Pursuit of the Zodiacs (83 page)

The other Watchers looked at each other in awe.

A Watcher replied, “What do you mean? You swore an oath, and the only way out of our Society is through death.”

The Watcher responded, “You are correct, but it is not my death that will come this day. A decade after I swore that oath, this profession was not what it was cut out to be, and cut out from it shall I be. My apologies, Brethren.”

The Watcher walked out of the Covenant Hall in which they had been meeting for centuries. As the Watcher left, the Astrologer entered.

His gift of invisibility had his presence cloaked the whole time.

One of The Watchers stood and spoke, “Of course, Brethren, after all the countless betrayals we’ve witnessed during our watch, why did this revelation slip from our grasp?”

The Astrologer interjected, “Yes, if you are truly Watchers, why am I present?”

The Watcher sat back in his chair.

The Astrologer continued, “If you haven’t noticed by now, I am the one solely responsible for the existence of the Zodiacs. God and I have shared unimaginable ideas. Some have proven successful; and others, let’s just say, not worth the retrospect. The reason for this so-called Pursuit of the Zodiacs counts as one of them. Giving this group too much power was a mistake. Before anything could be done, Lucifer had already seized his opportunity and rebelled behind Heaven’s Gates. Being cast out proved to be his ultimate plan all along. As for me, I left on my own accord with a few others in search of my engineered abominations. However, they had gone into hiding and were almost impossible to unearth, until now. With Bishop, they will be mine to control once more. Lucifer, that snake, manipulated them and aided their escape. He was not the Originator, nor Creator, but a deceiver. May he meet a thousand more deaths. I am indebted to Bishop. The Mover of Suns will rule the Universe and crush all those who stand in his path.

One of The Watchers spoke, “Oh? What will he do against the Creator of these Suns? Did you two fools forget where you originated from?”

After his outburst, the Watcher deprived himself of life. An electrical burst shot out of the Astrologer’s amazing suit, electrocuting the Watcher in his chair.

The Astrologer waited for more outbursts. The others gazed upon the burnt flesh of their fellow Watcher as pieces of him slid from his bones. They kept their mouths shut.

The Astrologer continued, “Every conqueror must foresee their end, either forfeiting the throne or being dethroned. Whichever way, they must make a decision. Soon, Bishop will be the only one sitting on a throne for all to see. Even you as Watchers must understand and accept this.”

One of the other Watchers spoke, “Please, before you execute the rest of us, the Watcher who had recorded Bishop’s victory against Lucifer departed without a report. Please, you must tell me how this event transpired.”

The Astrologer paused and looked outside a window into the Universe. Instead of taking advantage of an escape, they awaited his next words. “Even in the presence of death, you’d prefer to hear how the Dark Lord himself fell?”

The Watcher answered, “Yes. And please do not let anything escape memory.”

The Astrologer, like all storytellers, was pleased to find an audience willing to listen. “True Watchers, I’ve found a new respect for you. You will have your wish. His graveyard lies within the center of the Great Pyramids of the Sun and Moon where the Zodiac stars Align. What was assumed a sparring match ended up as arguably one of the most shocking events in the history of this Universe. When I arrived, Taurus neared death. He was not to be trusted at all, so I had ordered the Nephilim Giants to finish him off while Bishop and Lucifer clashed. He succeeded in killing two, but the rest showed no mercy. His horns ... his source of power ... were ripped from his skull. In unison, the Giants stomped his lifeless body, sending him into the Earth. It was epic.

I noticed your comrade recording the whole event. It was then I realized the consequences that would arise if those records were ever to end up in the wrong hands, which justifies my visit here this day. Do not worry, if it makes you feel any better, Bishop gave me the okay. You Watchers are more of a liability than anything. We plan to assemble our own special group of Watchers. If I could find you this easily, then so can our enemies. And we cannot allow centuries of work to be held by men who are not of our Covenant. I’m sure you understand this. I cannot deny that your comrade’s will to live has played a major roll in me finding this place. It is nice, by the way. Now, back to the fall of the Dark Prince.

I ordered the Nephilim not to intervene. Their service was needed elsewhere, so they retired to the craft as instructed. First, Bishop and Lucifer exchanged fire and all elements, but neither one budged. Even hand-to-hand combat ensued for a while, but they were evenly matched. Lucifer made the huge mistake of underestimating Bishop’s key gift, his powerful gravitational pull and his ability to move Suns. At that moment, all living things were at the mercy of Bishop, even I had to seek refuge. His power completely challenged the Earth’s gravity. The Zodiac stars Aligned in front of my eyes.

To my surprise in the cave where I had taken refuge, there lay unconscious another Zodiac. Fate revealed her divine visage. Though unconscious, after deep
observation, I realized the Zodiac who went by the name Virgo was in her most dangerous form. I took a sample of her blood and could literally see the numerous amounts of redeveloping poisons simmering in it. I smeared her blood on the tip of one of my special spears. I went back to the battlefield. While Lucifer struggled against Bishop’s gravitational pull, I seized my opportunity. Courtesy of the Zodiac’s poison, his impenetrable serpent-like skin couldn’t match my blade. It ripped through him like margarine. Lucifer became stagnant, and seeing him at Bishop’s mercy brought insurmountable pleasure to my eyes. What followed were the final moments of the Dark Lord himself.

Bishop grounded the Prince of Darkness. Virgo’s poison seeped through his veins so fast, Bishop no longer needed the use of his gravitational pull, nor did he have to move any Suns. Lucifer was finished. I placed my special chains around Lucifer’s wrists, sealing his inability to use any gifts. He gave me a look followed by a vile smirk that I will never forget. I handed Bishop his “Mover of Suns” Sword, and he forthwith beheaded Lucifer in front of all Earth.

They arrived too late. Darkened with the new reality, I saw some of his most trusted Lieutenants and Demon Archangels slowly emerging from the shadows. Amongst them was a familiar face, Peter, a Demon Master Archangel. I assume he, if anyone, would be the one to pursue the Burning Throne. They were no match for the Nephilim we had at our command, so they slithered away like the serpents they were.”

The Astrologer finished his story and asked, “Have I fulfilled your curiosity?”

The Watchers calmly sat back in their chairs, looked at each other in confirmation, and with a contented tone replied, “Yes.”

The Astrologer asked them, “Was this information worth taking into the Judgment Realm?”

The Watchers replied, “Yes.”

Alas, the Covenant Hall depreciated with more death. The Astrologer incinerated the remaining members of The Watchers. They burned to death in the same chairs they had occupied for centuries. They accepted their fate. Satisfied, the Astrologer burned everything to the ground, including Scrolls and records.

From his departing craft three Moons away, the Watcher who had betrayed his fellow affiliates observed the smoldering fire and said to himself, “So, it is done.”

“Not quite.” Surprised, the last Watcher heard the Astrologer’s voice from the communications system on board his craft.

The last Watcher protested, “But, our agreement!”

The Astrologer disregarded his protest. “Like the others, you proved to be nothing more than a liability. A simple coin can deter your loyalty at an instant. All who have gained wealth over the genocide of righteous men will soon meet a parallel death. Your kind doesn’t have the right to exist in the coming age of Immortality.”

The lights on his craft flashed unexpectedly from the inside. He heard the beeping of some sort of explosive device. It was the last recollection of life he ever heard as his craft exploded. And just like that, it became one with the other billions of space debris floating in the core of the Universe. No more Watchers remained.

In the safety and comfort of his own advanced craft, the Astrologer vented. “I’ve manufactured the blueprint of this Universe, and all that seems to appear before me is a vast, mass grave of emptiness. Everything set afloat within the cluster of this Universe, its Moons and all of its Suns and all of its Earths. The Universe would be better off if nothing existed at all. At one point, that liberty existed. Now, here we are amongst all of its misfortune. Who better to rule it than us?”

ONCE AGAIN, WAR BROKE OUT WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE JUDGMENT REALM
.

All beings flurried within the Judgment Hall and all of its quarters. Those who had sold their souls to the Devil for the power they currently possess unleashed them upon the Guardian Archangels stationed there to protect and serve. The opportunity for an escape back into the Mortal realms of the Universe was promising again. The Demon Master Archangel Peter led the attack.

“Release our Brothers and Sisters from their chains, and let them join us in retribution for our fallen Dark Lord!” Peter yelled out as they consumed the blood of Angels. Upon Lucifer’s death, Peter inherited great power that motivated him to pursue the Judgment Realm and the Burning Throne. He acquired millions of motivated Devils still loyal to the fallen Dark Prince.

“THE JUDGMENT REALM IS UNDER ATTACK.”

Remiel, along with his unit, surveyed the damage done in the Judgment Realm. The enemy’s numbers exceeded any chance of their involvement. They would be walking into a massacre. He had his men call for reinforcements.

“So we must sit here and watch our Brethren die?” one of the soldiers asked. In unison, the other soldiers onboard backed his statement.

Following the dissension, Remiel gave in and ordered the pilots to unleash heavy fire from their craft. As predicted, their attack revealed their location, and over a dozen enemy warships confronted them in space.

“Shields up, full control,” Remiel ordered as their craft took heavy fire.

Their shields could not take the ongoing punishment. They unleashed their laser cannons. One enemy craft exploded in front of them, while the other two spiraled off course and into asteroids. Remiel’s craft was forced to retreat into a nearby asteroid storm. Another enemy craft collided with an asteroid, splintering debris erratically. The pursuing crafts withdrew.

Remiel said, “We did what we could. We need to focus on our own assignment.”

“COME ON, GOLIATH, IT IS OVER.”

A compliant Aries removed her fire from the tunnel. The Pursuers stripped themselves of their Special Suits. They moved forward, past the obedient replicas and approached Aries. Goliath, still suffering over the loss of Simeon, could not bear to see Aries, so he broke through an opening of the tunnel and met Raphael and his fleet outside.