Chapter 8 – The Dark Angel

For Shoryu, meeting the dark angel for the first time was a jumble of mixed emotions.  He did his best to hide them all, but he wasn’t sure if he succeeded.  Judging from the knowing glances that Faye kept shooting his way, he was pretty sure that he wasn’t entirely successful.

The first emotion that swirled in his body was awe.  Yes, he had grown up on stories of Christian mythology and his childhood was flooded with tales of angels and demons.  However, nothing he had ever heard had prepared him for the real thing.  For one thing, Azazel had a certain presence as he walked into the living room.  Azazel had a confident ‘master of all he sees’ manner about him, not unlike some of the zoalords in Shoryu’s world.  Unlike the zoalords though, Azazel had none of the haughty arrogance and desire to dominate.  Instead, Azazel’s confidence was tempered by compassion.  One look into Azazel’s eyes though, was enough for Shoryu to decide that Azazel only extended his compassion to those that he cared for and Heaven help anyone who got on Azazel’s wrong side!

The next emotion flared though his chest and it raised his hackles.  This emotion was exacerbated by the bright expression on Lexi’s face.  Shoryu’s love for Lexi was still new and wonderful, and he was totally unprepared for the jealousy that was coursing through his veins.  It was a burning sensation that awakened a primordial desire to smash Azazel aside and claim Lexi for his own.

These two emotions fought for control within Shoryu.  On one side was the desire to worship Azazel and the desire to follow Azazel into Hell itself.  On the other side, was the desire to assert himself and draw attention away from Azazel.  Shoryu would still be feeling conflicted if Rachel hadn’t chosen that moment to make her return.

“Where the hell have you been?” demanded Rachel as she ran down the stairs and into the living room.  Fury was written all over her face.

Azazel didn’t seem fazed though.  “Hell is a pretty good description.”

“Were you on a mission or were you just indulging yourself?” asked Rachel angrily.  Her face was red with her emotions.

“I do not believe that that is any of your business,” said Azazel mildly.  “Besides, I can ask you the same question.  Where were you last night?”

That simple question seemed to stop Rachel in her tracks.  “I –“

“You were not trying to follow me, were you?”

Rachel seemed unable to answer.  Her face was still reddish, but now Shoryu was sure it was from embarrassment.

Azazel turned to Faye and said, “Well, is anyone going to introduce me to my guests?”

Faye sat up straight and said, “This Shoryu Fukomachi and Alexandra Seijuro Hiko.  They are from a different dimension.”

Shoryu saw something flicker across Azazel’s face, but it was gone before he could determine what it was.

Azazel turned his gaze to Shoryu and their eyes met.  “The Gatekeeper.”  Azazel cast a stern look at Rachel and then said, “I am not surprised to see you here.”

“Why do you call me that?” asked Shoryu.

Azazel put a firm hand on Rachel’s shoulder and gently propelled her to sit beside Faye.  Then, he took a seat on the single seat couch.  “The celestial plane has been buzzing with the news that a dimensional rift had occurred.  The news was so vital, that Archangel Michael contacted me directly instead of using his normal methods.  I had to interrupt my mission to investigate.  However, by the time I reached the area, all I found were Nephilim footprints and Lilin ashes.”  Azazel looked directly at the two teenaged girls and said, “You two wouldn’t happen to have had anything to do with that, would you?”

Faye and Rachel looked uncomfortable and didn’t respond right away.  Shoryu saw this and spoke up, “They saved me and Lexi.  You can’t blame them for that.”

Azazel sighed deeply.  “I appreciate you speaking up Shoryu, but this is more complicated than you think.  Lilith is not going to be happy that three of her children have died, and she will be even less happy when she finds out who is responsible.”  Azazel seemed to be staring at Rachel as he spoke.

Faye leaned forward in an unconscious attempt to block Rachel from Azazel’s gaze.  “It’s not her fault Az.  The battle happened so fast, if we didn’t take out those Lilin first, they could have killed Rachel and I.”

Azazel looked interested in this and said, “Can you show me how it happened?”

Faye nodded and closed her eyes.  She held up her hands and a transparent bubble appeared.  Images appeared inside the bubble and as Shoryu strained his eyes to see, he recognized a miniature version of himself and Lexi.  The images showed Lexi drinking his blood followed by the arrival of the Lilin.  He could hear tiny voices, but could not make out any words.  The scene shifted to where he and Lexi had been forced outside.  A flash of light blanked out the images momentarily.  When the light faded, Shoryu could see two new figures – Rachel and Faye – appear and attack the Lilin.  The rest of the battle progressed as Shoryu remembered it and the images ended with another flash of light.

There was silence in the living room as everyone waited for Azazel to say something.  Azazel looked directly at Rachel and said, “Your sword form is terrible.  If that Lilu had not been distracted by your sword, you would be dead now and I would have to look for you all over again.”

Rachel’s face had almost regained their paleness, but at these words, she flushed red once more.  “That’s all you have to say?”

Azazel ignored her and turned to Lexi.  “My compliments on your sword technique Madam Vampire.  It is not easy to kill Lilin with conventional weapons.”  To Shoryu, Azazel said, “I believe I recognize you now.  Advent technology runs through your veins doesn’t it?”

Shoryu was startled at this question.  All his life, he had simply thought of the alien race that had created the zoanoids and the Guyver bio boosted armor as the Builders.  The Advents was a name that the zoalords had used to describe the Builders.  “How do you know?” he asked somewhat shakily.

Azazel leaned back and said, “You come from a dimension that the Celestials do not control.  If we did control that dimension, we may have prevented the madness that infected your world.  We would never have allowed the Advents to land and carry on their vile experiements.”

Rather than clarifying Shoryu’s mind though, Azazel’s statements served only to confuse Shoryu more.  “The Celestials?  Who are they?”

Azazel sighed and looked around the room.  “Faye, can you field this one?  I need to change out of my clothes and grab a quick shower.”  Azazel got up and left the living room and made his way upstairs.

Shoryu turned his attention to Faye and waited expectantly.  He didn’t have to wait long.

“The Celestials are a race of immortal beings,” said Faye with an intent expression on her face.  “I mentioned religion earlier and to some extent, most of the religions of the world are based off the Celestials.  In simplest terms, although the truth is a little more complex, they exist on the Celestial plane which consists of Heaven, Hell, the Abyss and the Nexus.  The Nexus acts as a balancing point between Heaven and Hell while the Abyss is something else entirely.  God rules in Heaven and Satan rules in Hell.”  Faye paused and looked around to see if she had lost anyone.

“Who rules the Nexus and the Abyss?” asked Lexi.

“No one rules the Nexus…or maybe it’s more accurate to say that the Nexus rules itself.  It is simply there.  As for the Abyss, well, only those who have been there can tell you anything about it.”  Faye shuddered momentarily and then went on.  “Az is the only known being to be cast into the deepest parts of the Abyss and make it out again.  Other beings have been in the Abyss but none as deep as Az.  The Abyss changes you…it makes you…”  Faye looked as if she were looking for a word and eventually said, “It makes you darker.”

When Faye didn’t say anything for several moments, Shoryu asked, “So are there Celestials in every dimension?”

Faye gave a visible shake as if she were waking up from a daydream.  “What?  Oh no.  Not really.  The Celestials have access to many of the dimensions, that’s why you will find references to them practically everywhere.  Their influence in the dimensions varies though.  For example, in this particular dimension, their influence is very strong.  Heck, this dimension is practically their battleground.  That’s probably because of the Nephilim though.”

Shoryu tried to digest this information but found that there were still too many pieces missing.  It felt as if his mind were going round and round, trying to conceive of multiple dimensions and immortal beings that could travel through them.  A thought suddenly occurred to him and he voiced it right away.  “How many dimensions are there anyway?”

Faye shrugged her shoulders and said, “Beats the heck out of me.  I can’t travel beyond this one so I don’t really care.  I have enough trouble just trying to live my life in this one dimension; I don’t need to go borrowing trouble.”

“But you said that the Celestials have access to the dimensions.  How do they travel?  Why would they be interested in me?”

At that moment, Azazel returned into the room.  He had changed into regular clothes that consisted of faded jeans and a grey shirt.  He sat down once more on the single seat couch and addressed Shoryu’s question.  “The only sure way to travel the dimensions is either through Heaven or Hell.  To do that, you have to appeal to either God or Satan.  Another way is to go to the deepest part of the Abyss.  There, you will find dark pathways that link the dimensions together.  Of course, you will also have to go through thousands to powerful hungry creatures that want nothing more than to consume you.  And lastly, you can travel the dimensions accidentally via the Nexus.  Sometimes, when large amounts of energy are released in the Nexus, a rift can open and you can go through.  Not for long though, because when the Nexus recovers from the rift, it will pull you back.  The Nexus’s sole goal is to maintain the balance.”  Azazel shifted in his seat and then turned his attention to Lexi.  “That is how you came to be in fact.”

Lexi looked startled at this revelation.  “What do you mean?”

Azazel gave her an apologetic grin.  “Legends of vampires, werewolves and grisly ghouls are common in many of the dimensions.  Some of these legends came about because low level creatures who live near the top of the Abyss and have managed to escape ever so briefly.  Some of the legends are based upon Lilith and her many excursions out into the dimensions.”

“I do not understand,” said Lexi with a confused expression on her face.

“I am sorry,” said Azazel.  “I will start further back.  Adam was the first leader of the early humans in this dimension.  Eden was the city from which he ruled.  His first wife, Lilith, was not content to be nothing more than a baby making machine so she left.  You may have heard stories about how she was cursed by God, but they are false.  Something happened to Lilith but no one knows for sure.  Much of the world at the time was still raw and filled with magical energy so it is possible she was exposed to magical energy in its rawest form.  She became a powerful being.  With the help of Satan and his demons, she learned to create a race of creatures that thrived on blood.  This new race was almost as powerful as the Nephelim, but they had one major flaw.  They could not abide sunlight and would die instantly if exposed to it.  In addition to creating this race, Lilith also gained several powers.  One of the powers that Lilith gained was the power to enter dreams.  Using this power, she tricked Eve – Adams second wife – into opening Eden’s gates.  When the gates were open, Lilin attacked Eden with her army of Lilin and destroyed it.

You will sometimes hear of Lilith being described as the Queen of the Night or the Queen of the Damned.  Both of these are quite accurate.  You see, I think Lilith has been in the Abyss, and it is there that I believe she gained her powers.”

“So she is like you then?” asked Lexi.

Azazel shook his head.  “Not quite like me.  I am an angel after all.  No, I believe that Lilith stayed on the outer edges of the Abyss, but she was there long enough for it to have changed her.  Remember, this is my speculation though.  No one but her really knows the truth, and she has never told anyone, not even me.”

“So you know her personally then?” asked Lexi.

“You bet he does!” exclaimed Rachel.  She was glaring at Azazel who seemed to be trying his best to ignore her.

“I have dallied with Lilith once or twice,” said Azazel mildly.  “Anyway, another of Lilith’s abilities is to cross the dimensions in spectral form by entering people’s dreams.  From these dreams, she has created many of the dark horrors that scare people in the night.  Once, with my inadvertent help, she managed to cross physically into your dimension Alexandra.”

Lexi looked startled.  “My dimension?  Why?”

“I do not know why.  At the time, I was busy fighting off a horde of demons in the Nexus.  My battle and the subsequent release of energy opened a temporary rift.  It was not until I saw Lilith slip through that I realized that the ambush and battle were all carefully choreographed by Lilith herself.  Shortly after her visit, your world gave birth to both vampires and werewolves.”

“But why?  Why would she want to visit my world?  Why infect my world with monsters?”

“I do not know,” said Azazel wearily.  She would not tell me.  In fact, after the Nexus pulled her back, she disappeared and I did not hear from her for a very long time.”

Azazel lapsed into silence.  After several seconds went by and it was clear that he was done, Rachel suddenly yelled, “Tell them the rest Az!  Tell them about your deal with her!”

Azazel frowned at Rachel and said, “That deal was for your protection.  I am getting a little tired of your attitude Rachel.  If you have something you want to ask me then ask it.  If you have something you want to accuse me of then make the accusation.  Otherwise, I will not tolerate your rude behavior in front of my guests!”

Rachel jumped to her feet and glared at Azazel.  She raised her hands ever so slightly and then dropped them to her sides.  Without another word, she stormed upstairs.

Faye rolled her eyes theatrically and said, “There she goes again.  You should just tell her Az and be done with it.”

Azazel glanced and Faye and said, “It is not the right time.  She would not believe me.  She has certain preconceived notions about me, and nothing I say or do will change them yet.  As she grows older, the bond we have will grow stronger too and in time, she will realize the truth on her own.”

Shoryu cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business, but that didn’t make any sense at all.  Weren’t you married to her at one point?”

Azazel nodded and said, “A marriage between Celestials is different from a marriage between mortals.  A marriage between Celestials means that we bind our souls to each other and this bond is everlasting.  In her current incarnation, Rachel has no memory of this bond but it is growing stronger as she gets older.  This bond is making her be attracted to me on a spiritual level, while on a physical level, she is repelled by me and my nature.  Added to this is the knowledge that I earned my fall from grace due to my carnal interactions, and even if I tell her the truth, that I have not interacted with anyone since I found her will not convince her of otherwise.”

Faye let out a contemptuous snort and said, “If that’s what you really think Az, then you really don’t know Rachel as well as you think.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” demand Azazel.

Faye shrugged enigmatically and said, “It is not the right time.  You will realize the truth on your own.”  Faye laughed at the expression on Azazel’s face and then said, “Ok, one of the reasons that Rachel is so mad at you is because of that business last year.”

“But I explained all of that to her!”

“She’s a woman Az!”

Azazel sighed and turned back to Shoryu and Lexi.  “Three years ago, I found Rachel in her current incarnation.  Just before I found her though, I had one last affair with a human woman.  A year after I found Rachel, Faye gave the soul killing Chalybian back to Rachel.  Soon after that, Lucifer – Satan’s second in command - hired Lilith to neutralize this threat.  Lilith’s choice of weapon was a human woman who dreamt constantly of the mysterious man she once had an affair with in a long forgotten hotel.  Her dreams gave Lilith the chance to control the woman’s actions, and last year, this woman managed to track me down to our last home.  I think it was Lilith’s intent to form a rift between Rachel and myself, so that Rachel would leave my protection on her own.  Once away from me, and without full access to all of her powers, she would be easy prey for Lucifer and his demons.  Lilith didn’t want to confront me directly, so she tried to act behind the scenes.  I hunted Lilith down and after I killed a number of her children, she decided to talk.  I persuaded her that she really didn’t want to fight me, and so she abandoned her mission.  Although in this particular battle we are on opposites sides, most of the time, she and I are neutral in the Great War.  So, we agreed not to attack each other again during this battle.

Rachel, of course, didn’t take kindly to this at all.  I think she thinks that I should have killed Lilith right then and there.  She is also angry that because of that woman, we had to move from our last home, and Faye had to persuade her adopted parents to move with us.”

“Not only that, Rachel thinks that you’ve restarted your dalliances with Lilith,” said Faye.

“How can she think that?  Is it just because I wouldn’t destroy Lilith?  Lilith is the closest thing I have to a contemporary.  We have been lovers, and we have been friends over the millennia more often than we have been enemies.  Why can’t Rachel understand that?”

“Because she is a woman,” said Faye as if that simple statement explained it all.

Shoryu cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry, that is one hell of a fascinating story, but I think we’re a little bit off topic.  Why is Lilith so interested in me?”

Azazel looked at him and Shoryu felt as if he were under the gaze of a demanding teacher who was waiting for him to come up with the answer.  Suddenly, Shoryu smacked his forehead.  “I’m the Gatekeeper aren’t I?”

Azazel said nothing but Faye was grinning from ear to ear.

“You said that Lilith explores the dreams of people in other dimensions and than once, she even managed to break into Lexi’s dimension.  She wants me because I can open a rift between the dimensions on the mortal plane, right?  That means that the Nexus cannot pull her back.”  Faye was nodding encouragingly as to prompt Shoryu to put the final piece in place.  “But why?  Why does she want to open a rift?”

Faye’s expression fell and she huffed out a breath of compressed air.  Lexi suddenly smacked Shoryu on his shoulder and exclaimed, “Do you not see it my love?”

“See what?”

Lexi tried not to sigh and said very slowly, “That is because you are not a woman.  Women are very protective of their children.  What does any mother want for her children?  A safe secure home.”

Shoryu felt a series of chills run down his back.  “She wants me to open a rift so that she can find a new home for her children!”