The Dark Path (32 page)

“Yes. We should go,” said Gabriel softly, looking away.

Vain’s gaze narrowed, trying to determine the cause for his companion’s strange behavior. The assassin’s instincts screamed that he was walking into a trap, just as Lucifer had told him, but in the end he realized he had no choice.

He needed Gabriel.

Perhaps he had simply gotten used to the angel’s company. Vain didn’t know and pushed aside the problem. If he needed to, he would take care of Gabriel later on. The thought made him strangely melancholy. He stood and moved to the door.

Gabriel rose and, with the look of one who is damned, trudged slowly out towards his destiny. A destiny that had been written at the dawn of time, and yet now he yearned for any means to somehow escape it.

Gabriel had never known fear. Throughout his long existence, through all of the ethereal wars, he had never once been scared. Until now. Standing on the roadside outside the enormous mansion, he found himself also feeling regret. He had always followed his Lord’s wishes without question, even if he had disagreed with them, but now with the end so close, he feared he would falter.

The archangel had existed since the dawn of time, and he’d seen wonders no mortal could possibly understand. He was there when life first burst forth in the universe, he’d travelled through the dimensions and fought in the wars between the heavens. Now all of this seemed immaterial and his knees began to shake.

Gabriel had known this time would come, had known it ever since he had exploded into being so many millennia ago. His death had been written in the stars, and now the time drew close when he would have to choose. He could give up his life and in doing so grant the Dark Man a chance at saving the Avun-Riah, but it still wouldn’t ensure his victory. Or he could turn his back on everything he had ever believed in and disappear into the cosmos, guaranteeing this world would be plunged into darkness, and possibly the entire universe as well.

Free will–the blessing and curse of inhabiting a mortal body.

Gabriel knew what he had to do, but every step he took towards his destiny seemed slower than the last, absorbing the most from his final moments of consciousness.

“What’s wrong?” whispered Vain from behind him.

“There is something I must do now, Dark Man. I am sorry, but I have to say goodbye.”

“So, that bastard was right,” hissed the assassin.

“Who?” asked Gabriel.

“Lucifer. He told me you would do something like this. Well, go on then, run away and tell Empeth I am here, like a good little doggy.”

Gabriel sighed. He should have known Lucifer would try something like this. He never had been able to refrain from trying to cause mischief in the world of man. “I am not going to betray you,” he said softly.

“Bullshit! Why should I believe you?”

Gabriel looked at the assassin, sensing the confusion within him. Perhaps he should have told him what would happen here, but he knew Vain would try to stop him. Despite his external show of disinterest, Gabriel knew the Dark Man cared for him. If the assassin tried to stop what Gabriel was about to attempt, the boy would die, and Sordarrah would be reborn into his body. An eon of chaos would follow, one that would see mankind destroyed, and the dimensions torn to shreds.

“Look inside yourself Vain, and you will know what to do. I am saying goodbye because my last task will soon be complete, and I will be gone from here. I wish you the best of luck for the battle that is to come. I do not know the outcome, but I know that while there is still breath in your body you will not give up.”

Gabriel turned to leave, but Vain stopped him. “Why do you have to go?” he asked quietly–almost remorsefully, thought Gabriel.

He knows!
realized the archangel suddenly. “This is the way it has to be, Dark Man. But understand this: a part of me will always be with you; no matter where you go, I will be there too. You have secured my belief in humanity, Vain. For if the darkest assassin ever to live can care for a boy he does not really know, then why can’t the rest of the world change also?”   

“Goodbye, Gabriel.”

“Goodbye my friend. Wait until the way is clear before following.”

“How will I know when that is?” asked Vain.

“You will know when it happens.” Without further farewell, Gabriel quickly turned and walked steadily up the road towards the enormous double-gates that barred the entrance to the mansion grounds. Gabriel knew these would not be the real obstacles; the spirit spell Empeth had placed around the perimeter would take something special.

The mansion itself was built more like a castle. Huge grey stone walls were broken only by narrow windows rising high into the night sky, and the building exuded a feeling of incredible power.

Gabriel hoped Sebastian would be able to free himself from the cell containing him, but pushed the thought aside and tried to prepare for what was coming. He stopped a few feet short of the gate and, using his power, opened his spiritual eyes momentarily to examine the spell that curved in a half-sphere over the entire compound.

Like a gigantic soap bubble, it shimmered and changed color, swirling in a myriad of patterns that almost appeared beautiful to the archangel. That is, if he hadn’t known how many souls had been sent to Hell in order to create it.
Such a thing of beauty should not be born of evil
, thought Gabriel sadly.

The archangel existed as a being of pure energy. Like all living creatures, Gabriel contained huge amounts of untapped power. Some humans managed to tap into small portions of this force–people like Priest displayed powers and skills far above those of mere mortals. Gabriel combined an awesome energy into purpose. Now he summoned that power and compressed it, sucking the last vestiges of his essence into a massive display of force.

No event could ever destroy Gabriel; the only way he could cease to be was to choose to do so. Walking through the spell would probably weaken him incredibly and send his essence flying through the cosmos for eons before he could recover, but it would not destroy him completely. This would possibly destroy the spell too, but he could not be sure.

And he had to be sure.

To be certain, Gabriel had to expend his existence, in the process summoning more spiritual power through his destruction than had been seen since the universe flared into life so long ago.

Feeling the power beginning to burst in spurts from within him, Gabriel delicately let it flow out and over the huge spell. The invisible bubble now shimmered as though covered with a soft coating of ice. Ice that slowly solidified until nothing could be seen through it. Gritting his teeth against the pain that flowed through him, the archangel forced the last of his spirit into the shell, and with a roar of effort shattered himself outwards. The resulting detonation shook the very foundations of existence.

The spell disappeared with an enormous clap of thunder.

And Gabriel, archangel and herald of God, vanished....

* * * *

From his hiding position down the road, Vain watched the shell Gabriel had created suddenly burst outwards, flinging him back with the force of the silent explosion. The ground heaved beneath him, and several deep cracks appeared in the road.

Vain rose to his feet, feeling an incredible sense of loss well up inside him. Gabriel was gone.

He should have recognized the danger sooner. Damn it!

An unexpected tightness in his throat surprised the assassin, as he realized he was close to tears. Vain suddenly understood that in the space of only a few hours he had lost the only two people he could ever have called friends: first Squirrel and now Gabriel.

Guilt tried to claw its way into his mind, but Vain angrily forced it aside and stalked towards the huge wall surrounding the mansion grounds. Thrusting the gates open before him, Vain made no attempt to disguise his entrance, his anger and need for vengeance flaring wildly.

Shouts echoed from within the enormous structure, and suddenly hundreds of robed disciples began pouring from the doorways. Vain waited silently, feeling the
Glimloche
gradually surge within him, watching Empeth’s followers fill the courtyard and encircle him. They appeared nervous and unsure of how to attack the lone man.

The assassin stood casually in the centre of the mass, allowing the tension to build steadily in the crowd. “Come on then bastards! Come and taste death!”

An abrupt pounding of heavy wings drew Vain’s glance hastily towards the sky. Flying low, the thirteen Velearstk swooped into the courtyard and landed with perfect precision to surround the assassin. The horde of Sordarrah’s followers leapt backwards from the enormous beasts, but fear of their leaders made them stand their ground.

Vain tried to control his shock. The enormous beasts rose up around him silently facing the awaiting masses, seemingly in anticipation of his command. Sordarrah’s minions also stood in awe, most frozen in terror at the sight of the dragon-like monsters.

“What are you doing here?” asked Vain finally.

“We help you, little monkey,” said the Velearstk in their bizarre unanimous voice.

Vain seized the opportunity. “Can you get me to the doors?”

“We do that. Then you answer question,” replied the Velearstk.

Before he could ask what the beasts meant, they began to move towards the house. Vain followed one of the Velearstk, as it pushed roughly through the stunned mass. The rest moved along with the assassin–effectively shielding him from his enemies. Occasionally one of the Velearstk would casually swipe one of the followers aside, hurling them high into the air before they crashed back down into the rest of the horde.

The followers abruptly realized their target was almost at the house. The consequences should they fail in their defense of the mansion spurred them into action. With a roar of outrage, the crowd surged towards Vain, primitive clubs and axes wielded above their heads–only to be roughly hurled back by the enormous beasts protecting him. Their weapons were useless against the powerful creatures, and many were torn to pieces by the Velearstk. Despite his evolving mindset, Vain didn’t give it a thought. They had made their choice, and now they would die because of it. Any group of people wanting to kill an innocent boy deserved to die like this.

This thought made Vain suddenly remember his own threats to Rico San-Diablo only months ago. He too had threatened the man with the death of his son, and knew that he would have killed the boy without compunction if he had been paid to do so. The cold villain he had been now seemed unreal to Vain, and he wondered how much he had changed since then.

Nearing the mansion’s enormous main doors, the followers of Sordarrah fought more and more desperately. Hacking and slashing uselessly against the impenetrable shield the Velearstk formed around the Dark Man, they were either crushed beneath the beasts’ enormous paws or sliced to ribbons by their claws.

Suddenly, the Velearstk hurled enormous bursts of dark essence from their eyes into the surging crowd. Hundreds of men and women were incinerated instantly while others were engulfed in flames that torturously reduced them to ash. The path cleared before them as others fled in panic, and Vain quickly made his way to the doors.

“Now you answer question,” said the Velearstk casually, effectively barring the assassin’s entry to the house.

“What question?” asked Vain, nonplussed.

“Which way egg fall? We not know.”

Vain grinned, recalling the riddle. “The answer is: It’s a rooster, and roosters don’t lay eggs!” He laughed out loud.

The Velearstk paused and stared silently at Vain, but finally joined in with his laughter, the walls around the courtyard echoing with their primal chortling. Eventually their amusement dwindled and the beasts again looked at the Dark Man, still blocking his entry to the house.