that he was only here as a witness and wouldn't be able to interfere in any way. A small cottage stood in front of him, tidy and all but hidden in a copse of trees. Smoke poured out from the tiny chimney on the roof. The sound of an axe chopping up wood for the fireplace coming from behind the tiny dwelling echoed throughout the trees surrounding the home. The songs of birds trilled through the air as a hazy sheet of summer rain fell lazily from the skies. A welcome relief for the summer heat.

He stepped back smiling as a couple of children burst from the trees making their way around the corner of the cottage, their laughter trailing away as they enjoyed whatever game it was they were playing. He followed the two girls to the other side wondering what it was that he was being shown.

The silent form of Luxfer appeared at his side as he looked around the corner. The two young girls had jumped onto the back of the large man with the axe. All of them laughing and having a great time. "Just a nice, normal family trying to get by in the world. Wouldn't you say Prince?"

"Totally. They don't look very evil to me in any way Luxfer. What am I to learn from this?"

"What you see before you is just something completely normal. Nothing unusual about them at all. The father works hard to provide food, shelter and as much comfort to his family as he can. Even if there's little enough of it to go around."

Luxfer turned and pointed towards the other side of the cottage where the sounds of approaching horses could now be heard. "Watch what happens next. And remember, what you see here is just one small sample of what's happening around us everywhere at this time."

The prince turned his eyes to the men on horseback that had just arrived at the cottage. The father of the two children had gone completely silent, a questioning look on his face, "Quickly girls. Inside the house. Go to your mother and do what she tells you."

Without questioning the girls disappeared quickly through the door to their cottage, silently closing it behind them.

The Prince felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. Where moments before it had been a beautiful summer day with the family clearly enjoying themselves, now it felt heavier. Like an invisible dark cloud had come from out of the blue sky darkening everything it touched.

The arrival of the three men on horseback did not appear to bode well. The one in front had the look of the leader of the pack. Almost six foot tall with a neatly trimmed beard. His hair long, cascading over the broad lace of his linen collar atop his trimmed doublet. A pair of bucket top boots finished up the ensemble and gave him the air of a magistrate. The two who followed him clearly taking their cues on dress from the man himself in a not-so-subtle attempt at gaining his trust.

Luxfer place his arm around the prince, "That salubrious gentleman you see before you is Mr. Matthew Hopkins. At this point in time he's pretty much unknown to the people around us. That however, will change shortly and his name will go down in history and not for the right reasons."

The Prince took a moment to study the nondescript person moving towards him. "How so Luxfer?"

"Over the next three years or so, he will take on the self-appointed title of Witch-Finder General. Hopkins along with his cohorts will be responsible for sending more people to their deaths for being witches than have been sentenced in the past one hundred years. His little group of cronies will actually account for over half of the deaths associated with this crime over three centuries. Why? Were they trying to prove those people guilty of the crimes of malevolent, dangerous or harmful magic? Did they prove them to be in league with the Devil? No! It was all about power, prestige and money! Some of these little hamlets will even have to impose a new tax to pay for these disgusting acts!"

"Were any of those sentenced actually guilty of their crimes Luxfer?"

Luxfer looked at the Prince grinning, "Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty that not one of them was ever in league with myself! As for the other charges? Who knows? But let me ask you this. Would you believe anyone to be guilty because they bled when being pricked by a needle? Or not bleed when supposedly cut with a blunt knife? How about if the person floated to the top of a lake when tied to a chair? All these ridiculous things will form part of the proof that Hopkins and his followers will put forth that the accused are guilty of witchcraft and send hundreds of people to a nasty death. All for greed."

The Prince looked back at the family now. Sounds of argument and derision coming from the altercation with Hopkins, "I can see how it would be devastating to those involved Luxfer but you only mentioned a few hundred people. As bad as that is, it's only a handful when you consider the billions you've told me about."

"Ah my friend. This is only the beginning and you're correct. As terrible as these events will be they actually pale in comparison to what comes next."

"Show me."

~~~~~

They reappeared in a lavish room filled with a huge mahogany table surrounded with thirty chairs. All of them occupied by a man of middle-eastern appearance dressed in military gear. At the head of a table sat one powerful looking individual, similarly attired, a pair of gold handguns casually placed on the table before him. Waves of smoke drifted up from the thick cigar in his mouth. Luxfer strode to stand behind the head, "This gentleman is named Saddam. He began his life in poverty much like the rest of the world at the time. Daily life was filled with struggle and violence, and he took these as part of his life moving forward. In this part of the world religion has caused much instability and distrust, mainly between Sunni and Shiites. Most of the actual population are actually Shiite but a minority of Sunni have long ruled and been administrators. Early on he was involved in assassination attempts, kidnappings and torture. It was only through a military coup that his party came to power and this man was put in charge of the purge.

"Anyone who had opposed them were either tortured and killed or exiled. All this before he had even become the official leader of the party. This is a man who didn't hesitate to use torture on children to extract confessions from adults. Genocidal campaigns against entire nations soon followed. Over a million deaths where blame can be placed squarely on this individual, but one man alone cannot do this. Hundreds, if not thousands of like-minded people looking for more power and money were involved, all equally as guilty. I could carry you from here to another stop, and another after that, and so on. The evil that is embedded within this species cannot be allowed to continue without repercussion. The earth slides slowly towards the greatest evil ever known, led by people like this."

The Prince had been listening intently to Luxfer astonished at the callous nature of those he'd seen, "but surely these situations all come back to one individual who has the charisma and charm to take others down the same path. There must be those who do the same for good?"

"Individually they are capable of the utmost good Prince. Unfortunately, people as a whole are evil. If not actively evil, then they're just as guilty for standing on the side-lines and doing nothing, or close to it. When one person does great things amongst them, they don't carry the same kind of weight and following that the evil ones do. Not enough to make a difference anyway. The only way to make the lesson stick is through fear. Once they fear the consequences then perhaps, just maybe they'll start to do good. The God's army will not push them in the right direction. It's up to us to do so."

"So what exactly do you need the brethren to do? Are we to be used as punishers?"

"My plan is actually quite simple Prince. Most of you will stay in Hell training against the possibility of attack from the Celestial Army. I don't think they're quite as finished as we thought. Slowly though, we will start to move you through to the Earth. Unleashing punishment on those individuals, like this one, who should not wait until their death to feel retribution. We move into place without alerting Gabriel and then do what's needed."

The Prince smiled. All his brethren would be extremely happy to bring punishing consequences to those on Earth.

## Chapter 13

Hunter walked the dark streets deep in thought. It was just before dawn and everything was quiet, at its darkest. Everything he had known had fallen apart and he found himself adrift. For the first time in his life, he had found a purpose. Something to aim for, greater than himself. Then slowly things had unraveled.

The beginnings of what could possibly have been a great future with Ren taken away from him by demons. The chance to help millions of lost souls taken away by Luxfer. His previous career as an author no longer held any appeal. Being a loner for most of his life had left him with no one to turn to. A willing ear, a sympathetic shoulder. Nothing.

He wandered without purpose, not even bothering going back to his own apartment. The thought of finding a bar that was open at this time of night and just getting plastered top in his thoughts. It was only the memory of Ren that stopped him from indulging. 'Funny', he thought 'I only really knew her for such a short time and yet the impact that she's had on my life has been enormous.' He picked up the pace as memories of Ren came flooding back. 'The padre! I should check to see that he's alright. Ren would like that.'

He looked up taking in his surroundings, noticing that he'd been making his way back to the diner where Ren and he had eaten their one and only meal together. 'Funny how we always get drawn back to the things we love when we aren't even trying to. Only a short walk up the street to where the padre currently resides. Perhaps a quick bite to wait for them to open up.'

The diner sat exactly as he remembered. Brightly lit and garish, the food as awful as the last time he'd visited. Yet he still held a sweet spot in his heart for it. Ordering the full breakfast he sat at the remotest corner table, thinking.

The decimation of the army in Hell and Luxfer's response was a real worry. His final comments of amassing a new army under the control of himself and the darkness a clear indication on his intentions, an all-out war with the Gods. Nothing good would come out of that for every living being in the universe. He would run this past the padre if he had come out of his coma that was, otherwise he had absolutely no idea what his next move could possibly be. Finishing up his breakfast he headed back to where Toby resided.

Hunter was shown to the office where he had met up with Dr Livingstone previously. The doctor's face still etched with worry lines and the tiny strands of his long hair barely raked over the bald scalp. He motioned to the empty chair across from his own and placed the handset of his phone back in its cradle. "Mr. Hunter, please take a seat."

Hunter slowly eased himself down in the offered chair. The fact that he had been brought to meet with the administrator instead of being taken directly to the padre's room a clear indication that he had not come out of the coma as yet. "I take it there's been no change in the padre's condition then?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily, "Actually there has been. We've been trying to reach you regarding what's happened but have not been able to. You really must update us with proper contact details before you leave today. But back to Tobias. Unfortunately he never recovered from the coma. We took care of him as well as we possibly could but weren't able to help him. He's passed and is no longer with us. As I mentioned earlier, we've been trying to get in touch with you as his next of kin-as his only next of kin, without success. Luckily for us all, the padre had gone to great lengths to ensure that everything was handled in this situation. His final wishes were taken care of to the letter. His lawyer has been finalizing where all his assets will be going and the like. I've got his business card here for you in case you need to get in touch with him."

"Thank you doctor. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me and for all your help in looking after the padre."

The doctor waved a hand through the air, "Think nothing of it Mr. Hunter. We do what we can."

'You do what you can as long as the recipient has millions in the bank and you're hoping to cash in on some', he thought as he made his way back down the tiled corridor to the exit door. 'A pauper's grave would have awaited the padre otherwise, after months of sitting in a morgue somewhere with no one to claim him.'

Sheets of rain poured from the sky as Hunter made his way out of the hospice. Pulling up the collar on his coat he made his way down the street, thinking.

His options had dwindled down to nothing. No allies to be had whichever way he looked at it. The padre had been his last hope until he had met up with the administrator. Dark gray skies mirrored that grayness within him. How was one man supposed to stop a war between the Gods and Hell? Should he even attempt to do so? He stopped his thoughts quickly. The consequences of sitting on the sidelines while the war raged were not acceptable. Every living person on Earth would be a casualty without understanding the reasons behind it. If one man was what it took, then one man would have to be enough.

Soaked through to the bone he continued walking aimlessly. Waiting for inspiration to come. The voice of the homeless person he was walking past coming upon him suddenly, "You're not done yet."

Hunter stopped. His instincts telling him that this was more than just the mad rumblings of a crazy person. "Sorry?"

A face peered up at him from within the loose rags lying on the floor. An older woman looked up at him speaking in a clear, deep tone "The Goddess. She says that you're not done just yet. Too much needs doing and you need help. Seek the priest."

Hunter looked down at the woman in amazement, "The priest? He's dead! How can he possibly help me?"

The homeless woman looked up at Hunter as he spoke, scrambling back into the corner and screamed at him, "Priest? I'm no priest. Get away. Go. I've got nothing for you! I'm just an old woman dammit. Leave me alone!"

Hunter took a step back from the woman at his feet. Whatever D'HarmaSan had done to her had obviously only been for that one quick message. There'd be no further help there. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else." He walked off, the despair of moments before, lifted somewhat.

'Now', he thought 'Where to begin looking for the padre? He's died and there's no way I could possibly show up in line for Heaven without attracting the attention of the God. Eventually he will end up with Luxfer but that could take thousands of years!' Raising his face to the pouring rain he yelled, "Where the hell do I even begin to search for the padre Goddess? Couldn't you have been a little more specific damn it? No wonder Toby always argued with you!"

Hunter turned as a low voice chuckled behind him, followed by the voice of the padre "Once you begin to argue with the Goddess Hunter, you're spiritual growth begins. It's how it started with me. Where's Ren?"

~~~~~

Seeing the padre appear magically at the time that he most needed made Hunter speechless for a moment, until he digested the question he'd been asked, "Ren? Padre, Ren's dead, and come to think of it, so are you!"

The padre had been having fun watching the effect that he'd had on Hunter. The raft of emotions that had crossed his features in a split second clear for him to see. The smile fell off his face at Hunter's comment about Ren, "I know Ren is dead Hunter. That wasn't what I meant. I had a nice long chat with her just after I died, or more accurately, during my death. She was off to talk to you in Hell. I assumed this was the reason the Goddess nudged me in your direction just now. That somehow you guys needed my help in some way to finalize the plans regarding the wise ones."

Hunter regarded the old man critically not understanding most of what was being said. The wise ones was something new to him as well as the whole Ren part. "Let's take this conversation somewhere out of the rain padre. We need to chat."

~~

The waitress placed the two cups of coffee on the table in front of them as Hunter was finishing his story, "and that pretty much sums up my time in Hell padre. I left before Luxfer returned not confident that I would be able to leave otherwise. Headed over here to check up on you and... Now find myself here. Now tell me, why did you expect Ren to be with me?"

Toby grabbed the sugar on the table and placed a teaspoon into the cup, stirring slowly. "I think the story of what I'm currently up to can keep Hunter. The main thing you need to know is that Ren went into Hell looking for you. That's the last time I saw her. And with you showing up now without her I can only think that something has gone wrong, or else she'd have made contact with me."

"Why was she coming to Hell for me padre? What prompted that?"

"The Goddess Hunter. She still lives and she's taken Ren as part of her posse I guess you could say. Somehow, these wise ones have come to her attention and she's adamant that Ren help her to save, shelter and protect them. I was her first stop in this mission. She believes that I can help her find them. She came and showed me what the Goddess needed and after a bit of discussion, I agreed. The only safe haven we could think of was Hell, under your protection. So off she went to ask. At least that was our thinking."

"Did she mention just how she planned on getting there padre? Anything at all?"

"She only had a broad plan which began with joining the queue waiting to get into Heaven. From there she was pretty much going to wing it, hoping that God would move her in the direction of Hell."

Something had been gnawing on the edges of Hunter's consciousness as they had chatted. The mention of Ren and Hell in the same sentence teasing some kind of memory from him.

"Oh damn me padre! Ren made it to the realm! How could I be so blind?"

Toby leaned forwards and placed his elbows on the table in front of him, "What Hunter? What is it?"

Hunter leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips, "The Darkness padre. She's a force that rules Hell on behalf of Luxfer. It didn't even dawn on me until just now. In my time there, she was just a force of nature I guess you could say. Somewhere along the line though, she began morphing into a physical presence. A physical presence that bore a distinct likeness to Ren. How could she even know what she looks like if not for seeing Ren herself?"

"Well damn me as well then Hunter. That's a fairly safe assumption and something I wouldn't bet against. Not her life anyway. What can we do? Is she in danger now that you're no longer useful to Hell?"

"I dare say she's in extreme danger. Why else would the darkness have kept her presence from me otherwise? So, what do we do? Nothing else to do padre. I'm going to find a way to get into Hell and get her back!"

"That's the goal Hunter, not what we're going to do. Based on the story that you just told me, it would be a suicide mission for you to step foot back in Hell right now. What are our options? Is it possible for me to go get her? Can someone else get in to Hell unnoticed? Is there a way to reach her without physically going? Let's stop for a moment and make a plan. No more winging it. That's what got Ren into trouble in the first place."

Hunter took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The padre was right. Too many things had happened since the entire fiasco had started based on not enough information and even less planning. Ren's life was not something he would trust to this. "You're right padre. Sorry. Just the thought of Ren sitting in Hell under the influence of the darkness sends shivers through my spine. Options. Number one. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this task, not even you padre. I just couldn't live with myself if somebody else failed and Ren had to pay the price."

"I can understand that Hunter. Option one off the table for now. If no one else, then it must be you. So, do you need to be in Hell physically for this, or is there another way?"

"I hadn't thought about it until now padre but first let me ask you a question. When the Goddess has taken you on your visions in the past, did they seem real to you?"

"Absolutely Hunter. No doubt about it. Why?"

"Because I just had a thought padre. What if she wasn't just showing us those visions? What if she actually took us as invisible witnesses to those events? Is that even possible?"

The padre leaned back in thought, chewing on one of his fingernails, "She's the original Goddess Hunter. Anything is possible. Let's explore that a little. Do you think you would be able to duplicate that?"

Hunter took a moment thinking on the question Toby had just posed. "Possibly padre. I was just thinking about the time I visited the Brethren on their planet. I think I might have actually been doing it without even realizing. I think it's worth trying in any case. Worst case scenario is that I can't and we have to figure out a different way."

"Correct Hunter. Let's try this way first. Now, what about the wise ones? If Hell is no longer an option, where can we hide them from view? I can't think of anywhere in this universe that would be a safe haven from Gabriel and a God."

"Do you agree with the Goddess about these people padre?"

Leaning back in his chair, the padre took a moment to answer going back through everything he had witnessed, "I think so Hunter. If you sit with Mags for more than a minute you soon have an instinctive feeling that she's more than just your average person. You begin to trust her without even realizing it and she draws things out of you with just a smile. Her outlook on life is a mixture of absolute optimism that doesn't ignore the darker aspects of human nature. It's like she sees the entire scope of it all and still questions. Though her faith is rock-solid. She's a one-of-a-kind for sure."

Hunter smiled at the padre. What he'd just described was a female version of himself and he hadn't even been aware of it. "She does sound rather special padre and I honestly can't wait to meet her. For right now, I can't think of anywhere safe to take her. Best for you to just keep moving around and not let Gabriel have a target to aim for. Once we get Ren back we can sit and figure out a more permanent solution. What do you think? Reckon you can keep moving around?"

"After so many years of confinement my boy, that's an easy promise to keep! Consider me constant motion! Now, get your ass out of here and bring Ren back to us."

~~~~~

Ren raised her head from the wet pavement. Rain streamed down from the sky obliterating everything in sight. Complete darkness covered the entire street. Cold, wet, miserable and hungry, she looked down at the sleeping form of Bonnie in her arms. It had been a few days now since they had been able to get something to eat and even then, Ren had let Bonnie take the lion's share of the meal, taking barely enough to keep up her energy. 'Soon', she thought 'I'll have to find somewhere to leave my baby girl. Somewhere safe.'

That was the problem though. No matter how many safe places she found to leave Bonnie at, somehow her father had tracked them down. Violence, broken bones and bruises would always end up as a result. Nowhere was safe.

She pulled the cardboard box over the sleeping form of her daughter trying in vain to keep as much of the rain off her as possible. 'How can it all have come to this?' She was prey, tracked at every turn by either her husband Joe or Hunter.

She wept, more for her daughter than herself. Something would have to give soon with only one possible outcome that she could see. The end of her life and not being there any longer to protect her daughter.

Just outside the cell door, the darkness smiled. Ren had gone down this particular punishment numerous times now. Each getting worse with time. These humans really know how to destroy themselves if you give them half a chance. She sat down to enjoy the show that Ren was about to go through again, wondering at what new tortures she would invent for herself.

~~~~~

The sound of footsteps echoed off the buildings in the dark lane. Ren hunched deeper into the corner they were hiding in. Hoping that it was someone just taking a short-cut through the lane. Her instincts told her otherwise though. The footsteps would belong to one or the other of her tormentors. She stifled the involuntary sobs threatening to escape her throat. Not again! They would not give her away this time! She forced them down, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision. She was better than this! She would overcome this terror. The mistakes that she had made with her husband and then with Hunter would not ruin the life of her daughter.

'Strange', she thought 'All this time and I still can't bring to mind any specifics on what I did. Has my mind just repressed it all? Was it so terrible that I just don't want to remember?' She sat still as the footsteps came to a halt not far from where she was. She darted her eyes to where the noise had come from.

As if her previous memory had conjured them up, Hunter and Joe stood there, staring towards where she sat. Both of them wearing identical salacious grins on their faces.

The sobs escaped her as she moved to stand, waking Bonnie in the process. She tapped her daughter's shoulder twice, quickly. A secret signal that they had come up between them telling Bonnie to run and where to hide. Putting herself between her daughter and the two men, trying to give her as much of a head-start as possible. 'Run Bonnie. Hide!'

She straightened her shoulders, facing them. Knowing the beating that she was about to receive. Just another in a long line of them. Her breathing increased, adrenaline rushing through her body as she stood her ground going against every instinct within her that was yelling RUN. Every single moment she could extract from these two was an extra moment of safety for her daughter. Slowing her breathing, she fought to maintain a clear head.

Joe turned and spoke a word to Hunter, his voice pitched too low for her to hear. Hunter's face wavered for a moment as if she was looking at him through a mirage. The grin no longer on his face, looking around at the surrounding buildings.

Joe had quickly moved to one side of Ren effectively trapping her between Hunter and himself. The beating would begin with some fun from both of them. Slowly increasing in tempo until she could no longer talk, walk and barely draw breath.

She turned towards her husband. Experience had taught her that he would be the one to begin things, "Please Joe. No more. I beg you."

Joe threw his head back and laughed, amused by the situation. Without warning, his hand went flying out to smash Ren across her cheek, sending her body backwards into the waiting arms of Hunter. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, waiting for the blows to come as Joe pulled back his fist, ready for the first true hit.

Hunter swung around holding Ren in her arms, turning his back on Joe, the anticipated fist never striking home. "Ren. This is all in your head. None of it is real. Look at me."

Ren opened her eyes slightly looking back over her shoulder at the form of Hunter. The angry, evil look that she had been accustomed to no longer evident. In its place she saw a smiling Hunter, sorrow in his eyes. "In my head?" she whispered, "How?"

"You're in Hell Ren. The darkness has pulled you in. Everything around you is all in your head, your own thoughts are designing these tortures. Think. What's the last thing you remember prior to all this craziness beginning?"

Ren took a moment to survey her surroundings, thinking back on what had happened. "I don't know Hunter. It's all a blur, fuzzy. The only clear parts are what I see around me. How could all this be only in my head? Look around you, everything is real!"

Hunter felt Ren's body tense as he hugged her tighter, "No Ren. The only things that are real in any of this are you and me. Nothing else. And even I'm not 100% present here at the moment. This is just a projection of me. It's the only way I could enter Hell again safely without alerting Luxfer. You're the key to getting out of this Ren. Just believe me. Everything is in your mind. That's the way Hell works."

Hunter's final words about Hell triggered a small recollection within her mind. Something about the way Hell worked slowly filtered into her consciousness, 'the Realms respond to our mental thoughts. Think it and it becomes true.' She opened her eyes in sudden understanding of what she'd just put herself through. The Goddess had warned her numerous times about this and how easily one could get caught in the web. Frustrated, she punched herself in the thigh trying to get her mind back to what was important. The dark woman had tricked her. 'No', she amended 'I tricked myself. All she did was open me to suggestion.' "Damn this place Hunter. The power it holds is ridiculous. Hunter?"

She looked around to no avail. Hunter was no longer with her. Whether it had been an apparition as he claimed or if she had only created him in her mind didn't matter now. The only thing of importance was that she got out of here as quickly as she could. Her mission in Hell could wait until she recovered her balance properly. Hell was too much for her to take on alone at this point. She would return with a much better plan next time after talking it over with the padre. She moved out of the cell, carefully moving down the hall with purpose.

~~~~~

Punishing evil made her happier than she had been since the inception of Hell. Finding real evil gave her a buzz that she reveled in. Overall most of the souls that had been coming through she had left to their own torturous designs. The occasional one however, she would sit and punish appropriately as she saw fit.

One soul out of the billions currently housed in Hell held a special place in her heart. Ren. That particular woman would be punished beyond the rest, for eternity. She smiled as she pulled her awareness back from the individual beyond the door in front of her.

Time to look into her favorite guest once more. A frown marred her features as she went looking. The pure horror that was usually evident from the woman was missing. The darkness concentrated harder, dissolving her form to move to the cell that currently housed Ren. Time to take up the horror a notch if she no longer felt as threatened as she should.

Her mouth gaped as she materialized before the open door of the cell. This was no longer just a matter of the woman having eased her terror. Somehow, she had broken free of the spell that the darkness had woven around her. She peered within the cell to find it empty. Somehow the damn woman had not only broken out of the spell but found a way out. She wouldn't get far.

The darkness put everything else out of her mind, concentrating fully on locating Ren. Nothing else mattered now. Her awareness concentrated on every single part of the realm beginning just outside the cell. Looking closer she saw a small snippet of a trail leading down the corridor. 'You're good Ren, but not good enough.' Following the trail she headed off in the direction it led.

Hours went by as she methodically tracked the woman and frustration was starting to kick in. Ren should not have been able to elude her for this long! It was her realm and she was its mistress. The thought stopped her dead in her tracks. A frown on her face. The tracks she had been following so closely had begun to circle back towards the original cell. Was she lost, confused and wandering? The darkness felt a jolt of joy. If the woman had begun to get confused then they were almost at the end of this little game and she would ensure the next lot of punishment would take her to the limits of what could be endured.

Another few hours went by as she scoured the tracks. She had been right earlier. Ren's tracks had been heading straight back to her cell. That would make things easier for the darkness. The cell was dead ahead, the tracks ending at the door. She smiled in anticipation of seeing the look on the woman's face when she finally caught up. She rushed to the open door.

Nothing! Not a single trace remained of the woman. Somehow she had managed to not only escape but had led the Darkness on a wild goose chase through Hell! The damn woman had used the power of the realm against her! Rage bubbled through her entire being as she sat to think of her next move. The punishment she would heap upon Ren would make every other soul in Hell think they were in paradise. The ultimate warning for anyone else to even consider going up against her.

~~~~~

Hunter's eyes had barely opened when the padre asked, "Did you manage to get through to her?"

"I think so padre. It's hard to tell how things go in Hell but it looked like she realized what I was telling her before I had to move back. How long was I out for?"

"Not long Hunter. Our assessment of how time moves in the different realms appears to be true. If that's the case then we should be seeing Ren back here soon."

Hunter rubbed the palms of his hands over his tired eyes, "Will she know where to find us or will we need to go looking?"

"She'll know where we are, we made plans to meet here if and when we needed to. Hopefully her time in Hell hasn't made her forget any of it."

## Chapter 14

A tiny dark blob disengaged itself from the end of Gabriel's foot and moved unseen towards a crack in the floor below, easing its way gently through the break to the level below. He had done this numerous times over the centuries since taking control of the angel's thoughts and body. The only member of the brethren to have been completely outside the sphere of influence of the barrier.

For centuries he had worked hard at guiding events towards the eventual release of his Queen and all the brethren. Now it appeared his usefulness was at an end. If the stories that his host had just been told were true, the Brethren were now aligning themselves with the dreaded dark one and his army. He couldn't believe it. The Prince had taken sides against his own Queen by taking service with their most hated enemy.

He morphed back into his normal state. Six feet, four inches tall, sleek black fur covering an immensely muscled torso with haunches like a stallions and just as strong. His head nothing but a skull with a thin veneer of crimson skin. Hairless and human-like. An exact duplicate of his recently departed twin, The Kraxus. He shook his head like a dog getting rid of the excess water after a bath, trying to dislodge his hosts feel on his body.

Moving over to the darkest corner of the room, he sat to think things through. He couldn't let this rest the way it stood. Not after so much effort and hard-work over the centuries and definitely not after having seen his twin be sacrificed to achieve this outcome.

For the Prince to have joined forces with the Dark One must mean that he had been corrupted or coerced. He would need to find a clearer picture of how things now stood with his brethren.

Sitting in a meditative pose he found the calm within his body and gently sent out his awareness to probe his home-world. A slight lifting of his spirit split from his physical body and flew across the universe, searching for home.

~~~~~

He floated above the planet dumbstruck. The barrier that had enveloped the entire sphere for centuries was now gone. Nothing remained in its place except for the atmosphere itself. Numbness began to turn to anger as he moved closer to the lands below. Nothing moved to stop or hinder him in any way.

A raging scream leapt from his throat as he descended. The fury growing stronger. Landing hard on the solid red sands below he paused to sniff the air. Reacquainting himself with his home. A home he had been in exile from for centuries. The air no longer felt the same as his memory recalled. Gone was the dark, dreary and toxic quality it had once held to be replaced with something just normal. The damn Angel's realm contained more evil in the air than his home-world did!

The fury within him subsided slightly, could it be that the centuries spent outside of the barrier had made him more powerful than any of the other brethren? Had they somehow become soft in the preceding years? Was that even possible?

A leer appeared on his face at the possibilities this would present if it were true. The Brethren all under his command and the Angel under his control. All would tremble and kneel before him, including the Gods. He liked that. Raising his snout he tried catching a whiff of where the Prince of his Queen lay. Turning a full circle with no luck. He'd caught glimpses of many of his brethren but nothing of the two most powerful on the planet. His eyes narrowed thinking that perhaps the stories the Angel had been told were right. If either of them yet lived on the planet he would have been able to sniff them out easily.

Taking off in bounding strides he headed west to the last location of the Queen and her hive.

~~~~~

The clone poked one of the bones littering the floor with his foot. The calcified remains of what had been the Queen and her protector drones were strewn throughout the cavern. At least one part of the stories appeared to have some truth in them. He would not bet on the other not being the same. The Prince had definitely been corrupted and killed his Queen. The murderous rage began to bubble through his being once more. So much work undertaken by him to gain the freedom of all his brethren and yet, when they had managed to escape the barrier the Prince had made them all servants of Hell, if the stories were right.

The original plan had been to use the Angel and the army that he had built to destroy Luxfer! Not to become his minion. He slowed his breathing, calming his emotions. One of the many useful skills he had picked up over the time spent corrupting Gabriel. It was no use going off in a rage. Better to control, bottle and let the rage fester and grow. To be unleashed at the correct time.

Clearing his mind he focused on the facts again. The barrier had been destroyed. His Queen murdered and the Prince missing from the planet. No effort had been made to contact him when the barrier had fallen. He was on his own. The Angel was now under his control without requiring him to be a constant presence attached to his body. Like a puppet-master he could pull the strings unseen from afar.

He stopped midway through his musings as a thought struck. If in fact he had become more powerful over the centuries could he use this to take control of the Prince? Or better still, would the Dark One fall under his sway? No harm would come from exploring the possibility. The rewards outweighing the risks. The leer returned to his face as he readied himself to move back to his body. He would need to be physically present if he was to attempt the plan.

~~~~~

The entry path to Hell lay exactly as the Angel's thoughts had mentioned. A tiny opening to a cave that lay between the realms, a crack where reality ceased to exist as anyone understood it.

He stopped a moment studying every aspect of it and watched for the dark presence that Gabriel kept thinking about when he'd last been here. Nothing moved or stirred as he stood still. The air completely calm. Looking inwards for a moment, he morphed into the tiny black blob that would be completely unseen by those that happened on him. A tiny rolling marble of nothing that would blend in with any surroundings. He moved slowly towards the opening, ready for any attack. For the next hour he would move forwards an inch and then pause. Repeating the process until he stood just in front of the opening. Convinced that he was under no immediate threat he moved a few paces within the cave opening and stopped, looking closer at Hell.

The atmosphere around him changed between one second and the next as he crossed over the threshold into Hell. Outside the opening the day had been slightly overcast with some sun shining down upon the land. The moment he'd crossed however, the atmosphere had completely darkened and the air felt heavier. Wisps of fog moved throughout the cave as if searching for something. He watched closely to make sure that it wasn't looking for any intruders, like himself. It didn't take him long to see the fog moved with purpose in a defined pattern. If he was correct it would shortly take a sharp left turn and completely surround him before moving off to the far corner once more. He waited.

Everything disappeared as the fog rolled over him, leaving the feeling of a living thing, not an innate thing. He was under no illusion that this was a living guard, ready to destroy anything that wandered into its path. He moved slightly, testing. The fog continued on its journey unaware of his presence. He put it out of his mind and made his way towards the only other opening in the cave, the true entry into Hell. Rolling through it to the caverns beyond.

~~~~~

He stopped in amazement as the first entry took him into a large brightly lit cavern. Luxfer and the Prince both sat at a large table which dominated one side of the room. Wine and a large assortment of food in front of them. Over Luxfer's shoulder he spied a stunning woman bathed in complete darkness. This must be the female that Gabriel had encountered the last time he'd been here. Hell was a totally different realm to the others he'd been to. Every piece of it brimmed with a power missing from the others, all of it centered on the dark female at Luxfer's side. No wonder she was as powerful as Gabriel had claimed. The very air of Hell fed into her. He would have to be careful in how he handled the situation or be forced to face the wrath of the darkness.

Luxfer took a bit of the chicken drumstick savoring the taste. Food and drink were not needed by his body to survive yet the mere luxury of having an abundance of each made him happy, allowing him to focus his concentration on the tasks at hand. "How many of the brethren have you managed to move onto the Earth now Prince?"

Swallowing a mouthful of the caviar he'd been chewing, the Prince replied, "Tens of thousands so far Luxfer. There appears no end to the number of evilly inclined people on that cursed planet. My brothers move in the shadows with each of them looking for ways to inflict punishment while they yet live. At this stage however, I don't really see any change in their behavior. Every time we punish, they justify their own actions and behavior. In most cases committing even worse crimes than the previous ones. Perhaps we are wasting our time doing it this way?"

Luxfer sat back licking the juices off his fingers, "Sometimes these things take a little time to manifest results Prince. It may just be as simple as we haven't hit the line of complete fear inside them as yet. Continue the punishment and push them to their limit. Once that line is crossed by one the rest will fall into place."

"As you wish Luxfer, but to really get to that breaking point we will need to move more of the Brethren than we have to date. Millions of them will be needed on the ground. Only a total blanket of fear will make the masses move towards enlightenment."

"Then start increasing the numbers Prince. I've given you carte-blanche to do what you think is necessary. Send millions of your brethren through the portal to Earth. Cover the whole planet in a web of fear that will bring them to their knees. Show them the way."

Grabbing another caviar topped cracker, the Prince smiled at the thought of millions more of his brothers moving onto the Earth to unleash punishment. Never had they felt so happy and useful.

At the same time he'd been listening to the conversation between the two, the twin had been assessing the dark woman. A slight shift in his awareness had brought to life the dark tendrils of power that flowed from her body, encasing Luxfer and twisting around the Prince. Her dark influence ensuring the decisions made were to her liking, reinforcing his original thoughts about how the Prince and Luxfer had now gone soft. Neither one of them had any inkling of what the dark woman was doing, each believing themselves in total control. Hers was the power behind everything in Hell. The puppet master pulling the strings behind the stage, unseen and unknown by all.

The initial plan of taking over the Prince or Luxfer would be of no use while she was free, it would need modifying. To take over Hell effectively he would need to make her essence his. Everything else would be controlled once that happened. He studied her in earnest this time taking note of how the power of the realm flowed into her. Hell fed her at the same time that she fed it, tying her to the realm but at the same time making her all powerful within it. That was the key to his success. He would not have to get remotely near her physically and risk discovery by either the Prince or Luxfer. Her presence was all around him.

Steadying himself he gently guided the essential part of his being into the surrounding air. At once it moved directly into the dark female without notice. Pleasure cascaded over his remaining essence as he continued to release his entire being outwards, a drip at a time until nothing remained of the black blob on the floor.

When the final piece of himself had made the journey into the dark female's essence he began to investigate gently. Sending tiny probing thoughts within the form she maintained. It became apparent immediately to him that her thoughts and power were centered on something else in Hell and she was not fully paying attention to the two beings in front of her. This would work to his benefit as she was so engrossed in the other task that she had not felt a thing when the clone attached himself to her body. Stealthily he moved up towards where her central essence lived. The real part that formed the darkness, pausing for the briefest of moments before launching himself in an all-out attack, trying to overpower her before she had a chance to realize what was happening.

The darkness stumbled for a tiny moment letting out a tiny gasp as the clone completely overtook her being. She was his until he decided otherwise.

Luxfer looked over his shoulder on hearing the tiny gasp, "Everything okay?"

The twin looked down at his most hated enemy from within the essence of the darkness, "Everything is perfect, my Lord."

Luxfer stood up from the table signaling the end of the meeting, "Punish the evil-doers Prince and do it swiftly. Send as many of your brethren through the portal as you can. Delays will only help Gabriel."

The Prince stood and bowed low to Luxfer, "Your will, Lord."

Watching the retreating back of the Prince as he left the room Luxfer turned to the Darkness, "What was that about my love? I've never heard you utter anything like that before. Not even when I showed up unannounced."

The twin kept the smile on his face as he turned to Luxfer, "Nothing major. A small intruder trying to break his way into Hell. Caught me off guard a little."

"Caught you off guard and you consider it minor, my love? Nothing that is minor could do so. What was it?"

The darkness moved closer to Luxfer putting her arms around his shoulders. Her heated breath making him close his eyes in pure joy. Leaning in close she whispered, "A forgotten Brethren my love. Somehow the sneaky bugger made his way through the entrance to this very chamber."

The joy left Luxfer's face as he struggled with the thought of a forgotten Brethren, "Forgotten Brethren? What the hell is tha...?" His voice trailed off to nothing as the twin clamped his arms tighter around the offered neck, shattering the tiny defenses that Luxfer held in place. The struggle lasted even less time than the one he had gone through with the Darkness. Between his most hated enemy and the Darkness, Hell was under his complete control. A high piercing laugh escaped his throat as he sent out a silent command to the Prince, requesting his return for an updated set of instructions.

Confusion ran through the Prince's mind at the sudden request from Luxfer to return to the cavern. It had only been moments since he'd been summarily dismissed to get on with the task of taking more of his brethren through the portal to Earth. Putting any doubt out of his mind he turned in his tracks and headed back to the chambers.

Luxfer sat in the same spot as when he'd left, toying with the glass of wine he was holding. The confused look on his face fading as the sound of the Prince's footsteps echoed through the room, coming to a halt as he stood in front of him waiting for the reason behind the summons.

Placing the glass on the table before him, Luxfer stood facing the Prince, "Ah, thanks for coming back so quickly my Prince. We need to discuss a few more things before you go. Please, take a seat."

Taking a seat at the offered table the Prince sat wondering at the tone coming from Luxfer. Up to this point he'd been sincere in his conversations. This time however, there was a hard edge to the innocuous words which put him on edge. Something monumental must have happened in the moments between their last meeting, "What is it Luxfer? What's changed?"

In a sudden sharp movement, the clone turned full circle behind the Prince. A sword materializing in his hands mid-swing. The momentum of the slash taking the sword clean through the unwary Prince. He smiled watching the lifeless head of his Prince skate across the cavern floor, coming to rest a few meters away as the headless corpse fell to the floor at his feet, "There can only be one Prince of Darkness, and you're not him. That's what has changed, my Prince."

## Chapter 15

The Angel of Mercy had been meticulous upon leaving the Gods in their realm. The mission they had placed on his shoulders was clear. Study the history of the people on Earth as much as possible and determine whether they would be destroyed or allowed another chance at redemption.

For the rest of the universe time moves in a straight line. Everyone begins at point A and moves forward through to point B. Lives measured in the intervals between the two.

The Gods had modified the rules when it came to the Angel of Mercy, instilling in him the ability to be present at any point in time that he chose. To be both everywhere and nowhere at the same time and have the ability to witness anything he chose.

He had decided the process would be methodical and logical in its progression, beginning early on in the making of mankind and moving forwards to the present. This would give him a clear time-line and indication of whether humans were making any progress at all toward enlightenment. The scales would tell the story at the end of his journey.

~~~~~

The Great Spirit, Wakonda

Three medicine men sat around the large pine tree at the center of the clearing. Decorated with strips of cloth of varying colors, eagle feathers, stuffed birds and horns. All offerings to the Great Spirit of Wakonda, the creative force never personified by the tribes as being of any gender.

A group of fifteen warriors began marching abreast and chanting around the circle of tents surrounding the central dance area where many others had gathered. Everyone had relinquished anything that may have been made by the white man.

The high priest strode forth to give his final address to those present before the dance began. Addressing such things as the direction it would flow and the singing associated with it.

Over one hundred people stood directly behind each other holding their hands on the other's shoulders, beginning to chant, "Father, I come." The chants falling to utter silence after a few moments followed by groans and moans as they all shouted out the names of departed relatives and friends.

As if moved by some unseen conductor they raised their faces towards the sky and lifted their hands straight up, invoking the power of the Great Spirit, Wakonda. All in the hopes that they would be allowed to talk to those who had passed over. For a full fifteen minutes they continued to implore the spirit before finally sitting down in the dust.

The moment of the dance had arrived. Everyone stood and held hands, swinging their arms back and forth as hard as they possibly could as they began to circle. Some of them would begin to weaken quickly, held up by their neighbors until they could no longer move.

A strong gust of wind moved through them picking up the loose dirt at their feet. Shrouding them as they continued the dance as if the Great Spirit had been listening and sent the spirits to join in, their invisible feet pounding into the earth to create a dust storm around the mortal dancers.

The Angel looked on as one by one the dancers would break away from their fellows and literally fall down exhausted, too weak to even stand. Completely ignored by those still dancing. The unseen conductor once more moved over the crowd willing them to stop and sit as over one hundred bodies still lay in the dirt where they had fallen into a trance.

They waited for the fallen to recover, bringing each into the center of the circle where the medicine-man stood, relaying their visions to him alone. The medicine-man would listen to each story then turn to the seated crowd and scream the details of each for all to hear.

The Angel looked at the faces of those listening to the story. Disbelief, disdain and even a few registering subtle rage.

His long white hair moved back and forth as he shook his head. Praying to a gender-less Great Spirit would add weight to one side of the scales. Disbelief, disdain and rage would add the same amount to the other.

Once again the people of Earth had left the scales in complete balance. He moved on.

~~~~~

Supreme Court

The room fell silent as the twelve members of the jury were escorted back into the court-room, ready to deliver their verdict.

The case had gone on for over five weeks in the case of the young man named Marcus accused of murder as each side had presented their case for judgment. The Angel looked on impressed. The value of having twelve of their own peers in judgment was appealing and would level out the field of injustice that could be held by one person in their hearts.

All the evidence pointed to the fact that Marcus was indeed guilty of having murdered a young Muslim boy named Moe in a hate-filled wave of rage, while high on the drug Ice. The defense had tried to persuade the jury on this very basis. Now the matter lay in the hands of the twelve seated in the dock.

The jury foreman rose to his feet as he had been instructed to do when delivering the verdict, "We, the Jury, find the defendant, Marcus Auriel, guilty of murder as charged."

Silence fell through the court at the verdict. Everyone knowing that it could not end any other way. The judge shifted in his seat, banging his gavel for attention. "Marcus Auriel, you have been convicted of murder on the basis of overwhelming proof. Having presided over the trial for a number of weeks now, I am assured of the following. From a very young age you were indoctrinated by white supremacist groups and raised within that environment. An environment which has been written about in many other places as being detrimental to any child's growth.

"The views you were forced to live with daily formed into a deep hatred of those people of other races, colors and religions. In an act of pure machismo after a night of heavy drinking with some of your buddies you were goaded into an act so vile that it carries with it a sentence of life in prison. That there were no witnesses to the goading is a sad indictment of our society as I strongly believe that those who provided the fuel for this act should be standing beside you in punishment.

" _On your way home from the drunken bender, you and your buddies happened to cross paths with a young man, Moe. Inebriation fueled with hate led you all to chase him for three blocks. Only you out of your group of friends managed to catch up to him as he tried to escape down an alley. An alley which unfortunately only had one exit._

" _You caught up with him and proceeded to pound him senseless, continuing to do so well after he had fallen unconscious. This however, wasn't enough to quell your rage. You pulled out your knife and plunged into repeatedly into his neck. A total of forty-seven times, well beyond what would be needed to murder him._

" _All this was still not enough to satisfy you. Grabbing the young man by his feet you managed to drag the dead body onto the main road where at least six people witnessed you dropping the body at the intersection and then ran off. Laughing the entire way._

" _This has left a lasting impression on those who knew the young Moe. An aspiring artist with the world at his feet. His parents now left childless. The sentence for murder is straight forward here, Life. What I find myself questioning is the minimum term I must impose. The heinous and serious nature of this crime means that I cannot impose anything less than the full life term."_

The young man burst into tears on hearing the term imposed by the judge. One single insane act in his young life had brought his freedom to an end. Never would he ever see the outside of a prison cell again.

The crowd stood to leave after everything had been completed. Unnoticed by the security guards, Moe's father Abdul had managed to move across the floor to stand beside Marcus. Before any of them could act the old man had taken Marcus in a huge hug. Tears streaming down his face as he whispered, "I forgive you."

The Angel stood at the back of the room astounded again. The scales balanced once more. He moved on.

~~~~~

The Angel of Mercy took another look around at the city as the rain pelted down like a cascading waterfall. His investigations had come to the point where no more could be added to either side of the equation. The six Gods had broken the seal in their possession and it was now down to him to decide what would happen to those on Earth. The future of all humanity lay in the decision he was about to make.

He went through the check list in his mind once more.

The potential for good on the planet was incredible, as was their potential for pure evil.

The scales lay balanced on that score. Every single act of pure evil performed on the planet was being balanced by another act of pure goodness. The cross-roads still lay before them and that path had not yet been decided.

Only one thing had started to sway the scales. The growing number of Brethren attaching themselves unseen to larger numbers of individuals on the planet. This was a real worry to him. To allow that to continue would send the scales completely in one direction and with it, perhaps the entire universe.

Was this enough for him to break the Seventh Seal or should he give them a little more time and see what they would do?

He thought back on all the things he had learned about them. The wars fought in the name of some faceless religion, the destruction of the very soil and air they breathed, starvation, hunger and egotistic ambition. Murder, greed and lust. All weighing for the negative.

The positives were absolutely breath-taking in their beauty though. Individuals giving their lives for the greater good. One person standing up against tyranny and oppression, over and over again. The music and the art. One lone father whispering forgiveness in the ear of his only son's murderer. Inspirational beyond compare.

Diseases being cured at an enormous pace whilst big companies withheld other life-saving drugs for major killers. Enough food being grown for the entire planet yet more than half of it being tossed away into the garbage. Governments from all countries more interested in lining their own pockets and helping out their own friends in power. In return for more power for themselves.

Power. That's what it mostly came back down to. Whether it was the power of politics, fame or just to influence others. Ninety percent of the world was currently obsessed with it in one form or another. The other ten percent keeping the scales in balance.

'Ninety percent of the people on this planet have become apathetic to their own surroundings. The beginning steps towards the darkest of evil. Only one in ten making a real difference.' He pulled out the Seventh Seal from inside his coat, staring at it a long time, 'but does that mean the entire planet deserved this level of punishment? Complete destruction?'

The six Gods felt this was the case. The final decision however, lay with him. Taking a firm grip with both hands he brought the seal up to his chest. Hesitating only a moment before breaking it apart.

The increased presence of the Brethren had been the tipping point for him. Redemption may have been a possibility if not for their influence. The Seventh Seal turned to dust in his hands, blowing away in the wind. Turning his back on the city he headed for home. His job now complete.

Armageddon would shortly be unleashed upon the Earth.

## Chapter 16

Bonnie fought back the tears as another wave of sadness moved over her entire being. In the past it would sometimes seep through the fabric of the universe causing rain, hail and flooding. On the other hand, a lot of the worlds in her universe would go through unseasonable bouts of warm, pleasant weather and peace when she was happy. She had always been fearful of what would happen if she was moved to anger.

She struggled to contain the rising urge as the events unfolded on Earth. Never had she thought of interfering with the natural growth of any species to this extent.

Now, chaos reigned around her and the time had come to teach everyone a small lesson. She stopped fighting the anger and gave into it. Others might get a little mad or annoyed, not her. The Goddess never did things by half. She went from sadness to wrath without stopping at any of the intervals in between. But first, a dose of love was required.

~~~~~

J'ova felt his sister's presence return to the present at the same time that the other Gods began to manifest within his hall. Adus, the last to form moved quickly towards him, "D'HarmaSan is back, and damn me, I can feel her anger rising. What do we do?"

The God sat thinking in silence. The wrath of their sister was something none of them wanted. That she had chosen this point in time to reappear in their lives could not be a coincidence. As whimsical and as flighty as she was, there was always a purpose to each of her movements and moods.

Including the dark side of her own persona, infrequent as it manifested.

The Goddess had such a long fuse that each of the Gods could push her without worry of retribution. Her limit however, seemed to have been met. Her wrath clearly felt. The danger it presented to everything, including them something not easily swayed. "I sense her anger too brother but losing our composure at this point will mean our end. We must calm ourselves and think things through clearly. We must meet her rage with cold precision or risk everything."

Adus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "The last time D'HarmaSan lost it like this she took out the immortal titans. Remember them? Those beings were a power to rival each and every one of us and yet they couldn't stand up to the fury of our sister alone." He turned to the others, "And now that rage is centered on us. How do we fight this and survive?"

J'ova looked at the faces of his brother Gods knowing exactly what each of them was feeling. The end of their entire being was coming for them. Their own sister the catalyst, "Only one thing can stop this from happening brothers, as much as we don't want to do so. We must unite as one. Only then will we rival her in power when she's mad." The resigned look on each of their features enough for him to continue, "Send forth your entire essence to me, brothers. Quickly now. We can't be sure of how fast she'll attack."

The remaining Gods looked at each other for only a brief moment before doing as J'ova asked. Arguments at this point would only delay the inevitable. Their combined powers would create a new God to rival their sister D'HarmaSan. There was no other option left to them. All six would disappear and continue moving forwards as part of the One God, as long as they could withstand the wrath of their little Goddess. Something that was not set in stone or absolutely clear to happen in their minds. She was capable of destroying them utterly in her fury, the complete opposite of her undying and everlasting love.

~~~~~

Ren sauntered casually down the street that led to the diner, hoping the padre would be there waiting as they had agreed upon. The casualness of her walk was a deliberate ploy to give her time to assess the things that had occurred in Hell and formulate her thoughts. It would save time when she met up with him. It had also given her plenty of opportunities to ensure that no-one from Hell had been dispatched after her.

She'd taken a detoured route on coming back to Earth, well away from her appointed meeting place with the padre. Deception a better alternative at this point to a direct conflict with any of the minions of Hell.

She paused at the first intersection she came to. To anyone watching it would appear as if she was confused and unsure of what she was doing. Behind the mask of ineptness however, she had sent out probes in every direction to assess whether anyone was watching. She felt nothing and continued her journey.

At almost every intersection she had done the same thing until now she stood a block away from the diner, the force of the padre's essence clearly felt. She stopped one last time without any preamble or pretense and sent out her awareness not even bothering to mask what she was doing this time. If someone had found her out this close to the appointed location, a struggle would be the only way out.

She waited nervously expecting the worse. After long minutes of nothing happening she felt safe enough to go straight to the diner to catch up with the padre.

~~~~~

Hunter finished up his third cup of coffee staring off into space. Every single minute that passed without Ren showing up was making him that much more anxious to be up and doing something about it. He stomped down the feeling, at least momentarily. The padre and he had agreed on the amount of time they would wait before taking further action and there was only about ten minutes left. Holding up his empty cup he signaled the waitress for another. For the first time since this whole fiasco had started he wished he could be getting a refill of bourbon instead.

The welcoming smile on the face of the waitress was like a bright invitation to him as she finished pouring him the latest cup, "Thanks love."

"My pleasure cutie. Anything you need, just ask." she answered, her hips swinging in dramatic fashion as she walked away, Hunter's eyes following the movement closely. His jaw dropped as he turned back to the padre about to tell him that enough was enough. The time had come for action. The words never leaving his mouth as he found himself staring deep into the eyes of Ren, seated casually next to the padre as if she'd been there the whole time, arm draped over his shoulder, "See anything you like, cutie?" she asked with a huge grin.

Luckily for Hunter the cup of coffee he was holding was only a couple of centimeters above the table when he had turned back to the padre. The noise it made as it dropped not enough to cause unwanted attention. He rushed out of his chair and around the table to Ren, no hesitation in his movements, enveloping her in a tight hug. Struggling to get the words out of his mouth through the tears streaming down his face he said, "I thought I'd lost you forever! Tell me you're really here."

Ren had her arms around Hunter's neck holding him close. Her lips near his ear, "Technically you did, dummy. It's all behind us now. Let's not waste any more precious time tiptoeing around each other. I love you Hunter. Full Stop!"

Hunter pulled his head back from Ren's shoulder tears gleaming in his eyes. Leaning in quickly to kiss her gently, "Me too Ren. Me too."

A coughing from made them both turn around to see the padre sitting in the booth, a huge grin on his face, "I hate to cut the reunion short lovebirds but I think we've got some major crapola to talk about."

Hunter joined in on Ren's laughter as she asked, "Crapola padre? You never cease to amaze me old man!" She moved to sit in the spot that Hunter had vacated, grabbing his hand to guide him down next to her, "but amazement or not, you've got a point. Where do we even start, again?"

Hunter stared at Ren while holding her hand, reassuring himself that she was not about to disappear, "For starters Ren you should know that I'm most likely a wanted man by both Heaven and Hell. Not to mention that I've probably got a huge target on my back for the other Gods as well. As far as divine and spiritual entities go, the Goddess is about the only one on my side, if she still thinks that way, that is. J'ova, Gabriel and his brothers and the army they control will not hesitate to take me out of the picture any chance they get. Regardless of the parting words I had with Luxfer, I get the strong feeling that he wouldn't shed a tear to make the same happen."

He turned his body as full on to Ren as he could, "Unfortunately you two find yourselves in the same situation. Guilty by association and all that..."

The padre's voice cut through the end of Hunter's sentence, "Guilty by our own damn choice Hunter. Not because of anything you've done."

Ren quickly added to the padre's comment, "And I sure as Hell wouldn't have it any other way. Let the whole damn universe line up against us. We'll find a way."

Hunter smiled at the vote of confidence from the two, "How did a dumb-ass like me ever get so lucky?"

Ren smiled as she placed her hand on Hunter's cheek, bringing his face around to allow her to place a gentle kiss on his lips, "You keep that in mind if you ever get too big for your boots mister. And if you don't, I'll get the padre to remind you."

"How do we find a way Ren when every Immortal, God, Angel and Devil in existence is baying for our blood? What can the three of us do to even tip the scales let alone win?"

The voice of the Goddess came from the empty spot next to the padre, "You three really need to start getting it through your heads just how powerful you are." A misty cloud began forming into the body of the Goddess, "Do you really think any of those others you mentioned would give you a second thought if you didn't have the power to destroy them somehow? Why would any God, Luxfer, Demon or Angel have to put plans in place to cater for you if they weren't scared? Have any of you even thought about that?"

Astonishment at the sudden appearance of the Goddess turned to sheepish looks as they took in what she was saying. Bonnie signaled the waitress, "Let's get some of these all-day breakfasts that I've heard so much about. Better to talk on a full stomach."

A slight raise of the eyes was the only indication that the waitress gave at seeing what appeared to be two couples at the table when there had only been the two men a moment ago, "What can I get y'all?" she asked pulling out a little notebook.

Bonnie gave her a wide smile, "Four of your all-day breakfasts with all the trimmings and plenty of that good smelling coffee gorgeous. I'm famished!"

A sudden feeling of well-being washed over the waitress at the woman's words. In one tiny moment all her worries had disappeared and she felt nothing but love and peace, "Won't be but a moment, if y'all can wait."

The Goddess reached out, taking the waitresses hand in her own. Her eyes capturing her full attention and drawing her in, "For you Darlene, we've got all the time in the world."

The padre turned to Bonnie as the waitress moved off to get their breakfast order, "What was all that about Goddess?"

Bonnie sat back in her chair a sad smile on her face as she looked at the waitresses retreating back, "That young woman padre has been through so much Hell in her life that I'm surprised she's still able to function the way she does. Anything you can imagine she's felt at one time or another. Born into poverty, abused as a child, not able to finish school. Things that are just all too common these days. And yet she still perseveres! Always looking for the bright side in life. Dragged herself from nothing to where she currently is in life."

Turning her face to capture the attention of those seated she added, "Not much by most people's standards but the whole world to her. She was married briefly and had two beautiful children that she absolutely adored and doted on. A nice little house in the suburbs that even had a picket fence! Then less than a year ago her world went back down the spiral once more. A drunk driver ran a red light crashing into and killing her husband and children. The faceless banking sector moved in, like the vultures they are to take her house. And then three weeks ago she got news from her doctor that she's got a brain tumor. They've given her less than a year to live.

"Life can be great padre and yet it can totally suck. Luck, to use the vernacular, can be a real bitch. I may not be the control freak that everyone in creation thinks I am but I'm happy to help out a little when I can. Especially someone whose positive outlook on life affects everyone she comes across, like Darlene."

The coffee in Ren's cup dripped over the edge as her hand shook slightly on picking it up. Taking a sip she asked, "Is there more we can do for her Bonnie? No-one deserves that kind of misery."

"There's always more that can be done. But there's only one of me and billions in pain. We do what we can Ren. For now, the best use of our time is to stop these cretins from destroying everything I've built and worked for. Their influence has turned the entire planet into a killing ground and it's only going to get worse." Smiling as the waitress came forwards to serve them breakfast, "But all that after I get to taste this damn thing once and for all!"

~~

Having reluctantly released his hold on Ren's hand to eat breakfast, Hunter picked up the broken thread of their original conversation. "I see your point Goddess about our enemies perhaps being scared enough to put plans in place to 'take us out' as you so delicately put it, but at the end of the day, we're still only three people. What influence or effect can we truly have?"

The Goddess had been busily picking out bits of the breakfast in front of her with her fork. Sniffing at each morsel delicately before savoring each mouthful, "Before I answer that Hunter, let me ask you a question. How do you think humans evolve and get better?"

The padre leaned forwards on the table, "I assume most change would come from the huge movements that have occurred in the past. Abolition of slavery and things like that. One person can make a difference Goddess, as long as they're in a position of power to turn their ideas into some kind of law."

"Oh padre. I think you've been out of my influence for far too long." She sat back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling in thought, "Those individuals in power that you speak of are the end of the process, Toby. The real movement and growth begins long before they pen their signatures to paper. It comes long before the mighty orators use their skills and talent for public speaking to move the masses.

"No padre. The real movement starts when one single solitary individual stands up and says no more. One tired, overworked person who gets on a bus heading for home and refuses to give her seat to someone society considers as superior to her. It's when a single individual puts his life on the line by standing in the path of a column of tanks for zero reward. It's when a parent gives their life so that their child may live. Everything grows through adversity. Including people.

"So ask yourselves, if one tired person can change the lives of millions of others around the world, how much do you think three of you can achieve?"

Ren saw the questioning look on the padre's face and felt the questions come, "I see your point Goddess but those individuals that you speak of, and their associated movements took decades to be realized. If at all! What we're talking about here is pretty much instant annihilation. Not quite the same thing."

The playful smile returned to Bonnie's face as she turned to the padre, "That's true but you do have one weapon at your disposal that they didn't padre."

Placing a hundred dollar note on the bill the waitress had left, she got up to leave, "You have the Goddess of all creation watching your back. That's got to count for a little something I would think!"

The others got up and followed the Goddess to the exit. She paused for a moment as she walked past the waitress taking a necklace out her pocket and placing it around the surprised woman's neck, "This my dear, suits you more than me. It really sets off your eyes."

Darlene fingered the necklace gently, "I can't accept this. It's not right."

Bonnie traced a gentle finger down the startled waitress's cheek, "Nothing could be more right darling. It's yours." She turned and caught up with the waiting others on the street.

"Another bit of the 'little' you were talking about?" asked the padre.

"You'll have to wait and see padre." She answered looking over at Ren, "After all, a woman's got to have some mystery at times. Right Ren?"

Ren's answering smile mirrored the one on the Goddess, "A girl's gotta have her secrets."

The padre looked back and forth between the two women, "This is more than just a female secret though. Correct Goddess?"

"You really are a crafty old devil, Toby, and yes you are correct. That little trinket I just gave Darlene is a piece that hasn't seen the light of day for centuries. It has graced the necks of ancient Queens and peasants alike. The pink rock it holds is what's known as a type II color diamond with a perfect rating by today's standards. Worth around 1.9 million dollars per carat," She faced the padre once more, "and she's got a whole 9 of the suckers in that piece."

Hunter shook his head at the Goddesses words, "To me it just looked like a nice little necklace with some costume jewel attached. I hope she realizes what she's got."

"Oh I think she will Hunter. Or more accurately, she will once the two gentlemen that were sitting in the other booth get a look at it." Taking in the confused looks of the three, she added "One of them is an expert jeweler and will ask for a closer look, the other is an agent from Christie's auction house. Darlene will never have to work another day in her life if things go the way I think they will."

"For someone who constantly tells me she won't get involved, you sure meddle a lot Goddess." stated Toby.

The smile on Bonnie's face grew wider at the padre's words. Turning her face back to the diner in the distance she pointed, "If I can't help someone out now and again, what would be the point? Especially when they come to my visit me. I mean, you do know the name of the diner we just left, don't you?"

The Goddess laughed as each of their faces looked to where she pointed, their mouths dropping open in astonishment. The blue neon sign in the distance could clearly be read as the words flashed for people passing by, 'The Goddess Diner. Open 24/7.'

~~

The clone had shed the physical form of Luxfer it had taken and allowed his true self to shine through. Gone was the weak human that he'd inherited, replaced by his full six foot, four inches of pure muscle. Menacing enough to keep any of his former brothers under control. The assembled fighters stood silent, their eyes moving in time with his pacing, wondering what was to come.

Echoes from his last step bounced around the cavern as he turned to face them. His smoldering, hate-filled visage falling on them all, "No longer will the brethren be used as part of anyone else's games. Their pathetic attempts at control fall far beneath what we're capable of. Gabriel and the sorry little bunch of idiots that he calls an army are of no concern to the likes of us. From now on we take the fight to them. Kill them without second thought whenever you come across one. If you wait and ask for permission I'll kill you myself. But all that is not our main concern. The first thing we need to attend to is the humans that live on the dirt covered rock called Earth. All of you must work to get yourselves there. Punishing only the evil ones is not our goal here. All of them will be punished without exception, once we get them back here. Capture them as they try to move on to Heaven and force them here. Turn their thoughts away from J'ova as they live."

One of the warriors in the line raised his face and spoke, "We've tried moving some of our brothers onto the Earth and have been meeting resistance in being able to manifest physically, Lord. It's like there's a force working against us when we try, no matter what we do."

Luxfer walked to where the speaker was standing, "That won't stop us for long brother. Continue moving through as you currently are. Whatever seeks to stop our movement will eventually be overwhelmed." Raising his voice to ensure that all present heard him, he added "If we're being blocked then you can best bet that so are Gabriel's forces. They may not even have realized what's happening as yet. Use this to your advantage against them. Destroy any of the angels you come across but above all, continue to spread your influence over the humans. Gently push them into greater acts of depravity against their fellows. Every one of those souls that comes directly through our realm will only add to our collective might and weaken our enemies at the same time! Now go. See to it my brothers!"

His hard eyes followed the movement as hundreds of his brethren left the cavern. Each of them now had clarity on what was required. Every individual on Earth would soon be plagued by thoughts, feelings and desires fed to them from one of his brothers. The weak-willed ones would fall quickly under their sway and begin to spread the darkness to all living things. Some would be harder to sway and a handful more would never be moved no matter what they tried. A minority that would be able to do nothing but watch from the sidelines as the Earth collapsed in on itself under the weight of the darkness about to envelop it.

A smile appeared on his face as he thought about the fun he was about to have as he toyed with the ring on his finger. He looked at it closer making sure that it was still ready for the attack on mankind.

His head came up with a sudden jerk as he felt the opening of a second portal on the Earth. Tracing its origins he quickly felt the distinct impressions of the assembled Gods and Hunter. He sniffed, the animal instinct not yet having left his being entirely. There was one other there. The damn witch had returned. The smile on his face stretched even further. All of his enemies in the one spot. Not one of them understanding who controlled the forces of Hell now. An ear shattering shriek of laughter escaped his lips as he moved to weave the power inside him and open his own gateway to where they all stood.

The fun had now started.

Michael, Uriel and Raphael sat quietly as Gabriel recounted the events that had taken place in Hell. Over ninety percent of the Celestial army had been destroyed in the battle with Luxfer. "Whatever it is that guards Hell J'ova is much too powerful within that realm to take on. There would be zero chance of victory if we decided to do so." Turning his body, he pointed at the three brother, "Even our combined efforts would be for naught. We need to find another way."

The God had sat silent through Gabriel's recounting of the battle with Hell, a cold fury rising in his chest. All the training and plans that had been put in place had been routed by what Gabriel called the darkness. A being that sounded like another God had risen from nowhere, albeit one confined to the boundaries of one realm. "Consider this loss a small detour in the larger plan, Gabriel." Looking towards the back of the hall where the invisible specter of his brother Gods stood unseen by those around him he added, "We have bigger things to discuss."

"What could possibly be bigger than this, J'ova?"

J'ova rose from his seat and walked casually down the steps passed a started Gabriel, heading towards where his brothers had begun to appear. Bright balls of light appearing from nowhere gathered in intensity until all those present had to shield their eyes. Gabriel squinted as the light eventually faded revealing the forms of the other Gods as J'ova walked to be at their side. Turning back to face the four brothers, J'ova spoke "What could be bigger than this small squabble with Luxfer? The destruction of everyone on Earth. That is the main game, Gabriel. Everything else pales into insignificance in comparison. That one tiny speck of dirt that circles some forgotten star holds a species that has the capacity to bring everything in existence to nothing. All the Gods have now decided what is to happen. In this, we stand united."

Taking two strides towards Gabriel, he lifted his hand, pointing "The Angel of Death has cast his vote. The Seventh Seal is now dust and with it, the fate of everyone on Earth is decided. You and your brothers are to take the lead in this charge. That species will be eradicated completely. Not a speck to remain." Crossing his arms across his chest he added "Do we make ourselves clear, my angel? Or must we take steps to remove you as well?"

Gabriel turned his gaze to Michael, taking note of all his brothers' faces. Confusion and wariness crossing their features. Michael's voice came into his mind clearly, "Be careful how you answer brother. This is not some spur of the moment decision on the Gods part. They'll be ready for any kind of attack or deception. Right now I'd not be willing to wager that we'll be a match for them if they stand united."

" _Raphael? Uriel? Thoughts?"_

Raphael's voice transposed that of Michael's, "I'm tending to agree with Michael on this one Gabe. It appears that while we were busy making our plans, J'ova went off in a direction we haven't anticipated. We could easily have taken them on previously. At this point however, it's like they've found a new source of power. All of them are actually pouring their power into J'ova! No. I say we play nice for now and then consider our options."

Gabriel turned to Uriel, his quietest brother, raising his eyebrows, "Et tu, Uriel?"

The angel Uriel, protector and balancer amongst the brothers took a moment to study the forms of the Gods standing behind J'ova. The power emanating from each of them an easy match against each of the brothers. He delved deeper. Lines of power suddenly appearing in his vision. Every single God had linked their essence with the others in much the same way that the four brothers themselves had done in the past. The total sum being diverted to the smiling J'ova. It was not something he would have expected from beings such as these whose sole purpose to date had been accumulating their own individual power. He sent his thoughts out to all the brothers, "Too much for us Gabe. Even if we were to try and link up together. The united power of the six Divine creatures in front of us would destroy us in a heart-beat. Better to make them believe that we will do as they say and then think about how we handle this. Raphael is right. We need to survive and fight another day."

Michael looked over as Gabriel took in what his brothers were saying. It had been the first time in centuries that Gabriel had actually asked and listened to their opinions. The assembled Gods, it appeared, were not the only ones whose behavior had changed recently, "What do you say Gabe?"

"I say that as usual, the hardest things in life always fall on our shoulders. Let's see what J'ova wants from us. Whatever else happens, we live through this as one."

"We are you generals in this war J'ova. Nothing that has happened will change that. So tell us, what is it that you require from my brothers and me?"

J'ova walked towards Gabriel allowing the presence of his power to shine, engulfing the entire hall. The four brothers would need to feel it completely to understand. Putting his arm around Gabriel's shoulder he guided him towards the other three, "At this very moment Gabe, Luxfer is in the process of sending through millions of his little devils onto the Earth. Now usually, I wouldn't worry about this. In fact, I would probably have helped him somehow. His ultimate goal this time is not something I can abide. He intends to transfer the power of every soul on Earth into Hell to join with his own. This cannot happen. It would make him too powerful. What he didn't count on though was the presence of my dear darling sister showing up."

The God turned his face as Michael spoke, "D'HarmaSan has returned?"

"Correct Michael. Not only has she come back to us but somehow she is stopping any of Hell's minions from physically manifesting on Earth. She cannot stop their spirits from going through however. Luxfer is no match for her. Which is where my brothers and I come into the picture. We will take care of our dear wayward sister once and for all. When this happens, you four are to lead an all-out assault against every single being on Earth, including any of the Brethren that may be there. In one single attack we will return everything to the way it should be."

Gabriel bowed low, his brothers following his lead, "As you command, my lord."

~~~~~

A shiny ray of blue pulsing light wrenched open in the air, the Goddess walking through it followed by her children. It sizzled for a moment longer before disappearing from view completely, as if never having existed in the first place.

Hunter looked around at the hard barren rock, stretching as far as he could see in every direction. "Where are we Goddess?"

Bonnie had knelt to pick up a fistful of dirt on first crossing the portal. She stood back up allowing it to fall through her fingers, "We're as far away from any person on the planet as I could arrange Hunter." One arm moving in an arc, taking in their surroundings, "This is the Sahara. This world's largest hot desert. Nine point four million square miles of the harshest environment on Earth, apart from the polar caps. West from here we have the Atlas Mountains. To the north, the Mediterranean Sea, the East the Red sea, and to the south, the Niger River."

A puzzled look crossed Ren's features, "I thought the Sahara was covered in sand? Would've have bet anything on it."

"There are some pockets that look like that Ren. Most of it however, is as you see around us. The perfect place for us on Earth. Far enough away from civilization that we won't be creating too much of a stir and yet still part of the planet, which is important."

"And now?"

The Goddess motioned to them to come closer, "Now comes what most people consider the hard part. The waiting. It gives me a chance to give you all some instructions." Placing a hand around the padre she said, "You my dear Toby are only here as a witness. Do not get involved in what happens. The task you undertook for me with the wise ones is your only concern."

Ren came over to the padre, also placing one of her arms around his shoulder, "The Goddess is right, padre. Having you in the battle won't get us any closer to victory and you're far more important than that to us."

Bonnie looked over at Ren, "Glad you think that way Ren because I'm sidelining you as well." Her hand quickly came up in a halting movement as Ren was about to argue, "Stop Ren. The padre needs his protector if he's to be of any value in the future and you promised me you would do what I asked of you when you took on the responsibility."

Turning around, she placed both hands on Hunter's shoulders, a strong commanding presence. "Don't expect me to sit this one out Goddess. That's a promise I won't be able to keep."

The Goddess's eyes began to water as she tried to control her tears, "No my dearest Hunter. I won't ask something of you that I know you won't be able to do. What I will ask however, is that your first objective should be to protect Ren and the padre. Don't place yourself in the path of unnecessary danger out of some cheap macho bullshit. Can you at least promise me that?"

"Protect Ren and the padre? Only jump in if I feel the situation warrants it and not out of some crazy hyped up macho bullshit? That's an easy promise to keep Goddess. Scout's honor."

She looked around at each of their faces, "Then we go back to the hard part. We wait." Raising her eyes to the clear blue skies she added, "My brothers shouldn't take too long to get here."

~~~~~

Gabriel stood from his bowed position to look at the God, "What do you wish us to do first?"

J'ova turned his back on the angel, his intention now made clear. The time had come, waiting any longer would do them no good. Raising his hand over his head, he brought it down in a sharp chopping motion straight towards the ground leaving a powerful red streak in the air behind it as it passed. A portal opening large enough for one person stood open pulsing with red and blue streaks of miniature lightning. "Now you go through the portal to where my sister currently sits, I'll follow behind. Your mission better be clear Gabriel, the very moment my sister falls I expect to see Armageddon on Earth. Do I make myself understood? The very same moment!"

The four brothers dipped their heads in unison, "Of course my Lord. The very moment."

Bonnie motioned the others to silence as she felt the first stirrings of the portal emanate outward from a clear patch to her left. Her brothers were finally making their move. Turning her back as the air began to thrum and stir, she addressed the others, "Remember your promises. All of you. This is something between my brothers and me. An issue between the Gods. Don't get yourselves caught in the middle. Nothing good can come of it. Especially you Hunter, only as an absolute final resort are you to interfere. Understood?"

Hunter stood next to Ren with an arm casually resting around her hips, "Understood my Goddess. We all know what we have promised you. I would like to get a promise from you in return, if I may?"

"Make it quick Hunter, we only have a moment before the gate opens fully."

Hunter's eyes went to the gleaming portal opening behind the Goddess. The air had started to rush inwards as red and blue flashes of light crackled and sizzled. A moment more was all any of them had, "Promise us you'll be careful." he said, "That's all we want from you."

"A promise easily kept my darling. Now stand back and watch."

Bonnie switched her full attention to the opening and the coming of her brothers. She'd done everything in her power to ready the three behind her for what was to come. Nothing more would be achieved by talking about it any further. They would either be ready or not.

She took a breath looking deep within herself. The raw fury of her entire being kept at check for the moment. Steeling herself she allowed the rage to slowly move through her being. Revenge was not in her nature but retribution and justice formed a basic part of who she was.

She had been willing to not interfere as one by one her children had turned their faces from her, each working to undermine what she had built. The love she had for each had not diminished regardless of the acts they had perpetrated. All of them still had the potential to come back to a place within her heart.

She had not meddled extensively with the Brethren either. Only getting involved when it had become necessary to stop their evil from flowing throughout the rest of the universe.

She had even stayed her hand as her brothers had tried to take over the entire universe. Still believing that love would prevail.

It wasn't until the evil nature of the Brethren had begun to manifest within the essence of her own brothers that she felt compelled to act. Evil among any of the lesser beings could be dealt with, an evil that permeated through the very fabric that made up the Gods was something else entirely.

That was the final straw prompting the wrath she now felt within her. A wrath that had only been released at one other time in history. Her fury and rage completely eradicating the evil presence of the immortal Titans as they had declared war on her family. Her brothers appeared to have forgotten that particular little spat.

She continued to watch as the portal finished opening. The dark ether swirling within the flashing light of the break in space and time. She waited, watching for any surprises that her brothers may try.

Her eyes widened slightly as the figure of Gabriel strode through the opening in front of Michael, Uriel and Raphael. Her four children looking around for any attempts on their lives as they stepped through. Her head tilted slightly as she took a close look at each of them. The darkness that had clung to Gabriel like a cloak when they'd last met was no longer evident. The light of his aura shining brightly, a deep white once more. The eyes looking back at her holding a deep sorrow, yet he stayed silent. The other three brothers looked upon her with nothing but love. All evidence of hate completely gone.

Bonnie smiled. If this was to be her last moments in existence at least she would go out being loved by those she loved the most.

Her smile evaporated as her brother J'ova stepped through the portal dressed in full battle armor. Something he had never worn before. Her eyes narrowed at the implication of that statement. Only one side would continue to live on after this confrontation. She shook her head sadly. Even now her brothers did not see the power that love held within the universe. To them, power would always reside with the most ruthless.

Her head turned sharply as the portal gate winked out of existence before any of her other brothers had come through. Confusion turning to disbelief as she stretched her awareness out to J'ova. Every one of her brothers had given up their essences to create the one being that stood before her. The smile returned to her face. Maybe they had paid attention to the last time she'd lost her cool after all.

J'ova answered the smile on his sister's face with one of his own, "Hello there my darling sister." Pausing for a moment to look around at the environment he added, "Nice to see you haven't completely destroyed everything around here in a temper tantrum. Perhaps you're finally growing up and learning to control your emotions."

"Hello my brothers. Interesting new embodiment you all have there. Six Gods housed in the one vessel." Looking over at Gabriel she winked, "Scared much of an emotional little wreck like me?"

Gabriel tried hard to keep the smile from forming on his face, without success. The wink that D'HarmaSan had given him telling him all he needed to know. He was still loved by his Mother, everything forgiven. A lecture may be forthcoming but it would be dealt with from a place of love and forgiveness, not hatred. For the first time in centuries the weight lifted off his shoulders and he felt truly alive once more. Looking over at his brothers he noticed the same sorry smiles and sheepish looks on each of their faces.

J'ova spat the words out his mouth, "Your emotions are what got us all into this mess in the first place, D'HarmaSan. The stupid little experiments you've undertaken through the years bringing us to the edge of our existence. All your brothers have now turned to dust, nothing but soon to be forgotten memories floating away on the winds. You bring nothing but utter destruction to everything you've touched, ever! We cannot allow this to continue. Your tenure as a Goddess is now at an end." A sword materializing in his hands as he continued, "Unless you think yourself the equal of us."

The sword lifted, pointing directly at her, "Choose now. Submit to our will and I will allow you to live on in a lesser capacity than before. Refuse us and join our other brothers as a bad memory."

The Goddess glanced quickly at the others surrounding her, making sure they were out of harm's way before allowing the full fury of her wrath to manifest itself. Her gaze turned as hard as rock as drew herself to her full height. The power she held within given full vent, nothing held back.

A cyclone of air began at her feet, swirling around her entire body as dust, rocks and dirt was sent in all directions. Arms stretch out wide she stared at her brothers, "The choice is not mine to make, my brothers. The decision to live or die rested solely in your own hands." The howling wind caught the edges of her dress, shredding it to pieces. Underneath the simple white dress, the Goddess was attired in golden armor accentuating her female form. A sword taking form in each of her hands. Her long hair swayed in the wind forming a halo around her body, "And your decision is already made."

The noise of the cyclonic windstorm surrounding the Goddess covered the slight shimmer appearing on the rocky shelf overlooking the battle between the Gods, a portal opening as Luxfer exited. The tiny intake of air as it closed behind his back completely undetected. He looked down at those assembled. Gabriel and his brothers stood silently on one side while Hunter and a couple of others stood facing them. All eyes riveted on the forms of J'ova and the witch. A smile of pure delight crossed his face when he realized the two Gods were about to do battle. This was exactly the type of distraction he needed to put his own plan in motion, regardless of which one was victorious. Lady luck had just placed the perfect solution at his feet. Every drop of Divine blood that fell to the sands under their feet would add fuel to what he had planned for mankind. He would wait for the right opportunity to appear in the middle of the battleground below, once it was safe. A simple matter to plunge the ring on his finger into the Earth and open his power to it. Every soul on the Earth would feed back their energy making him more powerful than any other being ever. He focused on the assembly of people surrounding the battle. On one side stood Gabriel and his brothers. They would not interfere as long as he held sway over them.

On the other side he spied Hunter. He could be troublesome and someone to watch out for. Kneeling on the rocks, he turned his attention to the battle once more, waiting for the opening that would present itself.

The fierce winds surrounding the Goddess died down as she strode forward to meet the combined might of her brothers. The raging fury within her honed down to a razor-sharp edge focused solely on the being in front of her.

J'ova took two small steps towards his sister, holding his sword in both hands, ready to attack. Knowing he would not be victorious by playing defense. In a move that no human could have possibly made he jumped in air, twisting his body and slashing straight down at the exposed head of the Goddess, only to meet no resistance.

Anticipating his first move Bonnie had held her spot until the last moment and casually done a pirouette on one leg, bringing both of her swords into the protected back of the God, sending him face-first into the dirt.

Annoyance turned to anger as J'ova picked himself off the floor, knowing that his impatience and assumed superiority had almost gotten him killed in the first clash of the battle. Studying the edge of his sword for any nicks he taunted, "Beginner's luck dear sister. It won't happen again."

On the edge of the battle Hunter had been holding Ren's hand as if it were a life-line. He turned to her, "Looks like the Goddess knows how handle herself pretty well in a fight."

Ren squeezed his hand, her eyes never leaving the fight, "Never underestimate a female my love. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but I'll let you in on a little secret, the wrath of a scorned woman is nothing compared to that of one that's pissed off and protecting her family." She turned and gave him a quick wink, "Remember that when this is over."

He squeezed her hand in return, "And I dare say that the fury of a Goddess protecting all of her children is something that no-one in their right minds would want to face. At this point I worry less about our dear Goddess as I do Gabriel and the others. There's nothing stopping them from taking a hand if they see an opening. I won't let that happen." Turning to face Ren he added, "I can't let that happen Ren."

"I know Hunter, and I wouldn't expect you to. If you see any of them making even the tiniest movement to interfere, do what you think is necessary. Just make sure you stay out of my way because I'll be right there next to you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Ren."

The ringing sound of swords clashing into armor continued to permeate the air as both J'ova and the Goddess attacked each other, inflicting small wounds that bled on to the dirt. Luxfer looked on with the delight of a small child seeing Santa Claus. At times he even had to stop himself from clapping and shouting in approval as one of the Divine beings in the battle performed an outstanding maneuver and drew blood from the other. Looking at the ground under their feet he noticed that their blood had begun to pool, no longer just small droplets here and there. He continued waiting for his opening, enjoying the thoroughly entertaining show they were putting on for him in the meantime.

Bonnie took a step back after the latest clash of swords. The initial rush of adrenaline was now beginning to wear off and letting her feel the pain of the injuries J'ova had been inflicting. She took stock, dozens of minor wounds littered her body draining her. The struggle against the combined Gods meant that she couldn't use her powers to heal without giving them an advantage. Looking over at the body of J'ova she saw similar wounds. At least he wouldn't be able to do so either without in turn giving her the advantage. Taking advantage of the small pause in the struggle she looked around to make sure everyone else was still safely out of harm's way.

J'ova stood back at the same time grateful for the brief interlude, staring at his sister with awe. The Gods had thought they had known how powerful she could be when pushed into a corner but the sheer ferocity and tenacity she had displayed against their combined power had taken them completely by surprise. The Divine being that consisted of six male Gods combined had barely been enough to keep one single solitary female Goddess at bay.

Luxfer timed his move to perfection. As he saw the two Gods break apart for a moment he jumped landing behind the Goddess, where the blood lay thickest on the floor.

Bonnie caught the unexpected motion from the corner of her eye and turned to meet the threat. It was the opening that J'ova had been waiting for. Without thought he leapt back into the fray swinging his sword at her exposed neck in a savage move.

Hunter heard a scream of anger from Gabriel that mimicked his own cry of NO as he saw what J'ova intended. Without thinking of the risks he lunged forwards to push the Goddess out of the path of the incoming blade and certain death. Gabriel had been closer to J'ova at the time and lunged into his exposed back at the same time. The God's slashing blade merely slicing into Bonnie's neck instead of certain decapitation. No-one else had reacted as quickly.

All eyes turned to Luxfer as he knelt plunging his hand into the dirt, a crazy laugh escaping his lips. "Too late for you all!"

Before anyone could make a move the Earth began a violent shake. Bright green lights crackled from where Luxfer still held his fist to the dirt, moving outwards. In one split second it had grown and taken flight to the sky above. Hunter knelt over the fallen Goddess cradling her head in his arms, trying to protect her from the debris flying around them. Bonnie looked over his shoulder at the giant green power beam that had begun to stretch over the sky her eyes widening, "It's a power vortex. He plans to drain the life-force out of everyone on Earth. You've got to stop him, now! We're all dead otherwise."

Hunter looked over at where the fallen God still lay. Gabriel kneeling next to him searching for life. Their eyes met briefly as Gabriel looked up and nodded his way, letting him know that J'ova still lived. The force of the cyclonic winds had thrown everyone else back away from Luxfer. Only the two of them had managed to stay put. He watched as Gabriel tried to rise from his kneeling position only to stumble back down, head bowed. Clearly unable to make the slightest movement towards Luxfer. Gathering his own resolve Hunter tried the same thing. Pressure began to press down on his shoulders as he did like a giant pair of hands forcing him back. He pushed harder, in vain. The pressure too much for him as he fell hard on his knees. His eyes sought those of the Goddess once more looking for instruction and guidance, staring in shock. Her eyes had closed and she fell limp to the floor as she spoke her last words, "Too late my dearest. We're finished." Shuffling forward on his knees he grabbed Bonnie's head and placed it in his lap. Looking up to find Ren's eyes staring straight at him, filled with tears. Reaching out with his thoughts to her, 'Love you Ren.'

Luxfer knelt on the ground in the eye of the storm he beheld swirling around him. The tiny break in the fight between J'ova and the witch had been more than enough for him to do what he needed to. That J'ova had actually managed to overcome the witch was an added bonus to the events of the day. He smiled. The power of the ring had been designed after he had studied the barrier that the witch had used against them in the first place, with a slight variation. Instead of using the creator's powers to sway others it used a simple vortex motion to literally suck the power out of others and into the waiting vessel. In this case, himself.

Every being on Earth had felt the sudden spike of pain as he'd lunged the ring into the Earth, enhanced by the Divine blood beneath it. A sharp stab of pain making most of them think they were having a heart-attack, followed by a quick weakening of their spiritual essence as their own tiny power made its way back up the green vortex and back to him. The process had already begun as he felt the energy swirling into him. Soon there would only be shells left of the species that had inhabited the planet. Looking around he decided that he'd make it his new home. From here he would take the brethren across the wide expanse of the entire universe and make them all his slaves. None would escape.

All around the world people stopped for the tiniest moment as a flash of green light pulsed in their eyesight, a stab of pain hitting them in the chest. All eyes turned skywards as one as it appeared to turn the brightest shade of blue they'd ever beheld.

Ren held Hunter's gaze for as long as she was able to before flying dust and debris obscured him. The dazzling glow that moments before had been a shade of green had instantaneously turned a deep cobalt blue. She looked to where Luxfer knelt on the dirt his smile now gone, struggling to pull his hand from the earth. The weakening of her spirit from a moment earlier now replaced by a growing strength. The circling winds had started to die down, enough that she could make out Luxfer's final cry of NO as his body blew apart into a million pieces.

The swirling dust began to settle on the earth as the wind died out completely. She looked over to see Hunter still on his knees staring at the empty spot where the Goddess had lain, a questioning look on his face. Rushing over to engulf him in the biggest hug of his life. The padre rushed over to place an arm around the hugging duo, looking over to where he'd last seen J'ova, Gabriel and the others. All of them had disappeared along with his Goddess. Weeping tears of joy he allowed himself to savor the moment with the two people he loved most in the world. Questions could wait.

## Chapter 17

Hunter, Ren and the padre sat at a booth within the Goddess Diner in silence. Around them, the world moved on in its steady pattern of life unaware of how close they had all come to complete annihilation.

The little bell hanging over the entrance chimed as the door opened and Bonnie walked in, smiling at Darlene. Motioning to the others as if letting her know she was expected. The waitress smiled and went to grab some menus for the group. Stopping as Bonnie leaned in to speak to her. Placing the menu back in their slots she headed off to the kitchen. The Goddess walked over to the waiting group and sat. "I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of ordering some breakfast for us. I don't know about you guys but I'm starved!"

"Sounds like a plan," the padre answered as leaned in to give her a hug, "but won't she recognize you as her mysterious benefactor?"

Bonnie cradled the padre's face with her palm, leaning in to the hug, "Not at all my son. We don't look anything like the people she remembers."

Hunter laid his head on Ren's shoulder as looked over at the Goddess, "I'm surprised she still works here or hasn't she figured out what she owns as yet?"

"Oh, she knows exactly what she's got Hunter but this place holds a special place in her heart, as does her new man. If things continue that way for her, I have no doubt that she'll be the new owner of the diner in the not too distant future. Fingers crossed!"

Ren placed her head against Hunters, "At least what little time she has left will be spent happy Goddess. Small blessings."

"Not so little Ren. It appears the doctors made a tiny mistake and misdiagnosed Darlene's symptoms. A very apologetic letter will soon be making its way to her." She watched as the waitress moved through the aisle with their breakfast, "I dare say she's got a long life ahead of her yet."

Silence fell across the table as their breakfasts were served and each began to eat, surprised at the hunger they felt. The Goddess studied each in turn waiting for the questions to begin. She decided to help them out. Swallowing a mouthful of the delicious scrambled eggs, she began "So, down to brass tacks as they say. What would you like to know first?"

The padre had been taking a sip of his coffee, enjoying the peaceful moment. Hunter and Ren both looked over at him with questioning eyes. He smiled, "I guess we can start with the big one first. Right there at the very end, I thought we were done. Luxfer and his hordes appeared to be on the very cusp of winning. I could feel my own life fading before that blast. What happened?"

"That my dear padre, was a power that went beyond what even I guessed and it proves the point behind all of this. I've always said that goodness lies at the very heart of all we know. The evil one underestimated the pure love that everyone on Earth has at their core. It was like the spirit within every living entity on the planet rejected what was happening. In that briefest of moments the entire combined living forces screamed no. Casting their own power back at him. Too much goodness for the spirit holding Luxfer in thrall to handle."

Hunter looked over at the Goddess a sad smile on his face, "I once had a conversation with Luxfer in Hell, before he booted me out that is. His words went along the lines of Hope still lies within us, but love must prevail. I guess even he understood what needed to happen. I thought he was talking about Gabriel and Michael to be honest."

"My words on Luxfer's lips, Hunter. At the time I thought the same as you. The love and goodness of the entire planet manifesting like it did was a shock to me as well."

Ren picked up where Hunter left off, "And Gabriel? Why the sudden shift after so many centuries of working against you Goddess? He was a completely different person there at the end."

"Completely different to the angel you've known, Ren. From my view he went back to the loving heart I found all those years ago. The dark soul that you came to see was taken over by one of the Brethren a long time ago. The very same evil that took over Luxfer and Hell. Without that constant influence over him it would only have been a matter of time for Gabriel to return once more."

Smiling, Ren added, "Let me guess, the added incentive of seeing you about to be destroyed quickened the process? What about Luxfer?"

"You're one hundred percent right about Gabriel, Ren. He was always the one to take charge. The others always followed his lead. Something that I think may need some work. All four of them are much too powerful to just blindly follow anyone. As for Luxfer. Once more he leads Hell, his original intentions back in play. The events and sway of the darkness no longer rule his life. I dare say he'll find a way to bring more of my children towards the light. At least that's what I hope."

The padre had been silently taking in the conversation from his first question, not surprised by the answers his Goddess had given so far. "And what of the other Gods? Do we need to worry about retribution Goddess? Will J'ova take this lightly or is he even now, planning a way to get back at you?"

"My loving brother has his hands full at the moment. All four of my children still command Heaven to be honest. Archangels one and all. J'ova has retreated back into himself. My hope is that he's thinking over everything that's happened and just how close we all came to extinction, himself included. Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel will run things until he comes out of his meditations. For the time being humanity is safe in their hands. As for the other Gods, I think it's safe to say they won't be an issue any time in the future. Every single one of you are a force to be reckoned with on your own, let alone when you stand united."

"But the darkness is not completely obliterated. Is it Goddess?" asked Hunter.

Bonnie put a perfectly manicured finger on her lips as she looked at Hunter, "No Hunter. It's not. In fact, it never can be. Without the dark light would fail to be and vice-versa. It's only when you understand this simple concept that you begin to grow fully. A dark spirit dwells within each of us, as does the light. Think for a moment about your own journey so far. You're surrounded by those you love," the Goddess added motioning with one hand at Ren, "but a spark of the dark resides within."

"How so, Goddess?"

"To answer that question, I must ask you one first-what are your feelings towards the Jackal? The person that murdered Ren when she lived?"

Hunter's eyes went first to Ren before dropping his gaze to the table, "Hate, I guess. I know I should forgive that animal but it's a damn hard thing to do."

The Goddess reached across the table and raised Hunter's face, "You hate him because of what he did to those you love and yet know absolutely nothing about him. One small act enough for the darkness within you to take hold, Hunter. If you actually knew his background those feelings may be different."

"I see your point, Goddess. Unfortunately I'll never have the chance to understand his motives and whether knowing them would mean I could ever forgive him."

D'HarmaSan, the Goddess of all creation and destroyer of Gods leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes, "Never say never, my darling Hunter. You never know what's around the corner."

~~~~~

Here ends The Seventh Seal

The second title in The Chronicles of Hunter.

Thank you for reading my book.

If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review?

Thanks,

Frank

## Discover other titles by Frank J Perez:

Pushing Fifty, Still Pushing

Chronicles of Hunter

Darkness Awakens (Book 1)

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