The Soothsayer - Intermission

Ann Heights Studio Apartment unit 413 - Melbourne, Australia. Year 2005.

'No? Ever? Come to think of it. Yeah. No recollection of you ever.'

'I don't cry.'

'It's ridiculous.'

'Believe what you want. I don't cry. I can't. I don't know why.'

'Wow. What it felt like?'

'What? The crack?'

'Unable to cry. What it feels like?'

Asked Masaki.

Rain battered on the window panes of the dark apartment of the two foreigners. Within the loud echos of youngsters having raunchy sex in the television to the empty living room, the harmony of the house remained unperturbed by the growing storm. A dozen of candle lights held the orange visibility shakily upon the wet tiles, sketching quivery silhouettes on the bathroom walls. In the foamy waters of rose petals, the two tenants sat facing each other at each end of the bathtub. Their legs lapping each other's in soft and moist intimacy in close confinement. Sarah Qwek, a Singaporean was here on a scholarship laid out powdery cocaine on the slick edge of the tub and started snorting it with a rolled sheet. Her friend of mixed heritage at the opposite end, Jane Masaki was half Japanese and Canadian. Masaki already drunk with too much crack in the depth of her system was nursing a bottle of Vodka dreamily.

'Horribly numb in a good way. Or invincible in the bad way. Either way, I don't really two fucks.' Replied Qwek, shaking her head like a wet puppy. 'This shit is kicking me real hard. Where did you get them?'

'Justin. Whoa! Talk about mood killing. Who turn up the porn next door?' Exclaimed Masaki, 'Wait. I was the one. Now why did I turn on my own porn? God. I'm so high that I don't know what I'm saying right now!'

'I think it's weird watching yourself having sex on the telly.' Said Qwek laying her head softy on the corner of the wall and lighted up her weed. 'Who the fuck is Justin?'

Masaki covered her eyes with her palms for a long time and smiled, 'The lighting guy. He's very dorky. Pretty much like you when you get all studious during exams, in your bottle coke glasses and stuff. But he's sweet. Did I tell you that I have this thing for man who cry. Well, I suppose now I have. Justin cries after he ejaculates. I never seen a man cries after sex. They were all like smoking and bitching, but Justin is different. Oh did I ever tell you I'm wild over weird people. Whoa! At first, it was freaky. But after that, it gets kind of endearing to watch him sleep in his tears. It brings out the naturing side of the female minds. Yeah. He's sweet, in a freaky way.'

'It's pretty much free for all in the porn industry huh?' Said Qwek as she pulled near a candle. Its blight shone weakly on the tribal tattoo on her left deltoid. 'You guys have no professional code or rules of conduct on co-workers relations?'

'Porn sets are like the athletic villages in the Olympics.' Said Masaki as she played with the bubbles in their bath, 'Everyone is so beautiful. Everybody glows.'

'Even the lighting people?' Asked Qwek as she put on her thick glasses.

'Justin? No. He's very meek and tiny. And I like that. I don't need superheroes. I'm surrounded by them everyday. I just need a teddy bear. A cuddle. A snuggle.' Replied Masaki. 'Though I must say Justin always came too soon. He could really work on that.'

'You lusty bitch!' Grinned Qwek, 'He's fucking a pornstar for crying out loud! Give that poor folk a break! You expect him to measure up?'

'Well. You know what?' Smiled Masaki as she moved in the bath towards Qwek beneath the drawing shadows of the candlelit storm. 'You look pretty tasty tonight.'

'Yeah?' Beamed Qwek, drunk with intoxication.

'You know. With your geeky glasses, I can so see it now. Sarah the Catholic School Girl waiting to get bone by her bestie and the school professor! You should so do porn!' Screamed Masaki.

'You know I'm really catholic right?' Asked Qwek.

'Yeah but... It doesn't work that way. You know it doesn't.' Reminded Masaki, suddenly awaken from her seduction. She drew back in the bath back to her corner. 'You can't be gay and catholic at the same time.'

'Says?'

'God? I don't know! Can you?' Said Masaki exasperatedly.

'No. I don't know either. But I think faith shouldn't build on concepts and ideals of others. I believed in God and my belief in Him and every ways are intimate. Just between Him and myself. It should go beyond what other people expect about the religion.' Explained Qwek softly, 'But that being said, it's always a mortal wound to get raised in a Catholic family and grow up to believe that I will burn in Hell because of my preference. It used to be such chore. Is being gay wrong, or is the religion just stupid? I don't care. I simply doesn't now.'

'Babe, you need this more than me.' Masaki handed over the heavy bottle of Vodka. 'You think people who did amateur porn will ever get into Heaven?'

'Nah.' Shook Qwek as she downed the Vodka, 'People who do sex for money or to the wong gender won't. The homosexuals and the pornstars get bounced out from the pearly gates. Or so says the Pope.'

'Good, at least we still have each other.' Offered Masaki, lighting up two cigarettes and passing one to Qwek. 'To hell with heaven. Just like that book you've been reading.'

'Aw... You noticed my book list. You are indeed a bestie.' Grinned Qwek, reaching over the foamy water for a quick hug. 'That old bean is something I encountered while researching for that fucking fucking fucking, fucking school debate about the purpose of Hell, that I'm only so glad that it's over. Heck! I had thrown away everything that were to throw into the trash so that I don't have to relieve those agonising moments again. Saved this book. It's an odd book. I could never use it for the debate though. It's so weird that I actually like it. You will like it. Because you like weird stuff. It's so freaky that you probably want to jump in bed with.'

'I have Justin to fuck, you can fuck the book yourself.' Said Masaki. 'What is it about?'

'You really want to know?'

'Why not? I read stuff. Sometimes. But I read.'

'Right. Erm. It's written by this French bloke called Bou Blanc. Somewhere in eighteen fifties? I'm guessing the only book he ever wrote. It was bad. It was like hungry, freaky children in a candy shop, loose. The flow of plot was deranged and unconvincing. Coupled with confusing verses and stupid rhymes that refused to rhyme. It was so bad that I can't believe that someone actually published it.' Paused Qwek sucking into her cigarette and felt the veins at her temples pulsating. 'Anyway I'm glad that someone did. Man, that poor publisher. The book was banned from at least a hundred country. It was so fucking controversial.'

'Your point, your point. You are trailing off in your ramblings.' Lectured Masaki, 'And stop getting the ashes into the water!'

'Anyways. Supposingly in the same league as the works of Milton and Dante,
building of pure fantasies of the Christian after world. But Blanc
never did receive any recognition for his effort, he was virtually
unknown in the literally world, scoffed off by churches, rejected by all religions, wheelchair bound on social welfare and
vanished totally at the end of the century. Unlike Dante and Milton, he
didn't dwell too much on biblical history, but babbled about an unknown
war between heaven and hell.' Said Qwek catching her breath back with another deep suckle of her dying cigarette.

'What's wrong with wars? I mean, wars ain't special anymore. War is this red button beneath the scalp, just next to the left tragus of ear. War is the natural mechanism in mankind. You have Nam, Gulf, Europe, Korean, Africa. The penises, the vagina. Everyone are fighting wars with themselves every day. Michael fought the first war in heaven.' Reminded Masaki, 'Tell me things I haven't heard of.'

'Blanc said that Heaven went and invade Hell.' Gave Qwek.

'Okay. That's better.' Said Masaki. 'And?'

'It made them look really bad. The angels. Being good christian soldiers and everything, I guess bloodlusts and ambitions are considered blasphemy from where they were. God? God was away and so was Satan. When the cats are gone, the mice start to play. That's the backbone of Blanc's literature. Seemingly. Because the whole story, I felt actually served as this metaphorical backdrop of fate versus destiny. Are we mere puppets incapable of driving our lives? Can we choose and live the lives we want? Are we suppose to get larger than life? Is it really impossible not to get lost in our paths? As the angels fought in rivers of blood and fire in the wailing lurid underworld for their selfishness, I can't help but to feel for them and us, too. The naiveness and the dangers in believing in ourselves.'

'You finished it?' Asked Masaki, 'What happened in the end? What did the French say?'

'I haven't finished it. It's a nasty read. It's like it's half a book while you have to fill the rest with the spoils of your imagination, deciphering and interpretations.' Said Qwek. 'But I can lend you the book thereafter?'

'Nah. You are the one with brains and you have troubles reading it.' Laughed Masaki, 'Just tell me how it end.'

'The way I see it. People like Blanc are sadists. They are obsessed with depravity and decays of life. The downhills.' Offered Qwek. 'It won't be a happy one.'

'Sarah. I never believed in the happy ones.'



To be continued...

The Soothsayer - Salvation

Wall Of Gehenna - The Scavenger Peak Under The Three Suns upon the Infinite Hours.

The Wall of Gehenna was a fold of sky piercing mountains in icy ebony shades. The landfill of the corpses of the slain devils from the reminiscence of the First War by Michael and his archangels. In disgust of his failure, Satan left the fallen decomposing slowly on the cold slab of the peaks where they were so close to the suns, yet felt no warmth. They were exposed to the torments from the eyeless birds and the biting freeze.

The Wall of Gehenna was not the highest ground in Hell contrary to Kepharel's reason, but it was the only place that was not built with wailing sinners. With The Fire Steward conflagrating sinners; the very foundation of Hell, The Wall might as well soon become the highest terrain in Hell.

Left with seven hundred odd angels, Kepharel took Gehenna and made camp. Not losing any time with the millions of hordes closing in, Kepharel instructed his Fire Servant to scale The Wall.

The foot of Gehenna began a river of blood contributed by what seem like the dismaying defeat by the hosts. Some dozen angels daunted with their doom, surrendered to the fallen.

Vvael, of Cherubim with his wings clipped, the tendons on his ankles severed and his abdomen bleeding, sat in a rusty wheelchair with a silver noose around his waist. No words could express his inner turmoil as he witnessed the massacre of his comrades and the blindness of his protege.

Kepharel looked at Vvael with his bleary eyes, 'Have you lost your tongue as well? Where is your wit on times like this?'

'It is not necessary anymore.' Vavel muttered under his crushing breath, 'It's too late and too redundant for words now.'

Ndmh, of Dominions reported, 'The Fire Behemoth had reached the submit.'

Kepharel gave a tired grin and peered at Vvael, 'Very soon, you will see the greatness invested in me by creation of our Lord. You will no longer deny me when you observe the next very minute.'

To his lieutenants, Kepharel commanded them to clear him a path to the submit. With a spring step, Kepharel unfurled his wings and soared towards the peak.

'Ignite yourself. Eilert Swane.' Kepharel ordered his Fiery Puppet, 'Blossom your fire to the reach of Heavens. You are the lighthouse to the tainted souls. You are salvation.'

The Fire Beast trembled and erupted his flames, like a pillar of fire, his blaze jet into the skies forming a burning crucifix of brilliance.



The Seventh Circle of Hell - The Violent - Forestry of Violent Against Themselves upon the Infinite Hours.

By the river of blinking eyes and sulfur soil, Nongchai watched as the world in Hell got up and moved. One by one the subjects in the leafless forestry of the seventh circle stripped themselves clear. The sinners got up from the earth that made entirely of them, the rivers that founded on their eyes and the trees that stemmed from their wretched bodies. Abandoning their stations of punishment, the zillions of sinners walked towards the flaring crucifix in a distance away like moths to a flame.

Nongchai began to understand the desertion.

Hell was in ruins and salvation was offered. Nongchai gathered his innards in the bowel of his arms and followed the crowd.

Hell was done.



Cocytus - Throne Of Lamentation upon the Infinite Hours.

'Twelve! And! Thirty! Billions! Thirteen! And Thirty! Billions!' Squawked the scout with talons. 'Exhaustive! Depletion! Alarming! Alarming! My Highness! Need! To! Act!'

Current lord of the underworld, Asmodai the Terror, Lust and Aggression serpent slanted his creature eyes and growled deeply, 'Let us see.'

Asmodai spread his fourteen draconian wings and took flight with his five black tails behind him. His hundred loyalists followed.

Hell was filled with sinners; seas of them, wretched, jiggered and damned migrating to the search of the burning crucifix.

'The fairy is burning Hell up.' Croaked Asmodai the Infernal, 'You know what it will lead to?'

The scout flapped his wings of sunshine, trying to keep up with Asmodai squeaked, 'Without! The! Sinners! Hell! Is! Never! Never! As! Never! My Happiness! To! Best! We! Pour! All! Hordes! To! The! Frontier! To! Gehenna! To! Wall! To! End! Else! Vanquish! Hell! The! Hours! Drawn! Near!'

'Hell will stay the way it was.' Muttered Asmodai. 'The way Lord Morningstar left it and found it when he returns. The Fire Servant remained a perilous invulnerability to tackle since his physical was unaffected by both realms. I wonder how that fairy got hold of him? Never mind the unthinkable. Suicides is on it. Continue the defense as the way it was. Let the sinners incinerate into mere delusions. To add strength into our defense will be futile as I'm getting the sense that Ziquiel, of Powers had led his troops in aid of the fairy.'

'But! My! Mystery! Hell! Fold! When! There! There! Are! Not! Any! Sinners! Left!' Cawed out the scout.

'Then it looks like we have to raise the wager of this game.' Croaked Asmodai, 'Prepare thyself to attack the mortal realm. We will kill every single Man for every sinners they burnt. We will plunge the souls of mankind into the darkness of Hell and give those pixies the war that they want so badly.'



Hall For Sixteen Departments Of Heart Gouging upon the Infinite Hours

'Asmodai is madness itself.'
'As I said before, my brothers and sisters. Asmodai will fail Hell. Yet my wisdom is but a whimper of wind before your deaf ears.'
'Asmodai is the lame itself.'
'Did you hear what Asmodai said? To keep Hell the way it was that Morningstar left and returns. Wretched fantasy. Lucifer knew this was going to happen and left us to our own devices. Such leadership. Curses and damnation to our servitude. We are betrayed by our king!'
'Did you hear what Asmodai said? He was going to fight Man. To plunge mankind into Hell to compensates the souls we lost to the Fire Angel. Pure stupidity!'
'Asmodai is the weak itself.'
'Did you hear? Did you hear?'
'The song of reason. Listen!'
'Every now and then. I see thunder and strange frowns.'
'Asmodai is their collaborator.'
'Asmodai.'
'Asmodai.'
'Asmodai must be stopped.'
'How? My brothers and sisters? How?'
'Sydonai.'
'Asmodai must be stopped.'
'And he will, my sweetness.'
'Asmodai is just Asmodai itself.'
'We will kill them all. And take the Silver City next. Oh! Do you fiends not salivate at that thought?'

The millions of eyes in the dark of the grave hall blinked incessantly.



The March Towards The Fire Crucifix upon the Infinite Hours.

Nongchai felt the nausea more now. He watched the zillion sinners, one behind each back, walking into their sweet doom, their release from this place. Nongchai held back his shivers and green cheeks.



Divinity Courts of Counsel upon the Hundred and Eighty-sixth Candlelights.

Balthial, of Thrones, guardian of The Silver City, successor of Gabriel learnt that Ziquiel, her closest ally had joined forces with Kepharel in Hell. Ziquiel had led his archangels to Kepharel's aid.

Ziquiel, of Powers had bought Kepharel's vision of the new kingdom of heaven.

Balthial hang her head in soft resignation as she sang softly to the choir of the Great Seraphims.




The March Towards The Fire Crucifix upon the Infinite Hours.

The sinners tried to help Nongchai up, but he kept bowing over, succumbing to the tumors of pain in his head. The sinners preoccupied by their salvation, left Nongchai alone. Nongchai with his cold guts in the cradle of his arms, dragged his ill body with each pull of his ankle. Under the three suns, Nongchai willed himself to the march. Despite the pain, despite the the nagging thought.

The thought of something foreign in his head. Something other than a cigarette. Something worse.



Tainted Seal Of Angel Samuel, The Estranged Captain of Hosts - Denmark

Oriaries, of Cherubim examined the seal where her comrade's blood was spilled to offend it. Her scout returned to report on Hell. They learnt about trapping of Kepharel and his rouges in the Wall of Gehenna, the timely aid of Ziquiel and the puzzling fact that Asmodai refused to push the entire hordes to annihilate the angels in Hell.

'Asmodai. He must have laid his plans elsewhere.' Said Oriaries. 'He must be thinking of alternatives to harvest souls.'

'Such bizarre battleworks!' Exclaimed Higelot, of Virtues, 'Since when Asmodai the Infernal feared confrontation and seek such cowardice methodology?'

'He's persevering Hell.' Explained Oriaries, 'For Asmodai truly held faith that the Morningstar will return.'

Oriaries ordered her archangels to guard the mortal realm against the invasion of Asmodai.

'Comrade Higelot.' Oriaries asked of his service, 'You are needed back to the Silver City. This Fire Golem of Kepharel is familiar. His uncanny power was precedented. I require your investigation.'

'What about comrade Vvael?' Higelot asked.

'I will seek him out in Gehenna.' Oriaries said.

Another scout returned with strange news. The Red Gates of Oni, the entrance to Hell was gone. It had vaporised into thin air. The geography of Hell was altered. Oni was no longer included.



The March Towards The Fire Crucifix upon the Infinite Hours.

Someone was in his head. Someone was in his head. Someone was in his head. Someone was in his head. Someone was in his head.

Nongchai cried as he began to hit himself in the temples to block out the whispers.

Nongchai struggled to keep up with the march.

It would be all fine. Nongchai encouraged himself. Everything will be fine when he throw his bitter flesh into the embrace of the flaming crucifix.



Cocytus - Throne Of Lamentation upon the Infinite Hours.

They always came with the darkness, even in Hell. Shadows drawn and cast over Cocytus. The invisible enemies from within beckoned Asmodai the Infernal to give up his charge over Hell.

They began to speak behind the corners of the blackness and the sightless.

'Sydonai.'
'Asmodai.'
'Chammadai.'
'The Chimaera.'
'The Deep Infernal.'
'Of Serpent, Bear and Dragon.'
'We call your names.'
'We summon the titles that bind you to this realm.'
'We drew breaths that end yours.'

'Show thyself. Gamygyn, Glasyalabolas. The marquees and twenty legions of Purgatory.' Croaked Asmodai. 'Remove thy shadow that cloaks my lair and reveal thy schemes. I have more critical matters at hand.'

'Well put, Chimaera.'
'Well intended. Chammadai.'
'Least you know what we bring you.'
'Remember not what we brought others?'
'Great Asmodai. Diminutive Sydonai. You are but you itself.'
'Remember not what we brought others?'
'We are the kings killer.'
'Ah. but you are burden with critical matters at hand.'
'Worry nay, sweet Infernal. We are here to share your burden. One foot that had grown quite the size too big for your shoe to fill.'

'Then come get and me, you miserable dogs.' Asmodai scoffed, 'And stop wasting my time. I got real people to kill.'

In darkness of Lamentation, Asmodai saw eyes.



Wall Of Gehenna - The Scavenger Peak Under The Three Suns upon the Infinite Hours.

The Great Fire Spirit, the burning pillar of crucifix had by far incinerated half the population of sinners in Hell. The massacre at the foot of the Wall raged on, spilling blood everywhere on the fallen corpses of the First War.

Some hundred demons realised the eventual fate of Hell surrendered to the hosts.

The seas of sinners continued to come in all directions of Hell to be torched by Eilert Swane.



Nongchai Phromyothi

Nongchai learnt that he had a demon residing in the back of his mind. His head was imploding with sharps and tension. That demon was a Zephr, envoy of Asmodai himself.

'What... what do you want from me?' Nongchai found himself mumbling.

The voice returned was unnatural and deep, 'You are my chariot to Gehenna, where you sought to submit your flesh. Your head would be the consultation for the Cherubim I seek.'

Nongchai closed his bleeding eyes and saw the image of the Zephr. It was a lion with beaks and talons. It had large wet butterfly wings.



The Vast Valley Of Hinnom - The Children Hell upon the Infinite Hours.

Oriaries, of Cherubim had almost lost her way in Hell. It's atlas was so drastically altered with its mandalas misplaced. The Red Gates was gone. There was nothing but vacuum there and it almost pull Oriaries with its suck. And now Hinnom was nowhere to be found too. Oriaries flew around the emptiness for the longest time and managed to trace her way back.

Without sinners, Hell had to fold.

Oriaries must find her way to Gehenna fast.



Nongchai Phromyothi

Nongchai crawled at his head to stop the pressure in his head. In the back of his mind, Nongchai saw that there was an addition to the Zephr daemon's gathering. It was an old man in a rusty wheelchair. The old man suffered from an abdominal injury and seemingly bleeding to death.

'Vvael, of Cherubim.' Called out the Zephr in the mind of Nongchai.

Vvael aroused from the slumber of his fatality and realised that he was in a sinner's mind. Vvael peered at the Zephr who called out to him and said in recognition, 'Angel Iahmel. It's you.'

'Try not to begin our first meeting since a hundred thousand years with insults.' The Zephr said, 'I'm Suicides.'

'Very well. Suicides. Hell will not last for much longer.' Vvael said, 'What are Asmodai's plans?'

'I left Lamentation for a while, seeking you.' Suicides said, 'I couldn't feel my Lord's presence, he might be in trouble. But the last I heard, the hordes were preparing to harvest souls from the mortals.'

'Who would have thought of that? Three realms destroyed overnight.' Vvael shook his head.

'It's bound to happen, angel. Sooner or later. 'Offered Suicides, 'With the long absence of both our masters, tides are just waiting to turn.'

'What can I do you for?' Asked Vvael.

'You are in a poor shape, Vvael.' Observed Suicides, 'The Infernal Dragon thought you would know something helpful but judging by your demise, you are but another victim at your own blindness.'

'It's true, Zephr.' Agreed Vvael. 'I'm iron cast to this wheelchair and served no more value than a witness for things to fall. But if you could get me to the mind of Eilert Swane. I probably could do more.'

'You want to work The Fire Spirit from inside?' Asked Suicides.

'I need to know something from him.' Said Vvael, 'As I beginning to figure about his acquisition of those powers. Surely being one of the first fallen, you could sense it too?'



Divinity Courts of Counsel upon the Three Hundredth Candlelights.

Balthial, of Thrones granted an audience to a saved.

'Saul.' Said Balthial. 'You wanted to see me?'

'Great Balthial. Something is happening in the worlds beyond Heaven. Something terrible, is it not?' Asked Saul earnestly.

'This is not a subject for your concern, Saul.' Replied Balthial.

'Something terrible, Great Angel.' Saul pleaded, 'The Hasche Ocean was gone.'

Balthial was so preoccupied by her dilemma over invading Hell that she realised that she had neglected the welfare of Heaven. The Silver City being the impregnable fortress had taken for granted for a long time that it was thought it could never suffer from any corruptible fate.

Balthial step up a flight and saw that the geography of Heaven was irreversibly altered.

And something else was odd too.

The unfamiliar tranquility of The Silver City.

That was when Balthial, of Thrones realised that the Seraphims had stopped singing praises to God.

Balthial rushed to the sanctuary that held His empty throne. The sanctuary was long gone.



Cocytus - Throne Of Lamentation upon the Infinite Hours.

All was left was its screeching voice.

The scout with sunshine feathers and talons squawked uneasily, 'The! Calamity! The Calamity! The! Red! Lust! Beguiled! Our! Benefactor! Our Nation! Builder! Our Master! Caught! With! His! Eyes! Forever! Shut! The! Calamity! The! Calamity! Befall!'

The great hall of Lamentation laid the dead bodies of Purgatory legions, away with life, away with their shadows.

The wailing river of Cocytus was depleted.

Asmodai was nowhere to be found, though his foul blood stank the air.

All was left was the little abhorrence's screeching voice.

Trailing off into an unimaginable fate.



Nongchai Phromyothi

Nongchai never felt so motivated before.

With an archangel and an archdemon inside the suffocating hold of his mind, all he could felt was the pain of universes imploding one after another.

Nongchai knew he had better get to the Fire Spirit fast.

He had never felt so motivated to die.



Wall Of Gehenna - The Scavenger Peak Under The Three Suns upon the Infinite Hours.

The damned and cursed of the defeated fallen doomed to cast their bodies in Gehenna, embedding the Wall glistered with the blood of the angels that sacrificed in defending the stronghold that harbored the Fire Spirit.

And there were so much blood on animated damned.

Redemption.

Lucifer Morningstar once made a rule that no one was to revive the humiliated fallen at Gehenna. Stone cast and sunned forever.

But there was so much enemies' bloodshed on them.

Oh, the happiness those blood brought them. As if they had won the First War in Heaven.

As if they had won.

And someone broke Lucifer Morningstar's law.

Someone revived them.

One by one, the decayed fallen of the First War opened their crusted eyes and listened for the first time in the hundred thousand years.

The mountain of Gehenna trembled with their joints stretching.

The Wall moved.

Pancia and her champions were defending the Wall from aerial when the base of the Wall opened up and a wide mouth shot straight up and closed on them.

All the devoured angels saw were the endless corridors of teeth.

Gehenna quaked and the cursed fallen of the First War sprung away like wrathful ghouls and assailed the angels' defense from within.

After eating Panica and her champions, Asmodai revealed the whole of his scaly hide by worming out from the base of Gehenna. The giant Infernal Lord unfurled his mighty draconian wings of fourteen spans and screamed blizzards and hailstones.

Firestorm rained down on the hosts.

The exuberant fallen elites of the First War tore the angels apart.

Asmodai screamed until the hosts bled from their ears and he scooped down to devour some more.



Nongchai Phromyothi

Nongchai stared in horrific awe of the distant beast, so illustrious and murderous.

'What... exactly was that?' Nongchai muttered with spit in his mouth.

'Asmodai?' Vvael spoke in the sinner's head, 'He changed his mind?'

'No.' Suicides said, 'Look at his eyes. They are blind. He had been battling something else and they blinded him. A coup! They blinded him of reason and enraged him to instinct. Asmodai had submitted to his base bloodlust he worked so hard and long to overcome. Now he is a true creature.'

Suicides nudged Nongchai with more pains, 'Hurry, wretched one. You have to hurry for worlds' sake!'



Wall Of Gehenna - The Scavenger Peak Under The Three Suns upon the Infinite Hours.

Kepharel held his shield against Asmodai's firestorm and charged towards the Infernal's all consuming sun. Kepharel was determined to hold Asmodai back that he didn't realised that his two pairs of angelic wings were scorched in dire purple flames. Kepharel was thrown onto the basalt like a ragged doll, yet he kept charging the Serpent with blind vigor. He was so close. So close in securing Hell.

With a wicked swipe, the Infernal chewed off all Kepharel's wings.

Choking with blood, Kepharel rolled onto the dust, extinguishing the purple fire on him.

'You nefast.' Smiled Kepharel in his teeth full of blood and membrane. 'I got you corner, villain.'

The Fire Spirit had burnt more than ninety percentage of population of Hell.

It was enough to fold Hell.

Asmodai roared in rage and all beings the radius of his shadow covered, were crushed instantly.

All the Infernal could hear was the fairy's laughter.

Asmodai spread his draconian wings and sped to The Fire Steward.

The Chimarea of Accusing Lies collapsed into The Great Fire Angel.

Millions swords of lights exploded and everyone was blinkered by its blight.

In the back of their minds; be it sinners, angels or the demons, they heard Asmodai's last percipientation.

'I hath seen the greater plan. Oh! What terrible consequences of free will love-drunk with grandiosity and treason hearts against our destinies. Perhaps we're more base than Man themselves. And so let shame celebrate our existence! And, let sad shame peck the remains of our guilty corpses!'

Spit out by the crucifix of fire; enveloped in smoke and barrages, Asmodai reduced to his extrangled form from ten hundred thousand years ago when he was beautiful and had Seraphim wings.

Kepharel stood up holding his wounds. The Inferno was silent with the Infernal's heedless defeat, except for the crunching sounds made hollow by incinerating the sinners.

Kepharel raised his fist and thundered his victory, 'The nether realm is subdued! Hell is ours!'

The battle worn hosts cheered.


To be continued...

Afterworld Episode 7 -- Homeland Insecurity

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 6 -- Hibakusha

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 4 - Delondre

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 6 -- Hibakusha

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 5 -- Central Park

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 3 - "Purgatory"

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 2 - Detritus

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

Afterworld Episode 1 - "The Big Day"

99% of the population is missing. Technology is dead.

After Work

And time melted so well away, especially so when I'm here with you.

Two months ago, I started collecting photos of how I spent my days after work, away from the hospital.

Click on the images to read the short commentaries I wrote.

If this album is a correct portrayal of my life after work, realize anything missing?

The Soothsayer - Candlelights

The Northern Hasche Sea upon the Fifteen Candlelights.

Heaven was many things to different people. To Saul, it was an endless horizon of beach with white sands to walk upon. Seven stars of the northern twilights guided his way. Even though the Hasche Ocean seemed to run on seamlessly, connecting the blue skies to the green waves that rolled onto the sparkling beachhead, it was not infinite. For the Hasche Ocean was the last bastion on heaven. Somehow that encouraged Saul to spend every minute of his afterlife to sit at the edge of heaven. For despite he was in paradise, Saul wanted to feel closer to the living.

A distance away, someone strolled towards him. It was Angel Balthial in her wings. Saul gotten up and greeted the flawless angel.

'Did you see that?' Said Balthial as she pointed to a dark end of the horizon. Saul didn't recall observing that before. The black dot indicated a faraway storm was brewing and for the first time in his twenty years on heaven, Saul felt something he wasn't supposed to. A human emotion that was abandoned with his ascension.

'Great Balthial.' Began Saul, 'I'm fearful.'

Balthial took Saul's hands and comforted him with a prayer. But Saul could feel the archangel's looming concern for the turn of tides. And for the protege of Gabriel to start worrying, Saul had every right to fear.

The heavenly choir started singing in the background of the white mist. The Silver City beckoned.

With a tender kiss of Saul's forehead, Balthial bide him with courage and farewell. Her spread of wings took her soaring into cheery skies and beyond.



Divinity Courts of Counsel upon the Seventeen Candlelights.

In the Eastern wing of the Silver City, the capital of Heaven, the counsel of hosts gathered.

News of Kepharel and Pancia spilling kinsman's blood to descend Hell had reached Heaven.

It turned out Kepharel had planned it for a long time. With the reasoning that the absence of God and Lucifer was a permission to engage Hell, he managed to convince the hosts to invade. A thousand and forty-four hosts of various orders had deserted their stations and descended Hell after the Kepharel had broken the seal of the Morningstar.

The counsel chaired by Balthial, of Thrones was discussed at length about their stand of the invasion, the possibility of success or intervention and consequences of such liaison.

The throne dedicated to Him was an empty sanctuary in the next room. The Seraphs continued to sing to His Glory.

'Balthial! We need to intervene fast!' Exclaimed Higelot, of Virtues. 'Have the Counsel come to a decision on our stand?'

'Comrade Higelot. The only stand we have is to back Kepharel or join forces with Hell.' Said Ziquiel, of Powers nonchalantly, 'And they are not optional at all.'

Higelot stared at Ziquiel long and hard, 'Do not attempt to take my words unkindly. Surely you know the consequences of such warfare? Optional or not, we have to intervene. Taking sides or not, the Silver City could no longer afford such luxury of neutrality in times like these. If Hell was just a place to annex with a thousand angels, I'll be having tea in The Sixth Circle of Heretics ten hundred years ago!'

'Allow yourself to rationalize with calm and levelness, Higelot of Virtues.' Said Balthial, 'It was never our station to offense Hell nor holding their hands against our misguided kinsmen. No matter how imprudence Young Kepharel may appear, it is still not the hour to trial him and his thousand angels. Our hands are tied here.'

'Balthial! You meant that the rest of us are going to sit around the pearly gates to watch this audacity?' Shot Higelot. 'That blasphemed traitor is incinerating souls! He is playing God!'

'So let God judge him!' Replied Balthial, 'Do not forget that judging too is playing God.'



Red Gates of Oni - The Entrance Of Hell upon the Infinite Hours.

The last words Of Karimi.

She was a ruthless scaremonger when alive and was grown into the red gates of Hell when decreased, perpetually pierced by the living steel and barbs. The glistered metals of stinging flesh twisted and ate her bit by bit from the insides. Karimi was not alone. The thousands of tormented sinners crucified to the burning irons of Hell's entrance.

Karimi watched as the hordes gathered in strength to fortify the red gates. In armory of strange creatures and chariots of nightmares, the hordes prepared for something greater than them.

Karimi listened to the barb growing around her tongue like a rope tightening itself as she listened to the blood curling screams of the demons with horns and incisors.

Karimi waited for that was all she could do these days. Waited with blinding flashes of pain in the depth of her head as she melted into the rusty gate.

They came from the flaming skies.

Angels with swan wings and halos.

The devils howled, raising tridents and catapults.

Then all they saw was fire.

Her last words were, 'It was so beautiful...'



Cocytus - Throne Of Lamentation upon the Infinite Hours.

'Glory! Glory! To! Sydonai! My Lord! My Answer! Demise! Fall! To! The Leopard! The Lion! And! The Wolf!' Squawked the scout with talons.

Asmodai the infernal dragon shattered the basalt ground into pieces with his great hoof, 'They took the Gate?'

'United! United! The Fire! The Fire! They Ashen! The Fire!' Cawed the scout.

'Suicides.' The unholy creature growled.

'Five hundred thousands.' Answered the mishapped lieutenant with a grave tone, 'The Fire Golem incinerated five hundred thousand sinners at the red gate.'

Asmodai the constellation of ancient evils settled in his throne of angels' feathers, his seventeen greater horns buckled with his thoughts as his sight wandered to the wailing river. 'Ophanim, Dominons, Virutes, Powers and Principlilties. Five of the seven highest orders of angels in The Silver City are here on our doorstep. Led by a fairy. Hold. The Cherubim. Vvael. They clipped his wings. A Cherubim had his darn wings clipped by a fairy! A pack of clowns.'

'Suicides. I want to know more about that fire. That fire that incinerated the rightful properties of Hell. Get the Cherubim here. Alive.' Croaked Asmodai retreating to the shadows with his six tails sliding into disappearance.

Suicides the Zephr stood with uncertainties by the wailing river of Cocytus.



Divinity Courts of Counsel upon the Twenty-Ninth Candlelights.

'Eilert Swane was but a mortal.' Asked Balthial, of Thrones. 'But could he transmute to an elemental of such proportion? He is consuming Hell as we speak.'

'Kepharel and his rouges are pushing into Hinnom.' Observed Ziquiel, of Powers plainly. 'The Hordes had proved too much of a fight for the thousand and forty fours.'



The Vast Valley Of Hinnom - The Children Hell upon the Infinite Hours.

The gray valley once littered with the weeping bodies of sacrificed children were now childless and dressed with the corpses of the warmongers. Bloody bodies of both angels and demons slewed across Hinnom with Kepharel leading his heavenly troops deep into the valley. While the Great Fire Servant burnt every sinners ever laid on his path, Kepharel and his angels fought the daemons with flags and swords.

But they were being too deep into Hell and Kepharel's fire puppet would not damage the hell spawns as he would with the celestial beings, for they too offer no souls. Kepharel's army was stuck with fighting too many with too few.

Ndmh, of Dominions was Kepharel's lieutenant cried in desperation, 'Kep! This valley was a strategic mistake! There were too many of flanking us! You got to turn us around this valley! Our body count is currently four hundred!'

'Stay close, my brothers and sisters!' Commanded the tired Kepharel, 'We just need to storm through Hinnom to take the Wall of Gehenna!'

'Why Gehenna?' Asked Pancia as they fought onwards. 'It is but a hill of landfill that even Hell itself forsake!'

Kepharel smiled, spreading his wings. 'It is also the highest ground in Hell.'



Divinity Courts of Counsel upon the Forty Candlelights.

'Balthial!' Higelot, of Virtues confronted, 'We could no longer afford to wait!'

'Higelot.' Ziquiel, of Powers offered, 'At this rate, even if Kepharel fails, we could take on Hell. We could abolish abominating violence and introduce redemption to Hell. Think of the greater heights we could reach!'

'Ziquiel, you knave.' Higelot explained, 'Don't you see? We cannot take Hell, least abolish anything! Open your eyes and look into the effects of the mortal world.'

And he did. And he saw Higelot's point.

With no retribution or an eye for an eye. With no Hell to serve as a reflection for morality. With sinners incinerated into limbo and sins obliterated. Man no longer feared repercussion for their actions. It started out slowly, its concept seeping into mankind. They would no longer feel fear for their sins. Some started robbing and indulging in selfishness and pleasure even if their actions could harm others. The world was shifting into a scale of no return. Without Hell, people stop believing in getting saved. Without Hell, people stop believing in God.

'Higelot is right. The mortal world is decaying by the minutes as the Fire Monster continues to burn sinners in Hell.' Oriares strutting into the Divinity Courts in golden armor and helm. Her Cherubim wings of six wavered gracefully behind her.

'Oriares.' Balthial asked, 'Why are you in your battle plays?'

'Balthial, of Thrones, protege of Archangel Gabriel.' Began Oriaries, of Cherubim, 'I hereby relieve you of your charge to The Silver City. I'm bringing the battalion to Hell.'

'Oriaries, of Cherubim.' Ziquiel asked, 'Didn't you just concur with that Hell is not for taking?'

'I'm going to shut down the mortal world for a while. Suspend them in motion until this crisis is over.' Said Oriaries firmly. 'I'm not going to Hell to invade. I'm going to rescue our kinsman. Comrade Vvael is down there.'

Balthial smiled, 'Oriaries, though you are of Cherubim and I the Thrones. But Gabriel's words are as good as the Lord's. You are not bringing heaven into hell.'

Oriaries pulled out her sword and threw it to the ground where Balthial stood. 'I anticipated that. You are not worthy of the archangel's mark. May my sword protect you until Father returns. For without his presence, you would soon find the ceiling of The Silver City hitting onto the gravel of Hell. I'm bringing the Cherubims with me.'

Oriaries spread her magnificent wings and flew away. Higelot gave Balthial a shake of his head and followed Oriaries' direction with a step of his flight.


The Mortal World - 1849

And the world stopped in 1849.

Hang in total suspension.

Not a stir of echo, a heartbeat or even a lift of an atom.

The world just stopped with its creatures and nature stuffed on their paths inanimately like the works of a cozy dollhouse.

Everything paused.

Unaware that they were caught in the greatest war between heaven and hell.



To be continued...