CHAPTER ONE
At the edge of our universe is a void. There are no planets, stars, comets, meteors
or even dust – at least, not more than a few scattered grains accelerated in
one direction or another by dark energy.
Otherwise, it is a great nothingness.
And far beyond this void at the edge of our universe are
other universes, separated from us only by the vast distance, so great that by
the time we could possibly become aware of their existence, by the time the
light from them has reached us from their very beginnings, our universe will
have ceased to exist and our suns no more than glowing embers or black holes.
Of course, with an infinite number of possibilities on
perhaps an infinite number of worlds, there are inevitably other beings. Unsurprisingly then, somewhere there are
remarkable similarities to our own world, and somewhere there are remarkable
similarities to some of our myths and legends.
Perhaps, for us, our myths and legends are from partially lost memories
of actual events on our world; perhaps they are from a world around us in our
own universe that we cannot see or feel, or perhaps we have some connection to
life in other universes and it is events and beings on their worlds that
sometimes intrude into our dreams and imaginations. And perhaps we will never know for sure.
That said, as we travel through the medium of fiction
towards and then into a distant universe, we find gods, both good and evil, and
Creators who are the ultimate force on these worlds, who make the ultimate
decisions and yet who are sometimes reluctant to take a hand in the battles
between good and evil. In this distant
universe, there is a warrior they call Enforcer, much as the Creators on Earth,
in the dimensions usually hidden from human senses, have their Last Warrior,
who is not of them yet still part of them.
It is said that the Enforcer, like Warrior, was selected after drifting
into the Mists of Time and meeting his own Creators.
* * *
* *
“My Lords, it is as bad, if not worse, than you could ever
have imagined. There is not one smidgen
of goodness to be found on the surface.
Even the newborn are filled with the evil, passed down to them by their
parents, and that evil surfaces long before they come of age. Even the priests are evil and greedy. They steal and they cheat their own just to
survive. Their gods let them down by not
calling on the Creators for help. I
searched the surface to find, perhaps, just one redeemable mortal, and yet I
found none. My disappointment is
absolute, my Lords, but I did not visit the gods for fear of showing favour, my
Lords. I cannot answer any questions to
which they do not already know the answer.
Was I wrong, my Lord?”
“Your actions were correct, Enforcer. Go about your business, and our blessings are
with you.”
As Enforcer travelled through the Mists of Time, he sensed
that a great evil had abruptly been removed from the universe, and he knew that
the Creators had given their verdict and executed the ultimate punishment.
* * *
* *
“You are troubled, Warrior.
Is there a reason?”
“My Lords, I sense an evil approaching. This evil is unlike any I have ever sensed
before, and I feel that it is alien to our universe.”
“We also sense this evil, and we too feel that it is alien
to this universe. It is powerful, and we
think it would be wise to find its origin and evaluate its power. Use your senses to take you to its source,
and our blessings go with you, Warrior.”
Warrior bowed, and faded into the Mists of Time.
* * *
* *
Even when using all the powers of perception allowed to him,
he still could not see anything. Warrior
knew that whatever the evil was, by the direction it was taking it was now on a
collision course with Earth. It had to
be some sort of entity, a being of sorts, but that it would be a waste of time
to chase it. His only option was to
return to Earth to wait for it to arrive.
He did, however, sense that whatever this evil was, it was losing
strength as it moved silently through space.
He hoped that by the time it reached Earth it would be less powerful.
Using the Mists of Time, Warrior appeared back on the
mountains, just outside the cave, to resume his vigil. He did not need to report to the Creators; he
knew they could see his thoughts and they would know he had found out nothing
new and so had returned. The evil would
take several days to reach the surface of Midgard, so whatever mayhem it
intended to create would not happen until then.
Warrior decided that it was time he went and informed the
gods. It was in their interests to know
what was happening.
“Valkyrie, we are going to meet with the gods in Asgard,” he
announced, and faded, reappearing almost instantly outside the Well of Urd
where he waited to be summoned by the gods.
Odin saw him first and beckoned him inside. “Enter, Warrior, and speak with the
gods. I sense you have something on your
mind.”
Warrior came to where Odin was standing beside a plinth, and
then he addressed the Council of Gods.
“I am once again the carrier of bad news. There is something evil travelling through
our universe, and it is now heading towards Midgard. I have been far out into the universe, near
to it, but as yet I have not seen it. It
is invisible to the naked eye, yet I can sense that it is real and it is a
threat to us. I do not know where it has
come from or what it will do. I only
know that it is a powerful evil and it appears to be moving towards us with a
sense of purpose. It is not from our
universe.”
Lord Forsetti stood up.
“I suppose it is far more evil than the last evil that was here?”
Several gods laughed.
Warrior took no notice of the offensive remark. He had expected it.
“Well? Are you not
going to answer me, Warrior?”
“Sorry, my Lord. I
had no idea that you intended that as a genuine question. I thought you were having a joke with the
other gods.”
Lord Forsetti looked as though he was about to explode with
rage. “How dare you make a joke at my
expense. I demand an apology.”
“My Lord, the gods did not laugh at my remark, but they were
laughing at yours. I naturally assumed
that it was a joke between them and you.
You should also note that I will not apologise for informing you of the
facts, and that is what I have done.
Those are the facts as the Creators and I see them. I tire of being ridiculed every time I enter
the Well of Urd to inform you of impending danger, and it is always you or one
of the other key gods who seems to take a great deal of pleasure in doing
it. Is it, perhaps, some sort of
competition between you to see who can come up with the most effective ridicule
for whatever I say? You continually
disrespect me, my Lords, for no reason that I can see other than to amuse
yourselves. It seems I have no alternative
other than to leave it to my Creators to inform you of Midgard’s fate. I shall not waste my time standing here to
become the focus of your scorn and the source of your amusement.”
Warrior faded back into the Mists of Time, and he was joined
by the Creators.
Warrior bowed, and asked, “Why do the gods continually
ridicule me? Have I done something wrong
that they must treat me less than a serf?”
“We know of your direction, Warrior, and go with the
Creators blessing. All of the Creators
are aware of this childish friction, and we are going to nip it in the bud.”
As Warrior and the Creators were speaking to each other in
the Mists of Time, no time passed, so to the gods the appearance of the
Creators at the Well of Urd happened the moment that Warrior left. Before any of the gods had a chance to speak,
the Creators said, “Lord Forsetti, we are now informing you personally that
there is an evil heading towards Midgard and its source is unknown. We the Creators believe this evil to be more
powerful than Midgard has felt before.”
They said no more, and the silence felt as though it could be cut with a
knife. “Well? We are waiting, Lord Forsetti.”
“For what, my Lords?”
“We are waiting for your joke. We know you like to share your humour with
other gods that think it good to laugh at your remarks. We are also waiting for you and those same
gods to show us the disrespect that you showed our envoy. After all this time, gods of Asgard, you
still have not realised that Warrior speaks for us and will not lie to make you
feel safer. I know which of gods laughed
at your comments. You, and they, are now
on probation. The path you are treading
is the same path taken when the child of the gods was in front of you. Do you wish to have another lesson in respect? You have been officially warned, and there
will be no more disrespect of the Creators’ envoy. Warrior tells you what the Creators wish him
tell you in times of duress. I will
leave you, Lord Odin, to bring your Council of Gods into line. Our blessings are with you.”
The Creators faded into the Mists of Time.
Lord Forsetti sat down with his face in his hands.
Lord Odin gazed at him for a few minutes. “My Lord Forsetti, and all you other gods
that think it is funny to ridicule and disrespect Warrior, you have all heard
the word of the Creators and you know the likely consequences. I will not delve any further into this mess,
except to say that whatever you suffer is of your own making, but you will not
be allowed to drag the other gods down with you. I also think it fair to assume that once
Warrior gains knowledge of this evil he will be back to inform us. I believe that right now we ought to step up
our guard and secure the Realm, at least until we know what exactly is
threatening us and where it is coming from.”
* * *
* *
“Valkyrie, we must go onto the mountains. I have a meeting, and I must not be late.”
The mountains were only a short distance away, and they rode
like the wind. At the bottom of the
mountains, just inside the foothills, Warrior slowed his horse to a walk and
then stopped and dismounted by an overhanging piece of rock.
“Wait here, Valkyrie.
This will take a short while.” As
he spoke, there was a sudden displacement of the air in from of him, and
Warrior walked forward into a shimmering bubble. The bubble disappeared, just as the Valkyrie
expected it to. They had seen this
phenomenon several times before.
Warrior walked to the light at the end of the darkness and
then stepped into a large open space, around which were walls lined with
books. To the young woman sitting at the
table, he said, “Greetings, Oracle, and I wish the blessing of the Creators be
with you.”
“Greetings to you also, Warrior. We meet once more in trying times. If you will be seated, I will relate to you
the missing Pages of Time.” She waited
until Warrior was seated, and then she closed her eyes and spoke:
“There is an evil force coming towards Midgard, as you
know. You also know that as it travels
through the universe it is decreasing in power.
It will still be strong when it reaches the mountains, and then it will
sink to the depths of the Underworld.
However, this is not important.
The evil will be absorbed into the evil gods, never to surface again.
“The danger comes not from the evil that penetrates the
ground. There is no danger from that,
but the essence it leaves on the surface is the essence of evil. It is not as powerful as the Creator that you
are part of, but all the same it is powerful.
It is the essence of millions of evil souls that perished on another
world. This world was far beyond the
edges of the known cosmos, but the essence will search for a lonely soul
already powerful with evil and on the surface.
It will cling like a magnet until it too loses its strength. How long this will take is not written; it
can only be measured by the world it left.
My best estimate is that each quarter of the essence of evil will be
absorbed every six weeks, but I cannot be certain. The evil essence will touch many and you must
fight many, but only the already strong and evil that it touches will be
endowed with its power.
“If you follow the line of Jupiter and Mars in our Solar
System, past the outer limits of the universe into and into the open space
beyond, there is a green planet totally void of life. It is the safety marker for this universe and
the one beyond. Go to that planet and
wait, but under no circumstances must you go any further. You will be met by Creators of the next
universe, and they will decide how long you must wait before they see you.
“Your own Creators know of your journey and give you their
blessing. You must not take your
Valkyrie with you. The sisters know of
the evil ones that you must destroy, but until these evil ones are tainted with
the essence, the sisters are as blind as you.
That is all I can tell you, Warrior.
If there is anything more that is relevant to your task, then I will be
in contact. Good hunting, Warrior. I pray that your Creators stay at your side.”
“Thank you, Oracle, and may your Creators guide you.” Warrior turned and walked towards the light.
Once out of the haze and into the warmth of the sun, he told
the Valkyrie, “You must go back to Asgard, as I have to go alone on the
Creators business.” They did not complain
or argued. Warrior’s word was as good as
a command from the Creators, and their loyalty to him was absolute.
Once the Valkyrie had faded, Warrior did the same and
appearing on the planet that the Oracle had described. There seemed to be no sun or moon, but there
was light all around him. He dismounted,
and walked over to a rock and sat down, knowing that this meeting might well be
more important than any other. He sat for
what felt like an age, probably two full days by the time of Midgard. All at once he stood up, alert without
knowing the reason for doing so? But feeling a presence close by without it
appearing to any of his usual senses, and not knowing how he could feel it.
In front of him, twelve Creators appeared. Warrior bowed his head, and then lifted it to
look at them. He said nothing.
“Warrior, you have travelled a long way with questions for
us. We read of your coming in the Pages
of Time and we know your questions. What
we do not understand is why the answers are relevant to you and to your
universe.”
“My Lords, a cloud of evil has descended onto one of the
worlds in my universe. The evil is not
the problem, as it will be soaked up by the evil Underworld gods, never to be
seen again. The problem is the essence
that it leaves behind. We estimate its
power to be close to that of the Creators I serve. This evil has travelled from your universe,
and it comes from a world several million light years from my own world. I have to know the strength of the world that
produced this evil, so that I might know its strength and what I will need to
fight it, my Lords.”
“We know of the world, Warrior, and we fear you have a hard
task ahead. This is a whole world of
evil you face, complete and without exception.
The essence of evil cannot be destroyed, yet you may destroy those that
gain and use its power. The essence
will, in time, weaken and fade away, but you must not become complacent. That is all we can tell you, so go and take
charge of your destiny. The blessings of
the Creators go with you.”
Warrior bowed, and the Creators faded into the Mists of
Time. Warrior took one last look at the
vast void separating his universe from the next, and then he faded to return to
his universe and his Creators. As he
travelled through the Mists of Time, he considered the immense power of the
Creators and the power they had placed under his control to do their will. He shuddered, momentarily overawed by his
responsibilities.
Warrior reappeared in the cave with the tigers, and as he
did so the Valkyrie appeared behind him.
He was thinking about what the Creators from the other universe told
him, and considered the power that would have been contained on a planet that
was totally evil. If unleashed, such
power could create havoc, and he wondered for a moment if even the powers of
all the Creators, let alone the power they had bestowed on him, would be able
to contain it.
He stood for a while as though listening, and sensed that
the evil had arrived and the essence was, even now, finding one or more hosts
to start propagating its wickedness.
Straining his senses, he tried to establish how many hosts the essence
had touched, how powerful each would be and what form that power would take. He was unable to feel any of it. The evil was the aggregate of a whole world
of evil, a force that might be impossible to destroy, yet its power had
diminished over its long journey and he was far from certain how much of the
power the essence would be able to pass on to its new hosts.
Warrior knew that the essence itself could not be
destroyed. The host or hosts could, and
yet any hosts the essence found would already have evil of their own. Indeed, it was their existing evil that
enabled the essence to latch onto them, clinging as fiercely as two magnets
pulling towards each other and making an unbreakable bond.
This might be a long battle, and the forces of the enemy
remained unknown. Worse, for Warrior,
without knowing what shape and form the evil would take and what tactics it
might use. Warrior had no idea what evil
thoughts and ideas the essence might have brought with it.
He looked out into the falling snow as if looking for
guidance. He felt that his thoughts and
questions might be answered when the Creators appeared.
“Warrior, we read and understand your thoughts, but at this
moment you can do nothing but wait. We
the Creators know, as you know, that the evil has been swallowed into the
interior, leaving only the essence of evil to roam. We also know that this essence, although
strong, is not as strong as the Creators you serve. This means that once again you are more
powerful and that it can be defeated. As
before, the entire Council of Creators is there beside you if you should need
help or guidance. We will always be but
a thought away.”
“My Lords, by calling you away from your tasks so often,
does this not hinder your work? I always
sense that I am pulling you away from your important tasks of overseeing the
universe.”
“Warrior, stopping to converse with our most obedient
servant whose job is to police the universe is very much part of our work. We have told you on many occasions that you
are an extension of the Creators that guide you. Where we go, so too do you, and in your
battles against the evil we will always be at your side. This unity of great forces cannot be matched
by anything in this universe. Never feel
that when you need guidance or just want to hold counsel we will be annoyed,
because that moment will never arise.
Trust your instincts because they will never let you down. You have extreme powers and you use them
well. You have never let the Creators
down and your character is without blemish.
As the evil powers become strong, so too will yours, because you have
the capacity to wield the power of the Creators, and they will never leave you
wanting. We will depart now, Warrior,
and before we leave we are pleased to be able to tell you that Lord Odin has
his Council of Gods back in line. Once
again they too are there for you to converse with, and we give you our
blessings.”
“Thank you, my Lords.
Your words have not fallen on deaf ears.” Warrior bowed as the Creators faded.
Once the Creators had left, Warrior and the Valkyrie faded
and reappeared in Asgard. Warrior was
seated in the great hall in his own seat, and his eyes closed and he fell into
sleep. This was the first time ever that
he had slept in Asgard. He knew that he
was potentially vulnerable while he was asleep, but Gunn and Geirahod were on
the alert, while Hild went to report to the gods.
At the Well of Urd, Odin beckoned her to enter and she
informed him of everything that had happened.
“Where is Warrior now?” Odin asked?
“He is asleep in the great hall, my Lord. Gunn and Geirahod are at his side for his
protection.”
Odin dismissed Hild, and he looked to the gods, asking,
“Your comments, please.”
Thor stood up and addressed the gods. “Warrior has great knowledge of the evil
about to strike, yet he sees fit to go to the great hall and sleep. Does he not think? The wise thing to do would be to announce his
presence in Asgard to his gods. I have
heard what the Valkyrie has told the gods, and so we know what the Creators
told Warrior. I can only say that I
think that he again considers himself better than us. He is getting above his station.”
“My Lord, you seem to forget that Warrior is an envoy to the
Creators. He is also an extension of
them, and where he walks so too do they.
Warrior has had very little sleep, and I know that his sleep is
frequently disturbed by the weight of information his mind has to absorb, hold
and process, and in a potential crisis like this, that information increases
hour by hour. I would advise, my Lord
Thor, to think on what the Creators spoke about when they were last here.”
“Warrior announced his presence by allowing, and yes, I do
mean allowing, a Valkyrie to come here.
I believe that when Warrior comes here to the Well he will personally
tell us everything that the gods need to know and not what they think they
should know. If there were an immediate
threat to the Realms and Midgard, I believe that Warrior would not be where he
is now, as he would never leave his beloved Midgard wanting. We the gods must allow him a little rest when
he needs it. Also, we must remember that
over a hundred year has passed since Warrior was made immortal by the Creators
and arrived in Asgard. He has been
fighting the evil for all that time, and watching over the universe constantly,
even when there was no threat and nothing to fight.”
The Goddess Jord sat down, and Odin said, “Well said, my
Lady. We have no need to give Warrior
more stress than he already has in doing his job.”
* * *
* *
Nicolai could feel the cold biting into his chest as he
breathed it into his lungs. It was hard
to breathe up here because the air was so thin.
He could hear the sound of the men’s gasping voices not far behind him,
and knew they would chase him until he dropped.
He turned to face them, drew his sword and dropped onto one knee. He shouted above the noise of the howling
wind: “My Lord Odin, it is I, Nicolai Kandinsky. Behind me I see the freezing cold and the
hunger that will be followed by a slow death.
In front I see the charging white army who are allowing me no rest. I respect the power of both but I fear
neither. I ask of you and the gods of battle
to look down on me and give me your blessing, although I know that your hands
are tied and to change the Pages of Time would be reckless.
“To my own goddess, the Goddess Jord, I am sorry, my Lady,
that once again I will turn the white snow red with the blood of others. These are your mountains and your land to
look after. As long as I live, I will
fight for the right for beings to roam free here. I know too, my Lady, that you will be keeping
vigil over my battles this day. If I
die, I will die the death of a warrior, so that I may serve the gods in
Valhalla.”
The white guard were as tired as he was, and the first one
that came at him was dispatched with a clinical stroke of Nicolai’s sword. These were but poor peasants, and they had no
idea how to fight with the sword. They
had rifles, but their firing mechanisms had frozen and failed long ago in the
damp and cold. They had bayonets on
their rifles, and some presented these before them as they charged at him,
stepping over the headless body as it rolled towards them. Two came at once. Nicolai avoided the first thrust and took
hold of the rifle of the man to his left, pulling him past and throwing him to
the ground. As the white guard on
Nicolai’s right pulled his rifle back to stab again, Nicolai thrust his sword
deep into the man’s chest.
As if in slow motion, the man fell backwards, freeing
Nicolai’s sword. He turned sharply
before the man on the ground could react, and he thrust his sword through that
man’s chest as well, before turning to face the other oncoming soldiers of the
white guard. None were close enough to
pose an immediate threat to him. He
could see two more, further down the mountain, but after seeing their friends
die at his hands they seemed reluctant to move forward. One shouted out, “Freeze to death, you red
scum. We will be waiting for you down
below.”
As the two men turned and walked away, Nicolai fell on his
knees, exhausted but alive, although he felt that his life was ebbing
away. He was hungry and tired, and he
knew that if he sat down now he would never get up again. The cold and fatigue would take over, and
then he would die of exposure.
Nicolai pointed his sword to the sky. “My Lady, once again I have defaced your
blanket of white, but I am still alive to fight. My Lord Odin, I thank you and the gods of
battle and war for giving me your blessings.
I am tired and weak, and I must find shelter, so until we talk again I
salute you.”
Nicolai turned and walked forward to find shelter. The snow was falling heavily, but the wind
had stopped and it did not feel so cold.
He picked up his fur gloves and put them over the top of the leather
ones he wore for the fight. With his fur
coat and fur hat, he looked like a brown bear from the back. It was pointless walking back down the
mountain, as he knew the other two groups of white guard would be waiting. He had to move forward to find a cave or some
sort of shelter. If he could rest and
gain strength, then he had a chance. It
was his only hope of survival, but without nourishment as well, he would still
not last long.
How long he walked he had no idea, but eventually he saw a
small hole no bigger than a metre high.
Perhaps this would be what he so desperately needed, and he slipped
easily through the entrance. Inside was
a little bigger; three metres by three, and Nicolai stumbled to the back
wall. He pulled out his pistol, checked
its movement, and found it to be working, and then he lay down with his back to
the wall of the cave, feeling the warmth slowly return to his body.
He fell asleep, although he had no idea how long he had been
asleep when he was woken by a gust of warm air on his face. He feared the worst, and opened his eyes to
find he was right to fear it. Two huge
eyes were fixed on him from no more than a metre away and he could see the
thick, furry head of a Siberian tiger.
The large cat stepped back as Nicolai pointed his pistol at the beast,
and he could also see in the failing light that the tiger was heavy with cubs
inside her. They stared at each other
for several, and then Nicolai lowered the pistol and said out loud, “You have
as much right to live as I do.”
The big cat came towards him again, and Nicolai closed his
eyes and waited for the worst to happen.
To his surprise, she simply lay down in front of him and closed her
eyes.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-Fallen-Angel-Ian-Johnstone-ebook/dp/B00PO1HYP4/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417187923&sr=1-6&keywords=ian+johnstone
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-Fallen-Angel-Ian-Johnstone-ebook/dp/B00PO1HYP4/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417187923&sr=1-6&keywords=ian+johnstone
No comments:
Post a Comment