12 comments/ 12221 views/ 13 favorites Fate and Armageddon By: IronDragon Foreword: This tale is set at what should have been the End of Days, or Armageddon. Some even call it The Apocalypse. It is a tale of betrayal, love, and salvation... I give full credit for inspiration for this tale to Jon Shaffer and Iced Earth from the following albums: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' 'Framing Armageddon' 'The Crucible of Man' \m/ I.D. -------------------------------------------------- Prologue: Framing Armageddon "You know your task, Bazael." "To eliminate the one foretold to give birth to the Redeemer." "Yes, my friend. How you do so is up to you." "Why?" "Because we trust your judgment. All of your assassinations are flawless." "No, Lord Elder. Why must she die? She has done no wrong." "You know why, Bazael." "Because she was born into Mankind? Her soul is pure like a Setian." "Because if she lives, Mankind will find the path to Redemption." "Would that not be the correct course of action? Let Mankind be redeemed." "What has gotten into you, Bazael? You have been flawless from Christ to Kennedy. Your assassinations have been written into their history books." "Because I tire of this, Lord Elder. My infinite anger is at an end, and I have seen that these men and women today are not those who committed Genocide on us millenia ago." "Know your place, Bazael. You have served the Thirteen and the Ten Thousand for ages with no remorse. You do what we cannot." "I do, Lord Elder. I also know that if I kill her, then all hope of Redemption for Mankind dies with her. They have great evil among them, but they also have great love. Who are we to judge these descendants of the Murderers?" "We are the Chosen of Earth Mother, Bazael. Have you forgotten your own wife and child murdered in the Scourging?" "No, Lord Elder. I remember them as if it was this morning. I see my wife's face. I see my son's face. I see them look upon me with horror in their eyes at the acts I have done in the name of Justice." "It is unpleasant, Bazael. But it is also necessary." "Is it, Lord Elder? Give your Order, then." "Bazael, the Order is given. The Mother of the Redeemer will die by your hand, or not at all." "Yes, Lord Elder." -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1: Harbinger of Fate I stepped from the subway into the station and headed up the stairs to street level. It was raining hard that night. My tasks are always grim, and they have worn on me over the centuries and millenia. The rain hit my trenchcoat and it felt as if each drop was a hammer, beating me down. I had grown tired. I looked at the diner where she worked, and I sighed. In my sigh, anyone passing by might have heard the regret and frustration inside me. I had been a good soldier. I had done the Council's bidding since before the Dawn of Time. Now our victory was within our grasp, and all it would take would be to snuff out the one candle of hope that Mankind had left. It must be done in secret. It must be done without the knowledge of anyone close to her. I saw her through the window, taking orders from her customers at their table. They were rough looking men, and they leered at her constantly. I let the rain fall over me as I watched them and her. I looked at their Souls, and I saw they were darker than my own. I looked at her soul, and I was blinded by her brilliance. Those four men would snuff out her light without my intervention. I could let them do what they were planning and leave her to die. I would not have to slay her, but the mission would be fulfilled. I looked for traffic, but there was none. I stepped into the street and made my way to the diner. I looked at my face in the window and saw what all men and women saw. My short black hair was plastered to my head by the hard heavy rain. My green eyes were clear and bright, and seemed otherworldly, even to me. It was a form that I preferred over others, simply because it was the most unexpected. I looked non-threatening. I looked like most other people, except for my eyes. That was the one Setian trait that I would never lose. I could change my face and hair at a whim, but never my eyes. I looked at the reflection and into my own eyes. I could see the love I had, and the pain of devastating loss. I closed my eyes and turned away from my reflection. I walked up the steps and into the diner. I looked around. The cook, the four demons in human form, and the woman were the only others in the diner at this time of night. I stepped to the counter and sat down on a stool. "What can I get ya, hon?" I was roused by the sound of her voice, the Brooklyn accent not masking the softness of her voice. "Coffee, please. Black. No cream or sugar." "Comin' right up, sweety." She said and flashed me a radiant smile. I nodded slightly and showed a thin smile that didn't reach my eyes. She poured a mug for me and set it before me. I handed her two dollars. "Thank you. You may keep the change." "Thanks, sweety." She flashed another brilliant smile at me. and her blue eyes gave me soft feelings inside. I looked down as I felt my face flush. No. She is the target. She must die. I resolved to make her death as painless as possible. She would feel nothing as she passed from this life. I looked at her nametag. 'Sharon' was engraved in black upon the gold painted tag itself. I could hear the men whispering from their booth. The four men who wished to rape and kill this angel in human form that it was my sworn duty to slay. They were actually just planning to rape her, but they knew that if she lived, the police would hunt them down. She would die by their hands to hide their crime. No. She deserved a better death than what they would do for her. One of the men stood up and straightened his jacket, and I saw the tell-tale bulge of a firearm stuffed into his belt on the side. "Hey, homie. You're out kinda late in that fancy suit. You lost?" I realized that he was addressing me. "No, friend. I am exactly where I need to be." I looked up at him from my sip of coffee. I looked in the mirror above the counter and saw his friends readying their weapons as well. He was black, or African American, as they were called now. His ancestors had landed in Africa before it was even called Africa, and had destroyed all traces of Setian culture there. Of the Ten Thousand Setians still surviving, none had come from Africa. We were not always immortal. We lived and died as God and Earth Mother intended. We lived for hundreds of years, but we died eventually. Of old age or by accident. Death takes us all. It was only the Prophecy and the Magic therein which now coursed through us and made us what we were. "Why you even here, then?" He asked. His tone had become belligerent very quickly. He started to raise his jacket to reach for his weapon. "For a cup of coffee." I raised my mug and smiled before taking another sip. The coffee tasted bitter, as it should. It reminded me of life. I glanced at Sharon, my target. She had a look of apprehension on her face. She recognized these men for what they were. I would not let them have her, though. She looked from them to me, but she couldn't say anything. I saw her reach into her pocket for her cellphone. I caught her eye and slowly shook my head No. Her eyes grew wide at my gesture, and I smiled at her before turning back to the man still standing there looking down his nose at me. He was trying to intimidate me. I was not intimidated, but continued to smile at him in a friendly way. He raised his head and chin in a quick gesture. "Enjoy your coffee, homie." He turned and walked back to his friends. "How'd you do that, hon?" She asked in a low whisper. "He saw that while I posed no threat to him, I would kill him if he had acted." I explained evenly to her in a lowered tone. "Well, we need you around here every night, then." She smiled at me, and I returned her smile with a nod. "This is good coffee. Thank you. May I have a refill?" I had finished the mug and was ready for some more. "Of course, sweety. On the house." She winked at me and I felt my heart skip a beat. I considered her for a moment as she went to refill the mug. Her hair was short down to just the nape of her neck. Her hair was as black as mine, but her eyes were the most brilliant blue I had ever seen. They seemed to glow with her inner light. She returned with my mug. "Thank you, Sharon." I smiled and nodded. "You have a name, sweety?" "Baz." "Is that short for something?" "It's a nickname." My 'real' name among humans was Alec Bastion. "What's your real name, hon?" She smiled at me again, and again I felt my heart skip a beat. "Alec. Alec Bastion." I smiled back at her, and this time the smile did reach my eyes. "I'm Sharon Summers. It's a pleasure to meet ya, Alec." She held out her hand. I took her hand and felt her soft skin on the back and the callouses on her palm and fingers. She had worker's hands. I kissed the back of her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Sharon." She blushed as I released her hand. "The pleasure's mine, Alec." I nodded in acknowledgment. The cook came out from the back. "That's it, folks. The diner's closed for the night. Ya don't have to go home, but ya can't stay here." He turned to Sharon. "You can go, sweety. I'll close and lock up." He smiled at her as a father to his daughter. "Thanks, Jerry." She replied with a grateful look at him. "No problem, Shar. See ya tomorrow." He said as she gathered her stuff. He came out from behind the counter and approached the four men. "Time to go, guys. It's closin' time." "Yeah yeah. We're goin'. Keep your pants on," said the one who had confronted me. They got up and left a twenty on the table, then headed for the door. He came back towards me. "Time for you to go too, fella. We're lockin' up here." I finished the coffee in the mug and stood. "Very well, Jerry. Thank you for the coffee." I nodded and left by the same exit as the men. When I got outside, I closed my eyes and sensed them close by. I stood on the street corner as if waiting for a cab, but they didn't approach me. "Hey, sweety." Sharon came out the door and Jerry locked it behind her. I turned and smiled at her. "I hate to ask, but can you walk with me? Those guys in there made me really nervous." She smiled at me, and I felt my resolve wavering. I knew she had to die to fulfill the Prophecy of Setian Life Returning. But if she went the way where those men were lying in wait for her without my protection, she would suffer greatly before she died. I would not allow that. "Certainly, Sharon." I nodded and she smiled broadly. Those men must have cased her route already, as they were waiting for her when she walked around the corner to head home. I stepped to her left to intervene if they should attack her. "Well well. Hey, Sharon. Hey, homie. What you two doin' walkin' down this street? It can get dangerous at night, ya know." The man from the diner was now holding a pistol in his hand and aiming it at us sideways. "Jimmy, we don't want any trouble. I'm just going home and Alec here is walking with me." Sharon knew them, but was obviously afraid of them. "Sharon, it's about time you gave up that booty, baby. I think we needs to have us some of dat! Now, come on, or...." He stopped talking. I moved without moving. I was gripping his throat and squeezing the life from him as his gun clattered to the pavement. I held him aloft with my left hand and squeezed until I felt his windpipe collapse and heard his neck snap. I looked at his friends, who were carrying knives of various lengths. They moved in at once to attack me, but I was no longer there. Jimmy's body hit the ground and so did theirs. I crushed one attacker's throat with an open handed chop, and snapped another's neck before he could blink. The last attacker got behind Sharon and put his knife to her throat. "Yo, man! Fuck this shit! You move, I'm gonna cut her!" "Then I won't move," I said from behind him and grabbed his wrist. I pulled it away from her neck, and the knife slipped from his hand as the bones in his wrist snapped under my grip. He went to scream, but I silenced him with my fist in his throat. His windpipe collapsed from the blow and his spine snapped just below where his neck met his cranium. I dropped him and turned to Sharon. "Are you hurt?" Sharon was in shock at the violence. "N...no, Alec. How'd you do that?" She was looking at me wide eyed. "Long years of experience, Sharon. Do you need me to walk you the rest of the way?" I asked. "Y... yes, please. I.. I'm not feeling very.. good...." She passed out, and I caught her as she fell. Now. I could do it now. We were alone on the street, and I could slay her now before anyone came. It would be done, and Setian life would be assured. I hefted her in my arms and carried her to her apartment building. I set her down by the door and reached into her purse for her keys. I found them and unlocked her door, then picked her up and moved inside with her. I laid her on her couch and locked her door. Once that was done, I moved over to where she was lying and sat beside across from her. The Elder's words rang in my ears. "Bazael, the Order is given. The Mother of the Redeemer will die by your hand, or not at all." I recalled the Prophecy again. 'Mankind will find Destruction or Redemption by their own hands. With their Destruction, Setian Life will return to the Earth, and we shall thrive again.' That was the end of the Prophecy, though. What would happen if they found Redemption? The Council thought we would die off completely. Seeing Sharon as she was, both at work and now, lying unconscious, I had doubts. For the first time in my long life, I had doubts about the Prophecy and how Mankind's Destruction would be better than their Redemption. -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: A Charge to Keep The Order had been given. The Mother of the Redeemer would die by my hand or not at all. Sharon Summers was to be the Redeemer's mother. But that made no sense. If she was the Redeemer's mother, who was the father? I checked her Driver's License from her purse. She was only twenty-two years old. I reviewed the information about her that I had been given. She had just graduated college, and was working her way through law school with the help of government grants and student loans. She came from a poor family, but had rose up from poverty to make something of her life. Who was to be the Redeemer's father? That question nagged at me. Why had the Prophecy said nothing of the Redeemer's father? It was unlike any other Prophecy the Elders had received before. When I had first seen her the previous day as she arrived for work after class, I had scanned her soul and saw only the purest light. It had been then that I had returned to our sanctum beneath the streets of New York City. I had to question the Elders of the Council. It had been their wisdom and Prophecies that had guided us throughout the countless human generations of war and violence. We tried with all our might to stop Mankind from gaining a foothold on the Earth. Twelve thousand years of clouding their minds and erasing their memories. Twelve thousand years of guiding them down the path of self-destruction. For what? They continued to thrive even now, but the Prophecy was Absolute in the minds of the Elders. 'Mankind will find Destruction or Redemption by their own hands. With their Destruction, Setian Life will return to the Earth, and we shall thrive again.' We had to protect the rest of the universe from their destructive ways. That had been the Elder's explanation for stranding them here instead of simply letting them leave after their massacre had been fulfilled. They had been here for our Magic. Once they had it, they would leave our world and we would have been able to thrive again. But we wouldn't let them leave. We disabled their ships and clouded their minds with a great spell that cost many Setian lives. We few who remained were immortal. We could not die until the Prophecy had been fulfilled. I closed my eyes and bowed my head as I thought of Jarielle and Brenael. My wife and son. I took myself back to that day when Mankind had landed. We had been curious about the large stone ships they flew in. Then they had attacked in force. Their weapons had laid waste to our cities and towns. My wife and son had been amongst the first casualties in this long long war. We were driven underground. I was chosen for my skill in combat as one of the Ten Thousand. I was chosen because I wanted the same as the others. To kill every last one of Mankind who walked our Earth now. The Prophecy had been clear, though. We would not kill Mankind. Mankind must kill itself. We would kill key figures in Mankind's development. Christ had died due to my poisoning of his own people's minds against him. Julius Caesar had died due to my manipulation of the Roman Senate. John F. Kennedy had required a more active role. I had been able to subvert Lee Harvey Oswald, but he was a terrible marksman. I had waited in the storm drain for Kennedy's limo to come into view, and had waited until Oswald started shooting before I fired the one round through the President's forehead for the killshot. All of them would have been Father of the Redeemer. I also had to sabotage the plane of John Kennedy Jr. to make certain that he was not the Redeemer himself. I had killed good men. I saw into their souls. Some were evil, but some were good. Now I gazed at Sharon as she slept the sleep of pure exhaustion on her couch. I picked her up and carried her to her bed where I laid her back down. I removed her waitress's dress and pulled the covers over her. Then I sat by her bed and watched her sleep. She looked like an angel. Her face was beautiful as she lay there with the street light shining in softly through her window. 'Mankind will find Destruction or Redemption by their own hands. With their Destruction, Setian Life will return to the Earth, and we shall thrive again.' "Why must she die?" I whispered as I watched her breathing. "She has done no wrong to anyone, and her life will herald a new age of Redemption for Mankind. She will give birth to the Redeemer." I sat and watched her sleep. I memorized every detail of her lovely face. Her lips were full and lightly made up with her favorite shade of lipstick. Her cheeks had no makeup on them, nor did her eyelids. She was a natural beauty both inside and out. She reminded me of Jarielle. I lowered my head to my hands and closed my eyes. I made my decision, and I felt no more guilt over what I had to do. I felt sorrow and regret, but no guilt. I would never feel guilt over that decision for the rest of my life. I was lost in thought when she awoke. "Alec? Where am I?" She asked, taking me by surprise. I smiled ruefully. I had been that lost in thought as to be taken unawares by her awakening. "You are home, Sharon." "My home? How did you...?" "Your purse, Sharon. I saw your Driver's License and found your keys. You are safe now." I smiled at her. I had made my decision. "Alec, why did you help me?" "Originally, so you would feel no pain when you died. You deserve better than what they would have done to you." I saw the look of fear in her eyes as I uttered the words. "Why?" "Sharon, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Suffice it to say that I won't let them, or anyone else harm you for as long as I live." "Try me, Alec. I've heard stranger things." She laughed musically. I couldn't stop the smile that came to my lips and eyes. "I doubt that, Sharon." She raised her eyebrows in disbelief at my words. I sighed. "Sharon, do you really wish to know?" Fate and Armageddon "Yes. I would like to know why the man who saved my life is now planning to kill me." "Was. Not is." "What changed your mind, then?" "You did. You have no sin in you. You have never harmed another in your life. Your soul is pure." "Are you an angel?" "No." "Are you a demon?" "I've been called that, but no." "Then who are you, Alec?" Her questioning voice was now a whisper. "I am an assassin older than time itself. Now you will think me insane, but you wanted the truth." She smiled and shook her head. "Seriously, Alec. Who are you?" "I cannot tell you without showing you first." I said as I stood up from the chair by her bed. "My name is Bazael, Sharon." I closed my eyes and let the change happen back to my original form. I opened my eyes to see her smiling at me in wonder. I had changed not at all in shape or form, but for my skin, hands, and my face. My skin was now golden in color and myface had light horn ridges above my eyebrows and jutting from my chin. Twin spires of bone that met in a point below my chin. My eyes, as green as the richest emerald, remained unchanged. "Alec, you aren't human." Her voice held no fear now, only wonder and... something else. "No, Sharon. I am Setian." My voice had deepened somewhat with my transformation. "Who are the Setians?" She asked. I sat back down in the chair. "It is a long story, Sharon." I smiled. "It's Saturday, and I don't have to be to work until five tonight." "Very well. I'll tell you of my people and of what we, and I, have done throughout your history. When I am finished, you will hate us for what we have done." "Alec, you saved my life last night. I won't hate you." "When I finish my tale, you might have a different opinion." I warned her. "Just tell me, please?" The look in her eyes was both accepting of me for what I was and pleading with me to tell her of myself and my people. "It started twelve thousand years ago, when Mankind first came to Earth...." -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3: The Domino Decree "Before Mankind first came to Earth in their great stone ships, we, the Setians, lived in harmony with nature. We lived for hundreds of years, but we were not immortal. Our Magic was born of Earth Mother, and was nurtured by our Elders who commune with her still to this day. When the Invasion and Genocide began, Mankind was looking for the source of our Magic. The Council of Thirteen had received a Prophecy of the Invasion, and the Gathering was undertaken. As Mankind started to slaughter us from on high, The Ten Thousand were gathered. It had been millenia since we had fought a war, but I was brought into the Ten Thousand as a warrior, skilled in combat from years of training. But not before I saw my wife and son slaughtered in a strafing run by one of the small stone ships the invaders flew. Jarielle, my wife, had my son Brenael by the hand and was reaching for me as we ran towards each other. But when the ship attacked, they died in fire and flames." Sharon got out of her bed in just her underclothes and pulled me to my feet. She hugged me, and I was nearly overwhelmed by her gesture. I gently pushed her back and sat her down on her bed as I sat down in the chair again before continuing. "My tale isn't finished yet, Sharon. After that, the Ten Thousand began training in secret, far underground where Mankind could not reach us. We had food, shelter, and solitude to train and prepare. When another thousand Setians were brought in, however, it was not for their safety. They were brought before the Council and made to sacrifice their lives for a Spell of Clouding, which hadn't been used in eons, but was the only way to protect the rest of the cosmos from Mankind. We knew back then that Man had come to Earth in its entirety, having destroyed their home planet already. The Elders foresaw their... your demise, and that we would catalyze it. We would not destroy Mankind, but we would cause them to destroy themselves. 'Mankind will find Destruction or Redemption by their own hands. With their Destruction, Setian Life will return to the Earth, and we shall thrive again.' That was our prophecy, Sharon. I was one of the Assassins that would divide the world and see Mankind fall. There are others as well. The Ten Thousand live amongst you today. What I have done over the millenia is beyond forgiveness, though. Even with the promised return of our culture when Mankind is destroyed, I would have no place there." "I can't believe that you would ever hurt someone who didn't deserve it, Alec." Sharon was holding my hand in hers. My claws had grown when I transformed, but my hands remained mostly human looking. "Jesus died because I manipulated his people into turning against him. Hitler came to power through my machinations and whispers of power in his ear. President Abraham Lincoln died thanks to me whispering words of death and destruction in the ears of John Wilkes Booth. John Kennedy, I assassinated myself, and Lee Harvey Oswald was my accomplice. I fired the killshot, though. Robert Kennedy died when I poisoned the mind of Sirhan Sirhan. If you want a complete list of my sins, Sharon, we will be here for a month or more." As I had predicted, her eyes had gone wide and she was looking at me in fear again. "Why did you kill them? They were good men!" "Some were. Some were not. They were all to be the Father of the Redeemer, though. John Kennedy Jr. died after I sabotaged his aircraft, since it was rumored that he could have been the redeemer. Do you see now, Sharon? I have fought a war in the shadows for so long that there is nothing of the man I was left inside me. At least not until I met you. I don't expect your forgiveness for what I've done. I do expect you to please accept my protection until you meet the man who will father your child and redeem Mankind. If I cannot have Redemption for what I have done, Mankind will, and I swear it by Blood and Stone." I saw the look of abject terror in her eyes and realized that I had snarled my Oath. I closed my eyes and calmed myself. I achieved the inner peace learned over the thousands of years since my birth. "I apologize for that, Sharon. I didn't mean to scare you." Her hand was still holding mine, and she squeezed it gently. I opened my eyes and looked into hers. She had tears falling from her eyes with a sad smile on her lips. She leaned forward and knelt before he as her arms went around me. My arms came up around her back, and the softness of her skin under my fingers overwhelmed me. Everything about her overwhelmed me. Her beauty of body and soul. Her touch. Her skin. Her scent of roses and jasmine. Her soft breath on my ear. Her hands on the back of me neck and head. Her fingers in my hair. "It's ok, Bazael. I can't judge you for your past. It's not my place. I also can't judge you for what you are. I know that you will protect me." "But for what I've done, Sharon?" "That's in the past now. You aren't the same man you were then. You said so yourself." It was true. I wasn't the same man I was two days ago. When I saw her and scanned her soul for the first time, I saw something I hadn't seen in so many years, I had nearly forgotten what it was. Hope. Not just her own Hope. Hope for everyone. Human and Setian alike. I felt their presence before they struck, and pushed Sharon to the floor as her door burst inward in splinters. I rose to my feet and looked at her. "Stay down!" I shouted. I turned my attention to the door, and saw them. They had dropped their disguises and were advancing on us. I stepped between them and her. "Let us have her, Brother." "I cannot do that, Dathael. She is to die by my hand, or not at all. That is the Order of the Elder." I snarled at one of my oldest friends. "Bazael, why do this? You cannot save her. You would risk the destruction of us all over a human woman? Why?" "She is innocent, Dathael! Scan her soul yourself! She has no darkness in her. No evil! I will not slay the purest soul on this Earth!" I saw his eyes go silver as he scanned her himself. "Bazael, you are correct. She has no evil upon her soul. Yet still she must die before she gives birth to the Redeemer. Stand aside, Brother. We will be quick, and she will feel no pain." His tone was soft and full of regret. "I cannot, Brother. Forgive me." I moved like lightning and impaled my Brother Dathael through his chest with my claws. Tears fell from my eyes as I slew Rahael and Burielle as well. I fell to my knees as their bodies disintegrated, leaving no trace of their existence. I cried for them and for myself. They would only live on in my memories now. Sharon wrapped her arms around me from behind, and held me as I wept. -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4: A Gift or a Curse We had no choice now but to run. My Brothers and Sisters in the Ten Thousand would hunt us. I knew this for a fact. None of us had ever 'gone rogue' until now. I was the first, and I would assume, the only Setian to turn his back on our Holy Crusade. Not only had I turned my back on it, but I was now harboring their greatest enemy, protecting her from harm. Sharon was ready to go, having packed her bags. I had a list of safe houses that only I knew about where I would go to ground after a successful assassination. We would hide out in one of them, then move to another before we were found out. I changed back into a human guise and we were on our way as soon as she had packed all her necessities. She leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Alec." I found that she would call me Alec when I was human, and Baz when I took my true form. "Do not thank me yet, Sharon. Save your thanks for when you have your child. Your child, be it male or female, will redeem Mankind." I said it to her kindly and stroked her face. She reminded me so much of Jarielle. We went from her apartment then and made sure nobody would recognize her. We would need to stay as well hidden as possible. She asked if we could go back to the diner to say goodbye to Jerry, but I had to refuse her. "We can't, Sharon. They will be watching the diner and soon your home. We have to leave the city behind." I was still speaking to her kindly and gently, and she realized I was right. I had a place we could stay at until nightfall, so I took her there. It was my penthouse apartment, and I had a lot of supplies and firearms there. The doorman let us in when we got there. "Heya, Mr. Bastion. Good to see you again. Who's the lady?" Jim asked as we got to the door. "She's a friend, Jim. Thank you." I handed him a ten dollar bill as a tip. "Thank you, Mr. Bastion. You two lovebirds have a wonderful day." Jim smiled as we nodded to him and went to the elevators. I closed my eyes, but didn't sense any of my brethren, so we were safe for the moment. "He seems nice." Sharon said. "Jim is a good man. He has very little evil in him." I informed her. "He loves his wife and children, and would do anything to keep them safe." "You can tell all that about someone?" She asked. "I can, and I also talk with him a lot. He's the closest thing I have to a human friend." I admitted. Sharon was surprised. "I didn't think you looked at us as anything other than murderers and invaders." I laughed quietly. "Sharon, I gave you my people's perspective earlier, and my own as it was at the time. I believe there is good in Mankind, and you are the purest soul I have ever met. I dream of the day when I scan Mankind and see more light than darkness in their souls." She put her arms around me again. Her head leaned against my shoulder. "So do I, Alec," she said quietly. I found myself once again with my arms around her as well. Jarielle. I could feel her when I closed my eyes with Sharon in my arms. Their souls were the same bright light of life and love. The elevator finally came, and we entered. I hit the penthouse floor and we went upward quickly. She took my hand in hers as we rode it upwards, and interlaced her fingers with mine. I had seen lovers do such things, but I allowed her to do it. If it meant I could keep her safe, then I would allow her to do whatever she wished. I smiled as we reached the top floor with my penthouse apartment. We stepped out of the elevator, and I unlocked the door. Once inside, I showed her the bedroom, and told her I would take the couch. "Alec, please. You don't have to sleep on the couch on my account. The bed is big enough for two." She smiled at me. "Sharon, it wouldn't be proper." I said gently. "Why not, sweety? Because we aren't married?" "Because you don't love me." I realized in that statement that I was falling in love with her. I believe she realized it too. "Alec, you are a strong, caring, decent man. Beneath the Council's Assassin lies the heart of a good person." She put her hand over my heart, and I closed my eyes again. It was exactly as Jarielle had done. A thought occurred to me and I looked deep into her eyes and soul as my eyes silvered over. "Jarielle?" "No, Alec. I'm Sharon." "Please forgive me, Sharon. You remind me so much of her." I turned my face away before she could see me blush like a boy in love for the first time. "You love her a lot." She said it as a statement. "I do, but she's been dead for twelve millenia. Sharon, please forgive me. I see her when I look at you. You have the same kind of soul." "There's nothing to forgive, Alec." She took my hand and turned me to face her. "I'm not her, but I know what she saw in you." Her hand went to my face and stroked my cheek as she tilted her face upward slightly. Our lips met and parted slowly as her tongue slipped into my mouth. I closed my eyes and was once again kissing Jarielle. Her tongue felt the same and tasted the same. My arms went around her waist as hers slipped up and over my shoulders. I kissed her passionately as if she was the only woman on Earth. At that moment, she was to me. I held her close as our tongues danced together in the dance older than time itself. She moaned as we kissed and pressed her body to mine. She rubbed my hardness with her belly, and I loved how she felt against me. Sharon was not Jarielle, but I felt as if I was holding my wife again. She broke the kiss and pulled back slightly. "Make love to me, Baz. Please." She looked up into my eyes, and I realized that during our kiss, I had let my guise drop. I could see my reflection in her eyes. She looked at me as Jarielle had when she wanted to make love. "I will, Sharon. Tonight and for all time if you so choose." She nodded at that and took my hand, leading me to the bedroom. We undressed each other slowly, taking our time. I explored her as she explored me. I could feel the warmth of her breasts and her hardened nipples against my bare chest when she pressed her naked body to mine. I sat on the edge of the bed with her and we kissed as deeply and passionately as I had ever kissed Jarielle. But Jarielle was no more. Sharon, however, remained with me. I kissed Sharon lovingly and tenderly, my hands roaming down her beautiful body. I no longer cared that she was human. I cared about her and loved her as I had never loved any woman since my wife died. I lowered my mouth to her breasts and sucked her nipples between my lips. I licked and sucked around them and bit gently. She moaned in pleasure and held my head to her bosom. I moved my hand down her belly to between her silky thighs, and she spread her legs as my finger slipped into her. She was wet already, and I inhaled the scent of her arousal. She was not afraid of me. She was not disgusted with me either for my appearance or for what I had done. All I could sense from her was acceptance and love. "I am a virgin, Bazael," she said, but it didn't surprise me. "I know, Sharon. Your purity of spirit is completely untainted, and you would never make love with anyone unless you had love in your heart." "I love you, Bazael. I need you inside me. I want to give myself to you." "I love you as well, Sharon. I will take what you offer and give myself to you in return." I moved on top of her and slipped the head of my hardness into her slowly. She gasped and looked into my eyes as I penetrated her to her maidenhead. She smiled and kissed me passionately as I thrusted through it as quickly as possible. She screamed into my mouth as the pain nearly overwhelmed her, but I just held her and soothed her until the pain passed. I was completely inside her, and held myself there as she adjusted to me. "I won't move until you want me to move, dear one." I softly said to her. "I'm fine now, Baz. Make love to me, please." I started withdrawing, then thrust back into her slowly. She was extremely wet and tight, and hotter than I had expected. I moved within her as I rotated my hips in and out and side to side as I thrust into her over and over. We moved slowly together, and her moans of pleasure were music to my ears. She tensed up as her orgasm took her, and she squeezed herself around me tightly. I felt it, then. I felt that once familiar sensation before I erupted into her like a volcano. I cried out as she did, and we came together in perfect harmony. I kept thrusting slowly through our shared orgasmic bliss and she came again around me as I kept making love to her. What if I am the father? The thought came unbidden to my mind, and I had admittedly never thought that I would be able to impregnate a human woman. If so, then God let it be. I realized that I would be a father to our child if she should conceive. We made love all through the day and into the evening. I lost track of how many orgasms we both had. I hadn't been with a woman in millenia, but the feel of Sharon's body below and above mine was exquisite. When night fell, we were laying in each other's arms as the sun set out my western window. "I never thought sex would be so wonderful, Baz," she said dreamily. Her smile was one of complete bliss, and it raised my spirit to see her so happy. "For many, it is not. I am happy that you enjoyed your first time, dear one." "Nobody has ever called me 'dear one' before. I like hearing it from you." "You are a dear one, Sharon. You are unique amongst humans." I now knew that I was completely in love with her. "And you are unique amongst Setians, Baz. You betrayed your own people for me. It's a bit overwhelming, to be honest." "I did what had to be done, Sharon. I would do it again in a second if it keeps you safe." "I saw your tears and the pain it caused you to kill those who came for me at my place. Baz, you saved my life twice so far. I can never repay that." I laughed softly. "You never have anything to repay to me, dear one. I am protecting you because you need my protection for the sake of Mankind, and because I love you." "I love you too, Baz. I was wondering how I would meet the man I would love, and this never even entered my mind." She chuckled. "Now we need to get up and shower. I need to train you to defend yourself in case something were to happen to me." I stood from the bed and resumed my human guise. I walked to the wall safe and opened it with my combination. I then withdrew two 9mm handguns and several boxes of ammunition. I placed them both on the table by the door to my firing range, and turned back to her. She had a fearful look in her eyes. "Baz, I don't want anything to happen to you." She came to me and slipped her arms around me, holding me tight. "As long as I live, you will be safe, Sharon. What I am preparing you for is just in case I should be captured or killed by my brethren." My arms went around her and held her naked body to mine. "I.. I understand, Baz." "Good. Now, let's go take a shower and get into some more practical clothing." Fate and Armageddon I led her to the bathroom and we showered together. We kissed and held each other and washed each other clean. Once we were clean and dry, I gave her some old jeans and t-shirts for her to wear. It was more practical than her current attire. Then I gave her some earplugs and we went into the shooting range. I had paid a lot of money for the soundproofing and bulletproofing of the walls, but it had been worth it. I set up targets and gave her a compressed shooting course. I showed her different grip styles, and she decided that the weaver grip was best for her. I nodded in approval. She was a natural. Her skill was perfect as she put three rounds in the center ring, then did the same to the center ring on the head of the target. Once she was comfortable with shooting, we worked on fast draw and tactical shooting techniques. By the time we had finished, she had an advanced working knowledge of firearms and tactical combat. I was proud of her. "I didn't think I would be able to learn that so fast!" She grinned at me as I smiled back at her. "You're a natural, Sharon. I have never seen anyone pick up the basics and advanced tactics of shooting as fast as you have." After we were done, I showed her how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble her pistol. I gave her a Beretta and four magazines, and three boxes of Hydrashok rounds. She became adept at loading the magazines and then tactical reloading during a firefight. She became excellent at counting her rounds as she fired them, and we had made a lot of progress. It was past midnight when I felt the presence. "Sharon, get in the bedroom." "Are there more of them?" She asked with a worried look on her face. "Just one. But still, please go into the bedroom." She nodded and kissed me. "Ok, sweety. If you need me, let me know." She holstered her pistol and went into the bedroom, shutting the door. I moved to the front door and opened it just before he knocked. "Gabrael." "Bazael." "You will not have her, Brother." "I'm not here for her, Baz. Please, may I come in?" I stood aside for Gabrael and he walked inside. "Baz, I know what you are doing. I know why you have done it. You are my best friend, and I won't stop you." I nodded. "Gabrael, I have had to kill three of our brethren so far to protect her. All friends from before the Invasion." "I know, Brother. The Council is calling for your head, you know." "I figured they would. Are you here for me, then?" I smiled ruefully. "It would be just like the Elders to send my best friend to kill or capture me." Gabrael laughed. "No, Brother. If they knew I was here, they would put a Mark on me as well. Now, you said her soul is pure. I have yet to see a human over the age of two years old with a pure soul. May I see her?" I turned to the bedroom door. "Sharon. you may come out. Gabrael is a friend." I turned back to him as I heard the door open. I was ready in case he were to try something, but I just saw his eyes go silver as he gazed into her soul. Gabrael nodded and smiled. "Her soul is pure as you said, my friend. You didn't mention that she was already carrying the Redeemer within her, though." I started at that, and he noticed. "Baz? Did you and she...?" "Baz, what's going on? What does he mean by that?" Sharon asked with a concerned look. "She carries your child, Baz. How is that possible?" Gabrael asked as he sat down. "I haven't scanned her since we made love, Gabrael. I didn't know. But if the Redeemer is born of both human and Setian blood, then so be it. Maybe then we can let the vendetta go against Mankind and work with them to better themselves so they don't make the mistakes of their ancestors." I had moved between them as I said that. Gabrael nodded once. "While I don't agree with everything you do, Baz, I agree with you on this. For twelve thousand years we've been trying to bring Mankind down from within. We have put the most horrible humans in power, but we still are no closer than when we started. Mankind has a way of overcoming obstacles at every turn." I turned and looked at Sharon, and she was smiling. I took her hand in mine and we turned to face Gabrael together. "Gabrael, this is Sharon Summers. I love her as I loved Jarielle. Sharon, this is Gabrael. We have been friends since before the Invasion." Sharon held out her hand with a smile, and Gabrael shook it. "She reminds me of Jarielle, Baz. The same soul. The same eyes. The same smile. If reincarnation isn't a myth, then she is Jarielle." "She is Sharon, Brother. When you return, give the Council a message from me. Tell them that I will not tire. I will not rest. I will not falter. I am bound by Blood and Stone to defend Sharon and our child until my dying breath, and They will not have her. Whoever they send against me shall die.... Even you, Gabrael. Forgive me, but that is how it will be." Gabrael nodded and smiled. "If they try, I will refuse. If I die, so be it. I will not die at the hands of my friend." We embraced as Brothers in all but blood. He smiled at us both. "I wish you both luck." "The same to you, Brother. Be well, and escape the Council's wrath if you can." I said. "You know me, Bazael. I'm hard to kill." Gabrael grinned and left as he had come. "He's your best friend." Sharon said. "He's a good man." "I married his sister. If they had sent him to terminate you, he would have refused as I did and turned against them. He walks a dangerous path, but he will not betray us." I told her. "Jarielle was his sister?" I nodded. "It was how he saw your similarities as easily as I did. He is perhaps the only man who knew her better than I did, since they grew up together." "I have to know if he was lying, Baz. Can you scan me and see if we're really going to have a baby?" The look on her face was one of apprehension. I silvered my eyes and gazed upon her pure soul. As my eyes neared her abdomen, the brightest light I had ever seen shown like a beacon. I placed my hand over her stomach and could feel my child's life emerging. I could tell that he would grow strong and become the one hope for Mankind and Setians as well. "The Prophecy is wrong, Sharon. Our son will save both our species." I smiled and laughed with relief at what I had seen. I collapsed on the couch and Sharon sat down on my lap. "From what you told me, it isn't wrong. It's just incomplete." She shrugged. I must have blinked several times as that sunk in. "You're right! We must go. If Gabrael found us, the Council's Assassins will find us soon." I pulled her to her feet as I stood. I kissed her passionately. "Sharon, I love you. Let's go before they find us." "Yes, I believe it's time to go, Baz. I love you too!" We left shortly after one and took my Jaguar from the garage. It wasn't the lowest profile vehicle, but it was fast and powerful. Sharon was impressed. "First a Park Avenue penthouse, and now a Jaguar. I'm glad I fell in love with you!" I laughed. "It's centuries of hard work and investing wisely. Setians have controlled your stock market for years. You might say we invented insider trading." "Sneaky." She laughed. "Indeed." I agreed. "So if we get married, will I have to sign a prenup?" "No. We might not even live that long, but if we do, I am pretty certain that you won't rob me." I chuckled. "Hmm. True." We drove out of town and down into New Jersey and Atlantic City. Sharon went to sleep as we passed into Delaware and down into Maryland. I stopped and got food for us and fuel for the Jaguar, then we were back on the road down the East Coast. We needed to put as much ground between us and New York City as possible. Virginia came and went, as did North Carolina. We stopped in South Carolina for food and fuel again, then down into Georgia, where we turned west. I had taken the circuitous route south in case they followed, which I knew they would. We stopped in Atlanta for a more substantial break and a visit to my safe house there. I unlocked the door to the townhouse, and it was tidy as usual. I employ a lot of cleaning staff for all of my safe houses, just in case I need them at a moment's notice. I have autopayments set up for their accounts. I showed Sharon into the house and she gasped in delight. "It's beautiful, Baz!" Sharon was awestruck by the splendor. "I'm happy that you like it, dear one." I smiled at her happiness. She was my second chance at lovr, and I would do all in my power to protect her and our child. I remembered her humble beginnings and moved to hold her in my arms. "I love you, sweety." She smiled and kissed me. Her kiss intoxicated me and aroused me. I loved the feel of her lips on mine, and her tongue entangled with my own. We broke the kiss after several long moments. "I love you too, dear one." I replied breathlessly. "How long can we stay here?" She asked. "Two or three nights, but then we will have to move on. We can't stay any one place for too long until we get to California. That is where my main safe house is." I said by way of explanation. "Do you have a fortress out there?" She asked with a smile. "Something like that. It's a place that nobody, not even Gabrael knows exists." "Gabrael is a good man like you, Baz. I could feel it in him." "He is. I believe he began to tire of our Crusade even before I did." "What makes you say that?" "Because he told me of the nightmares he had been having of Jarielle looking at him with horror in her eyes at what he had done. I soon had the same nightmares with my son added to them. They both looked at me as if I was the worst monster on Earth. I looked inside myself and could not argue." "This Redeemer that your Prophecy speaks of, is it really going to be our son?" "I believe so. Up until now, no Setian has successfully mated with a human. In fact, I believe we are the first to even try." I smiled. "If that's the case, would my protector wish to make love to his pregnant girlfriend tonight?" She grinned and winked at me as she said it. "I believe I would, dear one. Sharon, I haven't felt this way in over twelve millenia. With you, I feel as if I can do anything." "Then you can do anything, Baz. As long as you believe, anything is possible." "Indeed, sweet Sharon." I kissed her lovingly and led her to the master bedroom. Once again we undressed slowly, and again her very presence intoxicated and overwhelmed me. I let my guise drop and was once again a Setian in her arms as we made love all through the night. Again and again we felt the need for each other. Deeper and deeper our love grew stronger. As morning dawned, I heard my cellphone ringing and moved to pick it up. Gabrael's name was on the caller ID, so I answered it. "Hello, Gabrael." "Glad I caught you, Baz. You have a serious problem." I laughed bitterly. "I already know that, my friend. Are there any other problems?" "The Watcher's Eye." He said soberly. I felt my blood run cold. "No. They would not!" "They have, Baz. He has been awakened and sent after you and Sharon. I advise that you run as far and as fast as you can." "We cannot outrun him, Gabrael. You know that." The Watcher's Eye is the ultimate weapon at the Council's disposal. He is invincible. None can stand against him. "You can at least buy yourself some time. I gave them your message after they informed me of The Watcher's Eye. They seem unconcerned that I helped you." "That is because The Watcher's Eye will dispose of us in short order, and no one will be able to stop him. He is the breakage of the Prophecy. The Doomsday option against Mankind!" "Still, Baz. Just run. Please!" I had never heard Gabrael so unsettled. "Calm down, my Brother. I believe I know his weakness. If I am wrong, we both die anyway. If I am right, he will not harm us." "What do you mean, Brother?" "Gabrael, just trust me. If you do not hear from me after the battle, mourn me and avenge me if possible." "Very well, Brother. If you fall, I will see the Council burn and the end of this Unholy Crusade. You have my word, and I swear it by Blood and Stone." "Thank you, Gabrael. You have been my Brother in all but blood, and I will always call you friend. Farewell for now." I hung up and got ready. I reached over and shook Sharon gently. "Hmmm? What is it, sweetheart?" She was still a bit groggy. "Wake up, dear one. We have much to do and only a short time in which to do it." She was awake instantly. "What is it?" "The Watcher's Eye. I didn't believe they would send him, but Gabrael just called and told me. Before you panic, listen to me. If I am right, he cannot harm you." "What do you mean 'if'?" She sounded unsure. I was even unsure it would work. "The Watcher's Eye, also known as The Coming Curse or The Anti-Christ, is a Doomsday weapon that breaks the Prophecy and annihilates the Wicked. Mankind is not listed specifically in its orders. I scanned you, and you have no wickedness inside you. You are innocent and so is our child." "That doesn't sound good, Baz." "You have mastered the art of understatment, dear one." I smiled in spite of our situation. "He won't cut a bloody swath to us, though. When targeted at a single enemy, he will track and destroy that enemy to the exclusion of all else. "And now he's coming after us? Why?" "Because the Council fears our child, Sharon. They will stop at nothing to kill you before you can give birth. We need to get away from Atlanta, though. We must face him away from the innocents." She nodded and dressed quickly, as did I. I had changed into jeans and a t-shirt again for ease of movement, and because I didn't need to impress anyone with how I was dressed. I found the weapons safe and removed a SPAS-12 and a fully automatic AK-47. They wouldn't do much, but they would at least slow the fiend down, if necessary. As we were getting ready to leave, I heard the doorbell and felt the presence. "No. He is here already, Sharon. Come with me, and we will face him together." She took my hand and we walked towards the door. I opened it to a rather banal looking man standing there staring at us. "Come in, Eye." I bade him enter, and he looked surprised but did so. "You know why I am here, Bazael." His voice was otherworldly in nature. "I do, but you cannot harm her." "I punish the Wicked, Bazael. She will die." He moved and put his hand on her forehead, then recoiled. "NO! How can this be?" "She has no evil inside her, Eye. She is Innocent. She carries our son in her womb. Our son is also Innocent, and you cannot harm him either." "But I can take you, Bazael." "No you cannot, Eye. Everything I have done in the name of Justice, I have done at the Council's bidding, until now. Now I protect my love and our child from the depredations of the Elders. Take me to them, and they will burn." He nodded once. "You are safe from me for now, Bazael and Sharon Summers. But the time will come when I will find you and slay you as the Council wishes." "Eye, when our son is born, he will unite Setians and Mankind. He will redeem all of us, Brother." "It cannot be done, Bazael. Your quest is a fool's errand." "Time will tell, Eye. We believe what we believe. The Prophecy is incomplete, and you know it." To my surprise, he nodded again. "It is. The Council cannot find the missing piece of it. If you do find it, then you will know what no one else knows." "Do you know where it is hidden, Eye?" "I do, but I cannot tell you under penalty of Death." "Your life is already forfeit when the Council discovers that you have failed." The Eye thought about that for a while. His eyes unblinkingly stared at Sharon, then at me. "Very well, Bazael. It is kept in a safety deposit box in Olympia Washington at the Bank of America branch there." "Thank you, Eye. Who holds the key?" "Hirielle. She lives in Olympia, and you will find her." "I take it that she either does not know what it is, or she does, but will not show it to anyone." "Your latter supposition is correct. Only Elder Garhael knows of the missing piece of the Prophecy, except for Hirielle, you, and myself. I do not know what it says." "Eye, thank you. You may have just saved all of us." "If you find it, Bazael, and use it against the Council, please free me. I fear this dark power bestowed upon me even more than you do. It is always coursing through me, begging for release." I was surprised by that. "Do not look surprised, Bazael. I am not without emotion. I know what I have become. I wish you luck, Brother." He bowed and left the way he came. "We have a new target, Sharon. We need that key." She smiled and nodded to me. I nodded back. We gathered our bags and departed in the Jaguar. We stopped twice more for rest. I tried to remember the last time I slept, but could not. How long had it been? A hundred years? Two hundred? Even longer? I resolved that after this was all over, I would sleep for at least a day. I sat and watched Sharon sleep in our hotel bed. She looked like an angel. So peaceful and lovely. I smiled ruefully at my feelings. Long had they remained dormant to the point where I had thought myself dead inside. Then I had met her, and resolved that she would not die by my hand or anyone else's. I had loved her, and would love her until my dying breath and beyond. She would be the mother of our child. Our son who would become the last best hope for Mankind and Setian alike. She loved me in spite of all she now knew. Tomorrow we would be in Olympia and would have the last piece of the Prophecy. If it was what I thought it would be, Garhael and Hirielle would pay with their lives for keeping it from us. Garhael had taken great pleasure in throwing the Prophecy in my face, knowing that it was incomplete. Only the Eye, who knew where everything was on the entirety of Earth, knew where it was kept. He had risked everything for us. If he should face his death for his transgression, then we would make sure his death was not in vain. -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5: I Walk Alone I gently woke her by kissing her sweet lips. Her eyes opened and she smiled. When she sat up, she asked why I wouldn't sleep with her at night. "I do not sleep like humans do, dear one. I must also remain vigilant against those who would harm you." "Ok. But when this is over, please sleep with me, and hold me in your arms?" I smiled as my heart melted for her. "I will, my love." She gave me her most radiant smile at that. I was now able to distinguish the love for her from the love for Jarielle. While they were the same in many respects, Sharon possessed qualities that Jarielle hadn't. Jarielle was Setian. She would have accepted the Crusade against Mankind, at first. Sharon wouldn't, had she been in our shoes. She would have fought for peace above all else. We left after checking out and made Olympia in a few hours. It was easy to close my eyes and concentrate to find Hirielle. When she opened her door as we approached, she looked at me stoically. "You know why we are here, Sister." "Yes, Bazael. But what you want is not mine to give." "That does not matter, Hirielle. You know what the missing piece of the Prophecy says, don't you?" I would not play games with her. "I do, yes. It would change everything. Garhael was wise to shield our people from its knowledge." She asserted that our people would not be able to handle the truth. "The Truth walks alone, Hirielle. You know this. It is a bitter fruit to bear sometimes, but it must always come out. "Why, Brother? Why must it be known?" "Because without it, more and more innocents will die. I will no longer allow that if there is another way. Sharon carries our son, the Redeemer. He will bring about either the end of Setian life, or peace between us and Mankind. Which will it be?" I grabbed her by the throat. "Tell me, woman!" I snarled. Fate and Armageddon Her hands went around my forearm as I squeezed her throat. Sharon touched me and I released her. "My apologies, Sister. Please give us the key for the safety deposit box." "She is the one who bears your child, Bazael?" "Yes, and not even the Eye can kill her." Hirielle laughed. "The Eye can kill anyone, Bazael." "No, Hirielle, He cannot kill someone pure of soul and spirit." "Then why did he not kill you?" "Because if he killed me after the knowledge I bestowed upon him, he would then have to annihilate the Council." "Just following Orders, Bazael?" She raised her eyebrow as she asked. "Yes." She nodded. "You know how to bend the truth until the ends touch." "It is necessary sometimes, Hirielle. Now, the key if you please." I held out my hand, and it was not a request. "Very well." She took the key out of her pocket and handed it to me. "I will report this to the Council." "I know you will." I took the key and we went to leave. "Wait, Bazael! Before you do this, think of the consequences!" "I have, Hirielle. My conscience will be clear for the first time in twelve millenia, and so will the consciences of all other Order operatives. We were deceived by High Elder Garhael, and you knew of it. Instead of choosing the peaceful route as any self-respecting Setian would, he chose the path of war. The Order of the Rose will finally be absolved." Hirielle seemed to consider what I had said, but then drew a pistol from behind her and moved to aim it at Sharon. I didn't even have to think. I crushed the pistol in her hand before she could take aim and fire. I then grabbed her by the throat again and lifted her off the ground. "Hirielle, you are only still alive because of Sharon. If you were to so much as scratch her, I would tear your head from your neck!" I growled low in my throat. "I will report this to Garhael, Heretic! You have thrown away your heritage and your people for this human whore!" Hirielle snarled at me, and I could no longer stand it. "Forgive me, Hirielle. Forgive me, Sharon. I do what must be done." I squeezed, and Hirielle dropped her guise just before the life left her body, and she crumbled to ash in my hand. The enormity of my deed hit my soul like the Hammer of God, and I fell to my knees. And once again, Sharon was there to hold me as I wept the tears of pain and sorrow that I had lost another old friend, traitor though she may have been. I rose to my feet and wiped the tears away. I was ready once again to finish this. I looked at Sharon and kissed her tenderly. "I am sorry for my actions, Sharon. I love you and will protect you until the end of my days." "You did what was necessary, my love. She was twisted in her soul, and her heart held only vengeance." Sharon said in a different language. My eyes grew wide. I pushed her back to arms' length and looked into her eyes. I was searching. Searching for... there! "Jarielle, how is this possible?" Sharon's mouth spoke, but Setian words emerged. "I am here, my love. Sharon Summers is here as well, and we now speak as one, for the moment. I know you love her as you loved me, my husband. I love you, and so does Brenael. She is your future now, darling. This is our goodbye." Tears fell from Sharon's eyes as Jarielle kissed me with her lips one last time. "Goodbye, Jarielle. I love you, my wife. Goodbye." I spoke in Setian. "We will always be in your hearts, Bazael. Our love will go with you and Sharon throughout the rest of your lives. Now she will be yours. Goodbye." Jarielle spoke and Sharon collapsed momentarily in my arms. When she blinked and looked at me, she cried and hugged me tightly. I held her close as she cried the tears of loss and love. "I... I heard her, Baz. I felt the love she has for you and me." Sharon was sobbing softly as she cried out her grief over our loss. It was no longer mine alone. Jarielle's soul had touched Sharon. "That was my wife, Sharon. Jarielle was the only other woman I knew who is comparable to you." I softly stroked her short black hair and held her to me. We knelt as the ashes of Hirielle's body dispersed throughout the house. I stood and pulled her to her feet as she stopped crying. She looked at me and smiled. "She was remarkable, Baz. I never had a sister, but if I had, I imagine she would have been like Jarielle." I smiled back at her. "I believe you are right, dear one. Let's go get that piece of the Prophecy. We will need it when we return to New York." "Yeah. Then that Garhael guy will have to answer to the rest of your Council." She smiled and hugged me, then we left the house and ran back to the Jaguar. We drove to the bank branch with key in hand. We went in together and the manager showed us into the safety deposit room with the box. We opened it together, and she left us with the Scroll of Prophecy. I lifted it and read it aloud. It was indeed the last piece! "What, sweety? You were speaking Setian." Sharon smiled at me and I looked at her. "I've already told you most of the Prophecy, Sharon. 'Mankind will find Destruction or Redemption by their own hands. With their Destruction, Setian Life will return to the Earth, and we shall thrive again.' This is the last part. I will translate it for you. 'If Mankind should be Redeemed by one of mixed blood, all life on Earth shall thrive, and Setians will live in peace with the races of Man.'" I smiled and laughed in relief. I felt as if the weight of the ages had finally been lifted from me. Sharon was smiling radiantly and laughing as well. I rerolled the small scroll and replaced it in the tube. I closed the safety deposit box and we left with the scroll in hand. I turned in Hirielle's key to the manager and told her that we no longer needed it. Once in the Jaguar again, we drove east. We stopped only four times on the way back to New York. The last time we stopped for the night was in Philadelphia. We checked into the hotel under the names Alec and Sharon Bastion, and Sharon had smiled at that. She was only two weeks pregnant now, but we already knew what we would name our child. "The penthouse suite again, sweety! You're going to spoil me!" She laughed when we entered the suite at the hotel. I took her hand. "No matter what happens tomorrow, dear one. If the Council does not listen, we will die. But tonight belongs to us alone." I led her to the bed and undressed her slowly as she undressed me, kissing and licking every part of skin I uncovered. She looked into my eyes when I knelt between her thighs and pleasured her with my tongue. Her moans of ecstasy were music to my ears when I tasted her orgasm. I spoke no words as I rose above her and sank my manhood into her depths. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist as I thrust into her over and over. There was an urgency to our lovemaking that we hadn't felt before. We could feel the necessity in case this would be the last time we would hold each other. The next day would tell the tale of our success or failure, but I would not deny either of us the pleasure of our love that night. She lay in my arms as we caught our breath. "Baz, what's going to happen tomorrow?" "We live or die by the Council's judgment, my love. I will present our case and demand that High Elder Garhael recuse himself from judgment, or be removed by his peers. I shall then read the entire Prophecy for them, and let them judge its veracity." I said as I stroked her bangs back out of her eyes. "They have to believe us, sweety!" She looked nervous. "They will have to, Sharon. The scroll bears The Seal of The Order of the Rose. It is the Order by which all Commands are given by the High Elder." "I have faith in God, Baz. I also have faith in you." Sharon held me tight and pressed her body to mine. I held her as well, and for the first time in God knows how long, I drifted to sleep with her in my arms. -------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6: Come What May I awoke disoriented for a moment. Sharon wasn't in the bed with me, and I looked out the window to see the sun rising. I looked about the suite, but she wasn't there. "Sharon?" I called. Then I heard the shower running, and moved to the bathroom. I saw her outline through the fogged glass door and smiled to myself. I returned to our bed for the night and called Gabrael. "Baz! I heard about what happened with the Eye when he returned. I thought you were going to call me!" "I was, but we had a new target, and I apologize for not informing you. I am going to bring Sharon before the Council and present our case to them. Will you stand with us?" "I will, Baz. By Blood and Stone, I will stand at your side and face down the Council by your side." "Then by Blood and Stone will I stand with you through any trials you may have in this life or the next, my Brother. We will meet you inside the main entrance in an hour." "I will be there, Brother. See you then." I hung up and went back into the bathroom. I slid the shower door open and joined Sharon. She looked up and smiled at me. "There you are, sleepy head." She kissed me lightly on the lips. "I fell asleep, dear one." I wasn't ashamed. I was elated that I had been able to sleep with the woman whom I loved. "Yes you did, and you snored like a chainsaw!" She stuck out her tongue at me, then giggled. "I did?" I was shocked. "No, but you should see the look on your face, sweety!" She giggled even more and jumped into my arms. Her mouth was on mine in an instant and I pushed her back against the wall as I hardened beneath her. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I lowered her onto my hardness. She gasped as I entered her and her lips found mine again. I braced her against the wall and thrust into her over and over. The urgency from last night had returned as we made love standing under the hot water of the shower. "Yes, baby! Yes, make love to me, Bazael! Feel me around you as you make me yours for all time! I am yours, sweetheart! Give me your love, please. Come inside me again, baby!" Her soft pleas lit the fire in my blood and I gave her all that I am. I came inside her as she spasmed around me in orgasm. Making love to Sharon is always as magical for me as it is for her. Two souls and hearts enmeshed into one. As we recovered our breath, I raised her off of me and lowered her to her feet. We washed each other again and dried each other off as we left the shower. We kissed and dressed ourselves in preparation for whatever this day would bring. I paid the checkout bill for the Hotel suite and we walked across the Grand Central Station. It was where the entrance to the Setian Sactum was located. We went down the steps into the main concourse and towards the little known and never used secondary maintenance corridor. Once before the door, I turned to Sharon. "Beyond this door, no human has ever been before. You will be the first, dear one. You will, however, be under my protection. I called Gabrael, and he is meeting us inside." "Good. At least we'll have a friend backing us up." She took my hand, and I raised my hand before the door. It became intangible, and we stepped through it together to solidify behind us. "Yes we will. Gabrael and I have trusted each other for more generations than I care to remember. Let's go." I led her through the corridors to the main entrance guarded by two Setian Warriors. "Halt, Bazael. You are to be slain on sight, as is your human lover." "Kelnael, you will stand aside. We have the missing piece of the Prophecy in our grasp, and the Council needs to hear it." I would not back down, even as Kelnael and Raxielle drew their swords. "That is impossible," Raxielle said. "The Prophecy is complete!" I looked at her. "Raxi, do you really believe that, when it says nothing of what will happen if the Redeemer should be born? I will read you the missing piece, and you may judge for yourself. I opened the tube and unrolled the ancient scroll. "'If Mankind should be Redeemed by one of mixed blood, all life on Earth shall thrive, and Setians will live in peace with the races of Man.' Here is The Seal of the Order of the Rose, if you doubt its veracity." Kelnael took the scroll and looked at it, noting the seal. It had been very skillfully cut from the bottom of the orginal Prophecy and rolled into its own scroll, to be Sealed again by the Order, under the Command of Garhael. The Scrolls of Prophecy are indestructible, since the Magic prevents it. They cannot be hidden for long, even inside a volcano. They have a way of turning up somewhere unexpected. The only way it could remain hidden was inside that safety depostit box, and in many safes and lockers before that. He handed it back to me after reviewing it with a critical eye. "It is real, Bazael. You and... Sharon Summers may pass. She who is the Mother of the Redeemer." He bowed to her, and we passed as he and Raxielle sheathed their swords. Gabrael met us before we reached the Council Chamber. "Baz, Garhael has ordered all guards to detain or slay you if you try to gain entry." I let my guise drop and flexed my claws. "Then let them try, Gabrael. Will you join me in battle one last time, Brother?" Gabrael let his guise fall away as well and flexed his shoulders and claws. "It has been a while, my friend. Let us face them together." He nodded and grinned. I turned to Sharon and handed her the scroll. "Sharon, my love. Keep this safe while we keep you safe. If we should fall in battle, make certain this gets into the hands of Elder Nishielle. She is the fairest Councillor of the Thirteen. She will see the veracity of the writing and will act accordingly. You have your pistol just in case, as well. Aim for heart or head, or you will not kill them." Sharon nodded with tears in her eyes. "I love you, Baz." She came into my arms and we kissed lovingly. I stroked her hair and face, feeling her skin on my hand. "I love you, Sharon. No matter what happens in there, never forget that." I smiled at her, and we turned to the main doors. Gabrael and I nodded to each other and we kicked the doors inward. Twenty Setian Bladesmen stood in front of us. I knew them all. I had trained them all. "Brothers! Drop your weapons and let us speak! The Council must know what we know!" I shouted my demand. "Bazael. You have a lot of nerve coming back here after your betrayal and murder of four of our kind," said Garhael from his high seat in the middle of the Council bench. "Garhael, I know you are a liar and falsifier. You removed the scroll the Redeemer's Mother now carries from the original Prophecy scroll! You secreted it away for millenia, in hopes that you would never be found out, or at least hoped it would be after the destruction of Mankind!" Garhael laughed. "Kill them all," he ordered the Bladesmen. "No." The voice rang out clearly. Elder Nishielle rose from her seat. "We will let them speak if we so choose. Vote?" She looked around. All save Garhael raised their fists to give her the support she needed. Only a majority override could cancel an order by the High Elder. I bowed. "Thank you, Elder. Sharon Summers, Mother of the Redeemer, has the scroll in question. She will hand it to Bladesman Vesael, and he will deliver it to you." Vesael stepped forward and I nodded to Sharon, who handed him the tube with the scroll inside. Vesael bowed to her and marched up to Nishielle, handing it to her. She then looked up and at her colleagues, Brothers and Sisters. "I move for High Elder Garhael to be recused, forcibly if necessary, from participating in these proceedings. Aye?" Twelve fists rose into the air. Garhael sat and said nothing. The Elders reviewed the scroll and we stood patiently waiting. The Bladesmen stood before us, and Sharon had come to my side, taking my hand in hers and interlacing our fingers again. I smiled at her and kissed her tenderly, causing a gasp from a Bladesman. I looked at him sharply. "Where is your discipline, Yarael? Did you forget all that I taught you?" He snapped to and saluted. "No, sir. My apologies, sir." I smiled grimly. He knew who his Commander had been. "Then you will treat my love with the respect she deserves, Brother." Garhael stood. "You blasphemer! You have taken the human whore as your lover, and have your son growing in her sinful womb!" "Bladesmen! Remove the High Elder! He is being forcibly recused from these proceedings!" Nishielle ordered them. They nodded and moved to flank Garhael. Garhael struck swiftly, and ten of the finest warriors I had ever trained fell before our eyes, writhing in pain. I moved without moving, slamming the High Elder against the wall. "NO, GARHAEL! YOU WILL REMAIN STILL! IF YOU TRY ANYTHING, I WILL KILL YOU!" I growled the shout at him. There were no tears in his eyes. The Council acted quickly, binding him in place with Earth's Magic. I looked back, and Gabrael had moved between the High Elder and Sharon, blocking her from harm. He nodded at me and smiled. A Brother til the end. I nodded and smiled in reply, and motioned for Sharon to join me before the Council. She walked up to me and smiled again. I took her in my arms and held her close. "Bazael, the Prophecy is now complete." Nishielle bowed to me. She then turned to the rest of the Council. "I move that the Marks upon Bazael and Sharon Summers be removed immediately, and The Eye be brought as a witness. Aye?" Eleven fists rose with hers in agreement, and The Watcher's Eye was summoned. He walked in, still in his non-descript human form to stand before them. He bowed. "Eye, you were the one who alerted Bazael and Sharon to the Scroll's whereabouts, are you not?" She asked. "I am, Elder." "Then your services as Watcher's Eye are no longer necessary, my Brother. Let the power be stripped from you and your freedom be long and full of peace." The Council raised their arms as The Watcher's Eye knelt before them. The red aura of destruction coalesced from him and vanished back into Earth Mother from whence it came. "You are free now, Hunshael." Nishielle smiled. "Thank you, Sister." For the first time in my life, I saw him smile. Gabrael came forward and stood beside us as well, and Hunshael, formerly The Watcher's Eye, stood beside Sharon. "Bazael, will you take Sharon as your wife?" Nishielle raised her eyebrow. "If she will have me as her husband, yes, Lord Elder." I replied. Sharon stepped forward. "I know I'm not really known here except as Mother of the Redeemer and all that, but I would like to say something if possible?" Nishielle regarded her, then nodded her head. "You may speak, Sharon." "Thank you, umm, Lord Elder. When all this started, I had no idea that I would be the Mother of the Redeemer, and I really didn't expect to fall in love with the man sent to kill me. We have been hounded across the country on the orders of that guy there." She pointed at Garhael. "Now I guess I'm being sorta accepted here, and I wanted to thank you. Baz is my love, and I am his forever." She stepped back and took my hand in hers again. "She reminds me of Jarielle, Bazael." Nishielle smiled. "Her soul is a perfect relection, Nishielle." Gabrael said with a smile. His wife nodded. "So I see, Gabrael." She had silvered her eyes, as had the rest of the Council. They saw her without sin or evil, and they saw the life growing inside her. "Sharon, what do you propose we do with High Elder Garhael?" This was unprecedented, and even I was surprised. "I think you should lock him up and throw away the key." She glared at him. Nishielle nodded and smiled. "I agree. Aye?" She asked the Council. Twelve fists rose into the air. We settled into my rooms later that night. "You are safe now, Sharon." I stroked her hair as we lay in bed together. Fate and Armageddon "I feel safe in your arms, sweety." She answered and kissed me. "We won. What's next?" "Will you marry me, Sharon?" "Yes, Baz." "How's tomorrow sound?" "Sounds perfect, Baz. So what do you think will happen in the long run, sweetheart?" She asked. "We will raise our child in the world of Man, and we will set him on the path he must walk. What happens then, who can say? He is the last best hope for Mankind and Setian alike. We will love him as we love each other, with no condition, and with full support, come what may." The End