The Reckoning Judge Long ago in 726 AD, a night storm raged as dark forces consumed the Earth for the coming of absolute evil, which will bring forth a New World order. �For it will come to pass the dawning of a new age. An era where the blood sacrifice of all Men opposed to the dark will tear the land of its hopes and path the way for Beelzebub to enter the world. He is the dark source of every evil craft and he will guide the new human race to the destiny of their being.� If this comes to pass, Beelzebub will suck the world into hell, torturing all non-forms of demonic life and rewarding all those who served him. They will be made soldiers in his army and they will spread chaos throughout the universe. But the purity of good is with two fighters this day as they try to shatter this prophecy in a valiant attempt to save the world. * * * *
By Mark Nieves
Introduction
In the dark woods, in the land of Britain, a young couple runs in fear as they are a dark creature pursues them. Their clothing consist of peasant wear and they look as if they had already been in a struggle as ripped holes and blood stains covered parts of the clothing material. The young man breaths heavily as though he�d been running for a long time but terrified of what the creature might do to him if they stop. His short black hair is messed up from the wind brushing it back as he ran and his lightly tanned skin is dirty from the early struggle. I�ve never seen anything like it, thought the young man. It�s demonic visage and massive strength compares to nothing I�ve ever imagined possible. We must keep running before it catches up to us. For I am certain it wants to kill us. Maybe even brutalizes us before it drinks our very souls.
The young woman is more of a wreck as she cries in fear every time she stumble�s with her long skirt and falls. Her long brown hair is all over her face and she shows a more terrifying look than her lover does. Her cheeks grew cold as the wind hit their wet surface from the endless tears of fear. I have to keep running, thought the girl. What is this monster chasing us? Why does it want to kill us? We have to keep running or else we�ll die.
The thunder thrashes twice and the creature lets out a high pitch yell as an instinct signal that it�s on the hunt. As they keep running, they stumble upon an abandoned 2-story cottage and quickly take refuge inside.
As they make their way through the dark hall, the man takes two small rocks from the dirty floor and strikes them against an old torch lighting it up. The man takes it and they walk toward the steps leading to the upper floor. We must take shelter in here to conceal ourselves from the creature, thought the young man. If we can find a safe place to hide until sunrise, we might just make it.
I hope we lost it, thought the girl. I�m too tired to keep running and I�m so afraid to die. Thank the blessed mother that my love is here to protect me or I would have surely been at the mercy of that demon. They hear the high pitch yell of the creature drawing nearer. Maybe even toward the cottage. Thought the girl, I hope it didn�t track us.
They were careful not to make a sound as they went up the stairs. They heard the grass outside mush down. Oh no, thought the young man. That sounds like footsteps on the lawn. They then hear nails scratching against the walls of the house like something looking for a way to get in as if it were a dog scratching the door whimpering to get in from the rain. I hope that�s a stray dog, thought the girl. And not what I hope it�s not.
I think we just ran out of time, thought the young man. This cottage is abandoned and I don�t think that�s a forest animal looking for shelter.
They rush down the thunder lit hall to the nearest door. It led to a big bedroom. They go in and lock the door behind them. We should be safe in here, thought the young man. The room looks secluded enough from the rest of the cottage.
Oh Holy Christ, thought the girl, please get us get out of this alive. I�m one of your most faithful servants. I don�t understand why I�m being punished like this. But you know and see all so please, just let us live.
The shutters outside the window are banging uncontrollably against the window from the harsh winds of the storm. The young man closes the shutters and then the window. They both hear a noise from the broom closet. It sounds like someone or something is trapped inside. The young man slowly goes up to the broom closet with caution. That�s strange, thought the young man. What could be causing that?
�Be careful my love!� said the girl in fright. �We don�t know what it could be.�
He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open only to find nothing. A mass then breaks out of the back closet wall in a high pitch yell. It was the creature. �Lord have mercy!� said the young man in dreadful horror.
�Oh no!� sobbed the girl. �We�re all gonna die!!�
The creature was six feet in height, with elf ears, lemon glowing eyes, a ridge forehead, a slimy fanged mouth, a thick tail four feet in length, black claws for nails, hooves for legs, a green gray complexion, and a horrifying snarl.
They both run as fast as they could out the room and toward the stairs. �Come my love!� yelled the young man. �We must flee away.�
But with one thrust, the creature leaps after them over the 8-foot space between them in a high pitch battle cry and knocks them down the stairs. It picks up the guy and throws him up against the wall. It repeatedly scratches the guy�s chest until blood splatters out. It breaks his rib cage, rips out his stomach, and eats his heart as the creature feeds it�s destructive and biological appetite with the extra bonus of a blood bath as it mutilates him.
The girl is up against the wall sobbing as she watches her lover being brutally devoured by a demon like monster. The creature mauls at the guy�s neck until all that is left is the bone along with a huge puddle of blood and flesh from the wall down to the floor. It�s eyes glow as its horrifying face with bloody mouth turns to the girl.
She has nowhere to run as she sobs uncontrollably knowing she is about to die like her lover. �I have got to get out of here,� sobbed the girl.
But the creature pounces at her, grabs her, and throws her at least a yard away. She hits the floor hard but notices she is a couple of feet from the door. Bleeding from her chin, she runs as fast she can out the cottage. The creature leaps out the window, on to the front lawn. It grabs her by her hair, turns her around, and scratches her face knocking her down. The girl screams as loud as she can, which somewhat stalled the creature, but in turn leads it to scratch the other side of her face. As the creature rips off her clothing, a woman�s voice comes from behind.
�I hope I�m not interrupting by standing here and all, but I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Plunder castle?� said the stranger woman.
The creature yells as it walks slowly toward the long black haired woman dressed as a noble. Her skin is like a creamy light tan. Her blush and eye shadow were lightly painted on with color made out of fruits and herbs. Her beauty is that of a fearless fighter, as she showed no fright by the creature. Her lips were of a bright rose color and her eyes were hazel brown. She stood five foot eight and her appearance was that of a spicy Latina.
With a smirk, she stretches out her arm and with the flick of a finger, blows the creature back four feet. �Goblin from the demon breed,� she chanted. �I cast thee out with the powers that be. Into fire, brimstone, and lava for eternity. Let ye never re-enter this world to dwell, for your suffering in Hell is your bounded realm!�
The Goblin lets out a high pitch whale as a lightning bolt strikes it. It�s consumed and incinerated by an intense pillar of fire.
The woman grabs a long piece of cloth from the hay wagon on the lawn and puts it on the girl. She covers the girl and helps her up and walks her to the hay wagon where they both sit on the edge.
�Calm down,� said the women, �You�re going to be all right.�
�How did you do that?� said the girl in soft shock.
I have no choice but to tell her, thought the woman. She already saw me vanquish the monster. And if she later figures out what I truly am, the next time I come here, I could be killed. It�s best to explain to her. �I�m a Priestess,� said the woman.
�Oh no.� said the girl in fright with a strained voice. She must have saved me to be sacrificed to Satan, thought the girl. A peasant virgin who nobody will miss.
�No, don�t worry,� said the woman. �I�m a Holy Priestess.�
�But I was taught that all woman priests are evil.� said the girl.
This girl must have obviously been misinformed, thought the Priestess. Just like everyone else, a religious leader must have told her that all women who go outside their feminine role deny Christ and make a pact with Satan.
�That�s just a misconception brought on by fear,� said the woman. �Fear of man for not understanding something. There are two sides to life. Good and evil. The side we choose to be a part of identifies what we are.�
I�ve never heard let alone thought a woman could think like that, thought the girl. �Who are you?� said the girl.
�My name is Cassandra,� said the priestess. �And I�m here to help.�
�So you make it a point to stop evil things like what just attacked me,� said the girl in a saddened voice. "Like what killed my fianc�e?�
�Yes.� said Cassandra. �But that wasn�t just a random attack. Something has gone wrong in the spirit world. Something dark is happening.�
So why are so many people being attacked all of the sudden, thought the girl.
�I don�t know why you say the spirit world,� said the girl. �It�s this world where something has gone wrong.�
She must have seen some of what is happening tonight, thought Cassandra.
�How do you mean?� said Cassandra. �First off, what�s your name?�
�My name is Amy,� said the girl. �There�s a village about a mile long not far from Plunder castle by the name of Serene Meadow. It�s my home. But rumors about creatures like the one that attacked me were circling as people started to disappear. Today my fianc�e and I were in the market place trading some baskets for a chicken when the clear summer's day turned into a black thunderstorm.
"Then, an army of warriors and men dressed in black cowls came from the direction of Plunder castle and ransacked the town. My fianc�e and me were among the ones trying to escape when that creature attacked. I could have sworn I heard more like them as we ran out of Serene Meadow but I�m not sure.�
�I thought Plunder castle was abandoned after one of the first wars with the Vikings?� said Cassandra.
�It is.� said Amy. �At least we thought it was.�
These could be the soldiers I saw, thought Cassandra.
�The armor of the soldiers and the cowls of the men,� said Cassandra. �Were they black with a red symbol of a dagger with a jagged blade and a rams head with a five pointed star on the dagger-handle?�
�Yes,� said Amy. �How did you know?�
�Because the suspicions of me and my husband were correct,� said Cassandra.
�Your husband?� said Amy. �Is he in your Priesthood too?�
�Um... not really,� said Cassandra. �He�s too high strung for Priest-Hood. But he is a warrior. A bounty hunter of criminals.�
A bounty hunter, thought Amy. Here? But fear of Hell has the people too afraid to turn to crime.
�Whose your husband?� said Amy.
�His name is Jephthan,� said Cassandra.
�The Renegade Warlord from Cordoba?!� said Amy with excitement. �He�s a legend! The stories of his humanitarian missions have spread through all of known Europe!�
I see she�s heard of us, thought Cassandra. "Jephthan try�s to keep us as low profile as possible but I guess our missions are too honorable not to mention."
�But if Jephthan�s your husband,� said Amy. �Then that makes you, Cassandra Warrior Priestess.�
�Well, I�ve never heard myself used in that term,� said Cassandra. �But--�
�A lot of people have heard about your powers,� said Amy. �It�s rumored that you receive them from the Heavenly Father our God himself. Is that true?�
�Yes it is.� said Cassandra. �Only when you commit yourself fully, truthfully, and whole heartedly to the Father and commence your spirit into his hands, will he use you as he does me.�
�Amazing.� said Amy.
Oh, this isn�t getting us anywhere, thought Cassandra. I would love to answer the rest of her questions but I really don�t have time.
�Um, sweetie,� said Cassandra. �What were you going to ask before about the situations?�
�Oh, yes. What did you two suspect about all this?� said Amy.
�Well, I had a vision last night at the rising of the new moon,� said Cassandra. �Plunder castle sent out a thick life force beam through it�s sky-light.�
�Life force?� said Amy with confusion.
�The ultimate building block of our soul that gives us our consciousness and permits us.� said Cassandra.
�So isn�t that a good thing you saw?� said Amy.
�Not if the life force leaves us,� said Cassandra. �And the only way it could leave our bodies is if we die.�
�You said you saw a thick life force beam,� said Amy. �Could that be more than one?�
�That�s exactly what it is.� said Cassandra. �Many life force beams shooting out of the castle.�
Gee, she must be really powerful and smart to see that and know what it means, thought Amy.
�What else did you see?� said Amy wanting to know more.
�The storm originated from the castle,� said Cassandra. �As the beam went shooting into the sky, it made a hole in the storm and fire came out from that hole in the sky. A thick shadow of an indescribably hideous demon with glowing red eyes came into the world and everything was set in flames.�
�What does it all mean?� said Amy in fright.
�That something of great evil is about to enter the world.� said Cassandra. �My husband is out scouting the land to see if there�s anything that could support my vision but thanks to your help, I know a great deal more than I did before.�
I hope they�re not crazy enough to take this evil on, thought Amy. �Are you and your husband going to try and stop this?� said Amy with concern.
�Yes we are.� said Cassandra. �We have too.�
�But why?� said Amy. �Couldn�t you leave it up to someone else?�
�We can�t take that chance,� said Cassandra. �Sometimes, for things as simple as peace, it takes a war to achieve it.�
�But you have your powers to protect you.� said Amy. �What about your husband?�
�He has his sword. As I have mine,� said Cassandra.
�You have a sword?� said Amy. �For what? In case your husband needs a spare?�
�No,� said Cassandra in a giggle. �I use it for fighting. Remember the Warrior in the Warrior Priestess part?�
�Your a priestess and a warrior?� said Amy with her eyes wide open in shock. �We always thought that you were just a spiritual warrior not a literal one.�
She must have a lot of super powers if she�s a fighter, thought Amy. Maybe she�s an Amazon, an Amazon Priestess.
�Yes. What�s so shocking about that?� said Cassandra with a smirk. �What? A woman can�t save a man?�
�Well no.� said Amy. �Men are so much stronger, rougher, rugged, forceful, and dominating than women. We women must stay out of dangers way and submit to our duties of marriage and obedience to men. Otherwise, we risk a slap in the face.�
This girl is very naive like so many, thought Cassandra. They�ve totally raised her to think that she is limited just because she doesn�t have a penis between her legs. Someone has to set this girl straight before all women stay submissive. But that chain of discrimination will break sooner or later.
�Fighting doesn�t always depend on strength but on skill. And I�m very skilled in hand-to-hand combat as I am spiritually. A woman can be everything a man is and more.� said Cassandra as if that way of thinking would catch on soon. �Just let a man try to slap me, it will be the last thing he ever does.�
I�m surprised she could land a husband at all, thought Amy. She probably didn�t have a strong father figure growing up.
�I suppose that works for some women,� said Amy surprised to what she just heard. �But not all women would take a risk like that. Not because she might be afraid, but because it�s a man�s world.�
�Not for long.� said Cassandra.
A male voice came from beside them.
�Cassandra!� called the male voice.
A man riding a two horse wagon pulls up to them. He is a handsome man with tanned skin, black hair, with a goatee on his face. His pants are leather and he�s wearing black scuffled boots. A long silver metal double-edged sword with an angel on the handle-top and a cross on the handle-bottom of the golden sword handle is fastened onto his belt and he has black gauntlets with a sliver band in the middle on both of his wrist.
He is wearing what looks like a black leather vest with metal trinkets resembling sharp objects decorated on it. He has a large swimmers build to his body as he got off the horse stretching some of his showing muscles on his arms and upper chest. He and Cassandra embrace each other.
�This is my husband Jephthan,� said Cassandra. �Sweet heart, this is young Amy.�
Oh my love thought Amy. Why did you have to die?
�Please to meet you,� said Amy with sadness in her voice. �The heroic adventures of you and your wife have spread across many lands giving hope and inspiring good in the hearts of the people.�
�You honor me with your words.� said Jephthan. �Is there something wrong?�
�She was just attacked by a goblin,� said Cassandra. �I cast a spell and killed it. I was able to save her but I didn�t arrive in time to save her fianc�e.�
No wonder this girl looks so saddened, thought Jephthan.
�You have my deepest sympathy,� said Jephthan.
�Thank you.� said Amy.
�Look,� said Cassandra. �We have to take care of this. I suggest you stay in the cottage. You should be safe there since there are no more goblins coming after you.�
Oh no, I don�t want them to leave me alone, thought Amy.
�How do you know for sure?� said Amy.
�Because one goblin can destroy a group of eight at the least,� said Cassandra. �Besides, the goblin was sent to kill you, not to bring you back. If it was going to bring you back, it would have done it already.�
�I�ll do as you say,� said Amy. �Thank you Cassandra, for saving my life. May the light of the savor shine on you and keep you safe all the days of your life. You and your husband.�
�Thank you.� said Cassandra.
God be with them in their duty and God be with me until it�s safe again, thought Amy.
Amy hugs Cassandra and kisses Jephthan lightly on his cheek. She holds the covering on her body as she goes inside the cottage.
�What�s this?� said Cassandra pointing at the wagon.
�A fully armed war wagon.� said Jephthan. �I took it from the soldiers you described in your vision. Did you confirm any of your suspicions?�
I hope he doesn�t loose his temper when I tell him, thought Cassandra.
�As a matter of fact I did.� said Cassandra. �What I didn�t realize until just before you came is that this is all the works of a powerful dark sorcerer. Specifically, Manasseh�s type of magic.�
No, it can�t be, thought Jephthan. You can�t tell me that after everything that�s happened, that he is still alive.
�Manasseh!� said Jephthan in shock. �That�s impossible! You killed him the day I led that campaign against his army.�
�Only God and Satan have the power to bring Manasseh back from the dead,� said Cassandra. �And I can bet which one did it.�
�This is just great,� said Jephthan sarcastically. �Your most formidable foe and my arch nemesis have joined forces.�
�What,� said Cassandra. �What are you talking about? What did you find?�
God, prayed Jephthan. Please brace the both of us for what I�m about to tell her.
�Shiva.� said Jephthan with regret. �She�s alive.�
�But how?� said Cassandra in soft but sadden shock. �We trapped her in Limbo�s dark pyramid in the Red Sea. That�s the demon hell were all demonic life that�s bound in the name of Christ goes. No one can get out of there. Even if she did get the nectar potion that�s suppose to be the life force blood of Zurvan Akarana.
"I was able to channel a whirling spiral of the Red Sea water to extend to her location and suck her in. She either drowned or was crushed from the water pressure. That is if she didn�t die in the dark pyramid since she was transported there mind, body, and soul. I guess Satan brought her back too.�
�No,� said Jephthan with certainty. �She drank the blood and become an all powerful psycho goddess.�
�But the potion either spilled from her hands or was dragged to the ocean.� said Cassandra.
�She got her hands on it. All it would take is one drink from the blood for the change to occur. Besides, we don�t know for sure what happened when she found the potion. The change could have happened in that instant,� said Jephthan.
�Okay,� said Cassandra. �She drank the blood, joined up with Manasseh, and is now here torturing us. Why? She made sure you were a disgrace to your family before she killed them all, she slaughtered hundreds of people claiming to do it under your command, and she made our lives a living hell when she ripped me open and sacrificed our unborn child.
"Then, sacked plundered, and destroyed an Aryan city to find the temple that housed the life force blood of Zurvan Akarana. Once she found it, I took advantage of your distraction over her and caused the water whirl.�
�What are you getting at?� said Jephthan.
�That she�s not much for subtleties or pleasantries,� said Cassandra. �In fact, every single evil thing she did had a part in her revenge against you. So why is she helping Manasseh if she�s just as powerful as he is if not more and not fulfilling her life mission of making you suffer? You just said Shiva is a goddess. A goddess wouldn�t be able to get out of Limbo unless she had help.
"And now that she�s out, why isn�t she here? Why is she apart of a situation she see�s as a petty superstitious religious war? And why get out just as every single thing in this world, gods and mortals alike, are going to be destroyed or suffering in hell for eternity?�
Assuming she�s gonna suffer along with us and didn�t convert to a Satan worshiper, thought Cassandra.
�I don�t know,� said Jephthan. �But we better get going if we want to find out.� They both get on the wagon and the horses start to run.
�Do you still know the way to Plunder Castle?� said Cassandra.
�Yes.� said Jephthan. �I use to use it as a hospice for my wounded men.�
�Good.� said Cassandra. �We should try and push the horses as much as we can. If Manasseh kills those sacrifices, the Earth is doomed.�
Plunder castle is one of the oldest castles in Britain. It was abandoned due to the fact it was vulnerable to invaders from sea. But now, it�s the most heavily fortified position in the world. Inside, the castle and everyone in it is in chaos as goblins and other dark creatures Manasseh has let loose give chase to the human sacrifices. Manasseh himself is in the upper most tower of the stone castle. He meditates as he blocks out the screams of the humans and the snarls of the monsters in preparation for letting Beelzebub, or Satan, as he is more accurately known, into the world. He has on a black silk shirt, a black leather vest over it, black leather pants, extremely pale skin, and dirty blonde hair. He hears a rusting noise behind him. He slightly turns his head with his eyes still closed so he may sense the presence of the person while still meditating. It was Shiva.
The metal doors of the tower automatically opened at her arrival and closed as she was completely inside the room. She is tall, 5 foot 11 inches, blonde hair, beautiful with a psychotic look to her character. She is dressed like a Viking. Her armor is mixed with black leather and gray chain mill. The area covering her breast down to the middle of her chest looks like the top of a 2-piece bathing suit. Out lined with leather, covered in chain mill, and has silver trinkets resembling sharp objects similar to that of Jephthan�s trinkets. Her shoulder blades are thick leather pouches sticking outward to the sides and her sword is fastened on her back. Her gauntlets are also mixed with leather and chain mill, always with the chain mill on top, and they extend from her wrists to the tips of her elbows. Her belt has throwing stars all around it, and her black leather mini skirt splits at the sides and has sliver beads resembling sharp hooks on it. Her boots extend up to her knees and they have pieces of chain mill hanging on them. She walks up to Manasseh with a pissed-off look.
�You had better keep up your end of the bargain Manasseh!� said Shiva.
�When it is finished you will get your reward Shiva.� said Manasseh in annoyance.
�And just how am I suppose to believe you, hmm?� said Shiva. �All I�ve seen are worshipers, an army, a storm, and summons of monsters. All things I could have done if I were still a mortal.�
�I�ve already told you what my power can do!� said Manasseh starting to get angry.
�Oh yes!� said Shiva with an attitude. �Your famous power of Astrokenesis! The ability to just think of something and it happens! If I didn�t know any better, I�d say this is just a bunch of crap! Your nothing but a warlock who enlisted the power of a goddess on your side to fulfill your own little plans of world conquest!�
That�s it, thought Manasseh. She's is gonna get it.
�Rahhh!� said Manasseh in rage as a yellow electric beam shot from his hand and slammed her up against the wall. Shiva hisses at Manasseh as she�s paralyzed with pain but won�t give him the satisfaction of screaming.
�I say what happens and what doesn�t!!� said Manasseh with a ruthless authority. �I will bring forth the beginning of the end! And I will not answer to anyone beneath me when I belong to the darkest power ever to rage in existence!!!�
Oh that�s it, thought Shiva. I�m not gonna let anyone make a fool of me. �Yahhh!� said Shiva breaking out of the beam with a wave of fire and kicking Manasseh in his face. She lands on her feet and is catching her breath as Manasseh gets up. �I will not be here a second longer than I have to Manasseh!� said Shiva. �I see your power now. But my words still stand! You had better keep up your end of the bargain! Or I�ll use whatever powers I have to make sure your plans and your god never layout into this world! Do I make myself clear?!�
Let him just say something I don�t agree with and I�ll turn him into ash, thought Shiva.
�Yes.� said Manasseh catching his breath. �Now you make this clear. The only reason I sent for you was to assist me in crushing any or all opposition, especially against those with powers or super mortal talents. If it weren�t for having to totally concentrate on the forces I need to attract now, I would be strong enough to handle them and wouldn�t need you at all!�
�So let�s hurry this thing up so we can both get what we want!� said Shiva.
�First things first.� said Manasseh.
�Well when the time comes,� said Shiva. �It just better happen.�
�The time is coming,� said Manasseh. �Now that I�ve returned. Thousands will rally at my side. Blood sacrifice will bring forth the dark and Satan will reign on the world. All those who helped me will be rewarded. And all those who opposed me in the name of what imbeciles call benevolence, will get a brutal death!�
There he goes ranting like a psycho again, thought Shiva.
�And what imbeciles are these?� said Shiva. �You talk about this great dark power but when you mention these do-gooder-infidels, anxiety and frustration pop into your voice. Who are they?�
�Two warriors that you and I know very well.� said Manasseh. �One of them is a warrior that plagues your every thought.�
Oh no, thought Shiva. He can�t be talking about him.
�Are you talking about Jephthan?� said Shiva with anxiety.
�Yes.� said Manasseh with disappointment.
�AHHHHHH!� screamed Shiva in rage. �AM I DOOMED TO FOREVER ENCOUNTER HIM WHEREEVER I GO?!!�
I love that lustful anguish of hers, thought Manasseh. Then again, I love it when she�s in pain I can feel the mental torment emanating from her being.
�It seems what I heard about your relationship with Jephthan is true,� said Manasseh with a smirk. �He did kill your family.�
�Killed isn�t the word,� said Shiva with searing anger. �He watched and laughed as men from his army battered my father and mother when the army strayed away from a near by pillage to take a drink from the river. They saw my and me family doing our laundry and decided to have some fun. I managed to hide in the bushes before they can see me. But my family...
�My family suffered their thrashing but it wasn�t enough to kill them. So their hunting dogs ripped them to shreds finishing the job. My mother, father, and brother were all killed. And I promised from that day on to learn all of Jephthan skills and abilities! Copying all his moves so that I could use all that he is against him and crush him!! Yahhhh!� screamed Shiva as she shot out a fireball and blew a hole in the stone wall. Manasseh sat down in his chair.
Control, thought Shiva. Take control. Don�t let the pain consume you. Concentrate.
�And this vengeance campaign you led against him,� said Manasseh. �It accomplished nothing?�
�No.� said Shiva with regret. �I did so much to him and Cassandra. And it did nothing, for me that is. I did make their lives a living hell, that�s a given. But it had no effect in my mind. All those years I spent in vengeance, planning and doing everything I can to avenge my family and the girl I once was had me thinking.
"If I make his life a living tournament before I kill him, I�ll finally have peace. And that�s exactly what I did. I didn�t care that he changed his ways and was hunting criminals so everyone in Cordoba can be safe. I didn�t care. He had to pay for what he did and I was the one who was gonna make him do it.�
All that work was for nothing, thought Shiva. Everything I did accomplished nothing and now I can�t even take my own life.
�And?� said Manasseh with a humorousness to know more.
�And?� said Shiva snapping out of the images from her past. �And, I tortured him like a pig waiting for slaughter and since I entered the dark pyramid I felt more trapped than ever before. He would always defeat me, but I would just keep coming back like a thrashing wave. And what do I have to show for it? Eternal torment now that I�m a goddess!�
�Why was it so important for you to become a goddess?� asked Manasseh. �I mean, couldn�t you have defeated Jephthan without divine help?�
�I sought the life force blood of Zurvan Akarana out of a lust for greed,� said Shiva. �There were so many times that I could�ve killed Jephthan but what would be the point? It was all about �causing him pain. And plus, it would�ve been interesting to enforce, mold, and effect the world on a wide mystical scale. Zurvan Akarana was known as infinite time.
"The one true divine being that existed before existence itself. He spawned everything that is. And destroyed everything that was. To have his or her power coursing through my veins is to be greatly infinite. What I don�t understand is why I couldn�t get
out of the dark pyramid. Why was I subjected to its tortures?�
Manasseh begins to laugh in a sinister but joyful way.
�What do you find so funny?!� asked Shiva.
�The fact that you believe that a non-existent primeval entity could give you such great powers,� said Manasseh. �It�s incredible.�
�Really?� said Shiva. �So fill me in �cause I�d like to hear your explanations.�
�The blood you drank was not of Zurvan Akarana,� said Manasseh. �But of the blessed mother Mary. The deliverer of the Christ.�
�How is that possible?!� said Shiva.
�The female body bleeds nearly 40 days after birth,� said Manasseh. �No one knows for sure how the blood got to the east. Many believe it was through one of the three wise men that visited baby Jesus. But it was said that the blood housed tremendous mystical properties of great power. It�s understandable why your not more powerful than you should be. The blood became impure when you, who are impure mind, body, and soul, drank it.
But if you were totally pure, then you would have been the most powerful entity under Jehovah. But don�t let that discourage you. You�re still the most powerful god standing on this Earth, more powerful than all the other gods put together. The beings you have to worry about are Jehovah and Satan. But don�t think about getting in their way. Since your not as powerful as your suppose to be, they both have the power to destroy you.�
I can�t help but feel for her, thought Manasseh. After all, she lost her family like I did mine. It can�t help but hurt.
�Well,� said Manasseh. �It seems you and I both have an interesting past.�
�Why?� said Shiva. �What did Jephthan do to you?�
�A year after you came in the picture,� said Manasseh beginning his story. �Jephthan was called to Israel to help the Hebrew militia fight off a pact of Muslim warriors wanting to sedge the land for the Arabs. Jephthan and the leader of the militia, Jacob, became friends when Jacob led a missionary trip to Cordoba and Jephthan and Cassandra became Christians.�
�Cassandra and Jephthan are Christian?� said Shiva.
�Yes.� said Manasseh with disgust. �Her power source is solely based on calling on the power of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Angels, and all the other powers of pure goodness. But never the less, she must keep her mystical powers a secret on the count that she�ll be burned at the stake.�
�Of course.� said Shiva with a smirk.
�As the Muslims came ashore,� said Manasseh. �Jephthan, as a very skilled warrior, planned a series of trap-attack-plans that picked off each wave one by one. Cassandra remained at Jerusalem and befriended a group of people whose religious practices were more new age than traditional Jewish beliefs. They held their worship services outside in the woods. And Cassandra was intrigued by their way of worship.�
�Sounds like a cult to Me,� said Shiva.
�That�s exactly what it was.� said Manasseh. �When the cult elders brought out a little girl to be sacrificed to the Prince of Darkness, Cassandra reacted immediately and saved the little girl. In doing so, she killed one of the cult members. In the Bible, it�s among the gross defiance�s to kill a soul while in spiritual acts.
Cassandra was so sadden by her actions that she cried out so loud that Jephthan heard a mile away while in battle with the Muslims. He rushed into the woods and saw Cassandra lying on the ground crying. To make a long story short, her actions lead her to be conceived with me.�
�Are you kidding me?� said Shiva with her eyes wide open in shock. �Cassandra and Jephthan are your parents?�
�No.� said Manasseh. �Just Cassandra.�
�But if it�s just Cassandra, whose your father?� said Shiva.
Here�s the punch line, thought Manasseh. The only human I�ve ever told this too has to be a psycho goddess whose mind is tormented by a traumatic event. Even as a powerful destructive goddess she still holds on to these mortal emotional weaknesses that hinder her efficiency.
�The Virgin Mary had to be holy for Jesus to come into the world,� said Manasseh. �For me to come into this world, a pure good spiritual one must defy an element that makes up most of her goodness which is like a mental blood sacrifice. In Cassandra�s case, it was her calling. Something greatly sacred to a priest. So Satan planted his seed in her, and here I am.�
What? thought Shiva. This makes no sense.
�But Cassandra is a holy priest.� said Shiva. �How could you be born out of something good?�
�For me not to be defeated by some simple do-gooder,� said Manasseh. �I had to come into this world planted by evil and delivered through good. So I can anticipate the powers of good and the powers of evil as I was definitely going to have rivals. I�m very powerful because my powers are a balance of good and evil.�
�So what happened when Jephthan and Cassandra found the little bundle of joy in the womb knowing they didn�t conceive it?� said Shiva.
�They didn�t find out right away,� said Manasseh. �Naturally when Cassandra started having morning sickness, they just thought it was her body reacting the kill. It wasn�t until they came across the Knights of David that they heard of what the cult was trying to do. That and Cassandra only had me three days after that.�
�Then what happened?� said Shiva wanting to know more.
�Cassandra had the unconditional love a mother has for her child.� said Manasseh. �A love she had for me. She saw past the fact that in just half a day, I aged about six and a half months. But Jephthan... good OLE Jephthan was smart.
�He saw right past my baby form to the being I truly was. Darkness. Evil. Cassandra wouldn�t put up with it. She warned him not to get between us. When he tried to kill me, she pulled a muscle in his right arm and fled with me in her arms. The fact that I was born out of a human, out of goodness, gave my essence a spark of light, feelings that humans often get. And that got me killed.�
He has feelings, thought Shiva. They must be in hibernation with the way he acts.�How?� said Shiva.
�I began to bond with Cassandra like child to mother.� said Manasseh with sadness. �She was too weak from carrying me while running from Jephthan who was pursuing us. A viscous mountain lion came out and Cassandra couldn�t use her powers because of fatigue. So with a dark snarl I butchered that beast to save my mother. And--,�
Oh good, thought Shiva. He�s gonna cry, let me make it worse.
�Let me guess,� said Shiva with a smirk. �She saw who you truly were in that instant and killed you herself because she couldn�t bare having a demon for a child.�
�Not exactly.� said Manasseh. �She knew that I was the son of Satan. But her love for me was so strong that she figured that she could help me fight my dark-side just like she does with Jephthan. And who knows? She might have succeeded. But that dark action I performed to protect her cast doubt to her faith in changing me and she used her spiritual powers to kill me.�
�How could she have killed you if you�re so powerful?� said Shiva.
�I was just a baby,� said Manasseh. �I wasn�t in full control of my powers and even if I were, I wouldn�t suspect that my own mother would kill me let alone ever thought of using my powers to kill her or to hurt her at all.�
�But if she did kill you,� said Shiva. �Why are you here talking to me when you should be dead?�
�After Cassandra and Jephthan buried me, an evil sorcerer stole my body from the ground.� said Manasseh. �He was going to steal the dormant powers of my dead body for himself so that he could be more powerful. He initiated an absorption ritual to take my powers. This act activated my powers thus filling me with life. I killed that sorcerer, absorbed his life force, and laid low for two and a half weeks. I then flew to Cordoba to get my revenge. I had thousands of followers and my powers grew with every evil action I did. I of course ran into Cassandra and Jephthan and Cassandra�s powers weren�t strong enough to defeat me. I could have had the world if they hadn�t tricked me and pushed me into that volcano. But the lava shielded me like the mother�s womb and took me straight to hell where I finally met my dark powerful father. I stood there for a whole year getting to know my kingdom, my demon army, and my tortured pets that I got to play with a lot. I came back here after I learned all my father saw fit and here we are.�
And with all I was taught, thought Manasseh. The end comes near.
�Good story.� said Shiva. �After all, it was better than mine.�
�I don�t understand you,� said Manasseh. �You could be a solider in Satan�s army. Instead you choose death.�
�Well, that�s why I�m doing it aren�t I?� said Shiva. �That�s what I expect to get out of this. That�s the only reason I am doing this.�
�But you can do so much more,� said Jephthan. �The way you are now is the way all humans who helped me will become. Virtual gods. If you stay alive and pledge your full allegiance to me, my father and this army, your powers could be as great as mine
when all this is done.�
�Tempting,� said Shiva. �But no. I want it all to end. A complete black void of death, no after life, no consciousness, nothing. Just a screeching halt that will purge me from existence for all eternity.�
I have to admit of course, thought Shiva. I can relate to him. He had a destiny to fulfill and Jephthan constantly stopped him. I can sympathize. Who knows what I was destined for before Jephthan came into my life?
All of the sudden, the castle trembles with a jerk.
�What is that,� said Manasseh.
The earthquakes aren�t supposed to start now, thought Manasseh. Unless the demons found away through the dimensional barrier!
They look out the hole Shiva made in the wall to find three catapults shooting flaming boulders at the castle. Shiva stretches out her arm.
�Say the word,� said Shiva. �And you�ll be looking at a field of ash.�
�No!� said Manasseh. �I�ve been looking to get a little work out. Take us down there.�
Shiva puts her hand on his shoulder and disappears in a wave of fire from the castle tower and reappears in a wave of fire in back of the group controlling the catapults. The men are dressed in black wool and brown animal fur like medieval Eskimos.
�Good evening gentlemen.� said Manasseh. �May I help you?�
�Who are you?!� said one of the operators of the catapults.
�Now that�s no way to greet beings that hold your destruction in their hands.� said Shiva.
�I know who you are,� said the leader of the rebels. �Your Manasseh Heir of darkness.�
�Good observation skills.� said Manasseh with an evil smirk.
�I should kill you right now demon!� said the leader. �These are some of the best warriors in the army of Oniyaraki!�
�Ah, Oniyaraki.� said Manasseh with amusement. �The demon soul stealer of China and Japan who brings disease and misfortune.�
�That�s right,� said the leader establishing some kind of authority. �And I am not about to let you take the world for Beelzebub or Satan or who ever you call your so called dark god! This world is for Oniyaraki and I am his vessel for bringing it to him!�
Manasseh laughs with a sinister chuckle.
This guy honestly thinks he�s more powerful than me, though Manasseh. This should be interesting.
�Your god is among thousands in my demon army of darkness!� yelled Manasseh. �Oh yes, he is real. But he is my servant! He along with all the demons bowed down to me to kiss my hand among other things. And let me tell you, he was among the quickest to lay in my bed to serve me.�
The leader rages with anger as he runs up to Manasseh but Shiva grabs him by his neck and picks him up.
�Ah-uh.� said Shiva. �Show some respect for the master of your god.�
Shiva throws the leader back to one of the rebel�s feet.
�I don�t give many chances let alone second ones. So I�ll give you this chance to just run away before dark oblivion becomes your eternal master.�
The leader gets up with his eyes glowing a bright white.
Don�t tell me he�s gonna try a spell on me of all people, thought Manasseh. He�s probably using one that I wrote myself.
Oh yeah, thought Shiva. This guy is really gonna embarrass himself. Finally, some entertainment!
�Powers of the land, powers of the sea,� the leader angrily chanted with Manasseh and Shiva looking on in amusement. �Powers of the sky, powers that reek!�
The thunder in the storm above the castle thrashes loudly.
�Channel together and bring dismay!� chanted the sinister leader as he laughed. �Send the shocking ray of light that bolts destruction to butcher this person with dark combustion!�
As a huge ball of lightning forms in the clouds Manasseh looks at the leader with pity and repulse. What a shame that this is the best he can do, thought Manasseh. When they�re many spells of destruction that greatly surpass this one.
�Time and space,� Manasseh plainly chanted. �Take your meaning, form here, and go. For forward we look and forward you go.�
As the thunderbolt shot from the dark clouds at the ground to Manasseh, it stops an inch in front of his heart and made a U-turn hitting the leader with great impact. Manasseh and Shiva laugh as the rebels stand in shock.
�For every spell you have,� mocked Manasseh, �I have sixty more.�
�Kind of scary, ain�it?� said Shiva.
�I can even cast spells without sounding a single syllable.� said Manasseh. �Watch and know, once and for all.�
Manasseh closes his eyes and a slight rumbling sound is heard. The thunder in the storm thrashes very loudly as the dark clouds in the sky rotate creating more powerful, thicker, louder, lightning bolts as the dark storm expands. Stray thunderbolts swarm through the clouds as most of the thunder bolts come together to form a big white electrical ball. The ball lets out a huge thick thunderbolt that strikes the ground with great impact.
Shiva erects a fireball of protection around her and Manasseh. As the thunderbolt plows to the ground, everything went up in a huge fiery electrical explosion. Once the smoky ash cleared, where once stood the huge catapults stood a huge crater with a pillar of earth that was unaffected by the thunder bolt due to Shiva�s fire shield. Shiva put her hand on Manasseh�s shoulder, disappeared in a wave of fire and reappeared in a wave of fire in front of the soldiers who were thrown 50 feet from the crater. They all had burns and their skin and clothing.
�You�ve already seen my power,� said Manasseh. �So take this 10 second opportunity to run like a wild bore from the slaughter of the hunt.
The leader drew a dagger from his boot and ran to Manasseh with a vicious war cry. Manasseh squints his eyes blows the leader back 6 feet with telekinesis ability. The leader gets up and catches his balance.
�Go!� said the leader to his men. �Disable them but don�t kill them yet until I can take their powers!!!�
�Looks like we�re gonna get some exercise after all Manasseh.� said Shiva. �That�s good. I have a lot of energy to burn.�
�Just be sure to make this quick and sweet,� said Manasseh.
The first solider ran up to Shiva. Shiva punches him in his stomach, back hands him in his face, punches him in the nose, palm punches his face twice, kicks him in his stomach which makes him kneel down, and spin elbows him in his face breaking his neck. As the second solider runs up to her, she kicks him in the groin, kicks him in the stomach then face, gives him a jab then a right hook to his face, then squeezes his neck �til his eyes popped out his sockets in a blood burst. Shiva draws her sword and slashes the stomach of the next solider coming up to her 3 times. Splattering blood everywhere. Shiva slashes the chest of the next guy running up to her, spins around and cuts off his head. The body falls as puddles of blood gush out. The next solider that runs up to Shiva parries with her 15 times and quickly drives the sword in her chest. But it did nothing to her. She just drives her sword through his chest, and brings it up and out through the top of his head. Splattering blood, slime, bone fragments, and brain pieces on the ground.
The first solider runs up to Manasseh and throws 2 punches but Manasseh blocks them, gives him a right hook, and spin kicks him to the ground. The second solider ran up to Manasseh and throws 2 punches but Manasseh catches both his wrist, gives him a head butt, falls back and flips him over. Manasseh gets back up and see�s soldiers running up to him from both sides. He holds out his arms and catches them as they run up to him. He berries his fist into the middle of their chests and tares out their hearts along with globs of blood. The 2 soldiers fall to the ground and Manasseh pops the bloody hearts with his bare hands. Another solider runs up to Manasseh, punches him in his face and kicks him in his stomach. Manasseh grabs the guy by his neck and squeezes as hard as he can. He twists the soldier�s neck from side to side breaking the neck bone. Manasseh pulls, with great force, the soldiers head off. The skin rips off of the collarbone along with the bones and a huge splattering of blood. As the next solider runs up to Manasseh, Manasseh gives him a right hook, put his hands in the soldiers mouth and tares out his jaw. Manasseh then plows the jaw into the soldier�s forehead and he falls dead in a huge puddle of blood and bone marrow. The next solider runs up to Manasseh but Manasseh scratches his throat with his long nails before the solider stroke.
The first solider comes running up to Shiva. Shiva shoots out a pillar of fire from her hand that burns right through his body and turns his chest and stomach into ash. The second solider comes running to Shiva. Shiva then starts to shoot a multitude of thin green energy beams from both her hands. Each beam that hit the solider burns him. As many beams hit the solider, his flesh starts to melt off his body as he screams in agony. He�s left a puddle of melted flesh, organs, and blood. The next solider comes running up to Shiva and throws 10 throwing stars at her which penetrates her forehead, eye, cheeks, throat, breasts, and stomach. A white energy beam swarms through Shiva�s body as she lets out a scream throwing the stars back glowing. As soon as they hit the solider, his body exploded in 1 big orange bloody burst. As the next solider runs up to Shiva, she fires a red energy spread that engulfs the guy. His body begins to rapidly age as his body withers into dust. The next guy comes running up to Shiva but she fires a thin purple energy beam at his face, which makes it explode.
Light blue streaks of energy swarm through Manasseh�s body as his skin turns a pale gray. His nails turn black and extend to 3 inches long. His eyes turn demon shape red, and his teeth grow fangs. A ridged out line forms at his profile and a burned-in pentagram appeared on his forehead. He lets out a demonic snarl as the thunder thrashed. A solider comes running up to Manasseh but stops as soon as he views Manasseh�s demonic visage. Manasseh just looks at him and he explodes in a fiery bloody burst. Another solider comes with his hands glowing yellow. Every throwing star the solider touches glowed with the same yellow magic. The solider throws over 20 stars but there is an invisible shield protecting Manasseh. Manasseh looks at the soldier�s stomach and it starts swelling up and down. Then, a slimy serpent monster with dark purple eyes and a fanged mouth made out of the soldiers internal organs pops out of the soldiers stomach and starts eating his face. Another solider comes up to Manasseh lighting what looks like a small rocket and launches it at him. The rocket is 3 inches away from hitting Manasseh when he waves his hand and turns the rocket into 4 12-inch long, 3-inch wide dragonflies. The dragon flies all fly back and burrows their heads into the soldier�s body eating him. The next solider comes up to Manasseh with a long dagger. Manasseh takes control of the soldier�s motor functions. Against the soldiers will, he takes his own dagger, stabs it in his stomach and pushes it all the way up to his neck splattering blood all over the place. As the next solider runs up to Manasseh, Manasseh shoots a huge electrical ball at the solider exploding him in a big bloody electrical burst. The leader stays standing in shock as Manasseh and Shiva walk up to him. The leader takes a step back but Manasseh squints his eyes and blows the leader back 4 feet. As the leader gets up to run, Manasseh quickly waves both his hands and �solifies� the leader in his tracks. The only movement the leader retains is his mouth.
�Wha--What did you do to me?� said the leader. �How--�
�I solified you in your tracks,� said Manasseh. �Leaving you without movement so you won�t try to escape.�
�You should have ran when you had the chance,� said Shiva. �Did you really think your little toy soldiers could possibly take our powers?�
�I gave you a chance to live,� said Manasseh. �Now you must adhere to the consequences to your foolishness!�
I wonder what he�s gonna do, thought Shiva.
�What are you going to do?� asked the leader.
�Show you.� said Manasseh. �I�ll simply show you the power you crave. You think that you can handle it. You think that you deserve it. But would you like to see me as I truly am?!�
The leader see�s himself go in through Manasseh eyes into complete darkness. The leader feels an overwhelming amount of fear and a slight feel of physical pain. The leader see�s a spark of light in the distance. He quickly gets closer and see�s that it�s a huge pillar of fire spewing out the ground. A bunch of different demons dance around the fire as thin white thunderbolts strike out of the fire. Manasseh feels the evil of the dancing demons as the pain and fear inside of him grows stronger. 5 thunder bolts strike together and form a hole. Fire, brimstone, lava, excessive heat, and rock formation are seen at the other side of that hole. Out of the hole comes a red demon with green cobalt eyes, goat horns, dark gray claws, hoofed legs, and a big muscular body. The cries of millions are heard as the pillar spreads through out the entire dark background. The leader begins to scream in agony as he is sucked into the hole leading to hell. All the demons bow down to the red demon. The leaders body drops dead and Manasseh�s regular human form reasserts itself.
�Just weren�t built to hold that kind of darkness where you?� said Shiva.
�He could have been a great solider in this army,� said Manasseh. �If he were only a little submissive.�
�Tell me something,� said Shiva. �We wiped the floor with them. Why are you so worried that we can�t do the same thing with Jephthan and Cassandra?�
�Because I have the purest of black, dark, evil on my side.� said Manasseh. �I have Satan himself and the entire demon army at my side. That�s way I was able to defeat these rebels. They had one demon and I have thousands. But Jephthan and Cassandra don�t have Daghda on their side!�
�Who?� said Shiva.
�Daghda was the good god of life and death who was skilled in magic, controlled the weather and crops, and possessed all wisdom. He was the chief of the gods in the Cordoben culture before the culture changed to the Christian religion in 155 AD.� said Manasseh.
�Your point?� said Shiva.
�My point is,� said Manasseh. �That they don�t have a puny power on their side let alone a power that I can control!�
�So we need more time to prepare.� Said Shiva.
�We don�t have it.� Said Manasseh. �Cassandra and Jephthan will be here as soon as possible.�
�We may not be able to stop their arrival,� Said Shiva. �But we can delay it.�
Shiva stretches out her arm and shoots a huge pillar of fire that consumes the entire castle. It extinguishes in 3 seconds.
�What did you do?� said Manasseh.
�I put an invisible fire wall of protection around the castle.� Said Shiva. �Not only will they need time to get through it but it�s also sending out a predatory lust to all the dark creatures with in a mile radius to attack as many humans as possible. That way, it will also keep them distracted.�
�Good going.� Said Manasseh. �But we won�t have this momentum for long. We better get everything ready.�
�Right behind you.� Said Shiva as she put her hand on his shoulder and disappears in a wave of fire
[Chapter 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
