Genesis End

By Spinning Demon (Topman) and Gauntlet (Shadowman)

Chapter Seven - The Burning of New Eden

We were seemingly no closer to finding what we were looking for after a good two hours of wandering the cavern's maze-like interior. Gemini was leading, and though he weaved his way through the paths carefully and with purpose, his trail was like that of a drunk. He would often walk the longer route around a precipice, or take great lengths to avoid unassuming stones or steps. Still, our resident ninja echoed Gemini's movements as if he were the former's shadow, so I could only assume it was important to follow suit, though I did so much less successfully. For the first time in a long time I'd had to retract my wheels, and I was both unbalanced and slow-going as I staggered over rocks clumsily and slipped into the icy grip of countless puddles. Besides being incredibly uncomfortable, I was made more miserable by the realization of just how vulnerable I was to enemy attacks, without level ground, open space or speed at my advantage.

"Couldn't we have just teleported here?" I grumbled. We were deep into the caves by now, but despite Gem's frequent detours our path had been consistent, and I had no doubt he knew where he was headed. It stood to reason we could have spared ourselves, and myself especially, a lot of grief by bypassing our fun hike through the cave entirely.

"No, we couldn't," was all Shadow offered in reply, making no effort to elaborate. A few seconds of silence later, Gemini procured a more enlightening response.

"There are strong magicks of expulsion and prohibition here," he explained in an off-hand manner as he continued forward, waving his hand in front of two tunnel entrances before choosing the one on the right. "It is by the sheer force of my will alone that we were even able to walk in. Teleportation could not have breached the inside of the cavern. Besides, I was not certain the threshold would still be in the same spot. It's curious, I had expected him to have moved it by now."

"Well who is 'he'?!" I griped. The worst part about this whole excursion so far was that nobody was telling me anything, perhaps in case Mesmerman used the information to plot an ambush. All Shadow had gone as far as to say was that we were going to consult an expert of demons and mystics about the murders.

"His name is Ha'Khael," Gemini explained. "Or at least he has given himself that name. Any other he once held would be long forgotten by now, with the rest of the Blessèd Childryn he was borne from. I assume you've never heard of them?"

I shook my head. Whether he could tell I had done so even with his back turned to me, or whether he was simply confident I wouldn't have ever heard of them, he continued.

"Several centuries ago, when magicks were more openly practiced, spells were much like heritage, a legacy passed down among kin much like wealth was. There was one particular clan that possessed a rare ability they called the Healing Hand- white mages, as we would call them now... perhaps even the very first. They were an especially religious family, even for the time. They saw their gift of magic as a calling from God to do his work on the mortal plane, and they traveled from town to town lending their powers and aid to the sick and injured wherever it was needed.

But somewhere along their travels, a new discovery was made by the clan. They learned that, in more concentrated energies, their magicks could not only restore the injured or diseased body to health, but could even revitalize cells that were affected by age and use- in other words, regress the aging process. By rationing the limit of their powers into a daily ritual, they could forestall natural death indefinitely, and become immortal. To the elders of the clan, this was seen as heresy; not only did it defy God's plan of the cycle of death and life, but it was a selfish use of a power that should be shared with those whose need was greater, more immediate. But the younger mages grew defiant, and broke from the clan to form their own sect, which they called the Blessèd Childryn. Their doctrine was that God had blessed them with their gifts and their new enlightenment so that they might create a New Eden where Time would hold no sway, and they might stay forever young. Presumably they went into isolation at this point, because no news came of the Blessèd Childryn, or their New Eden, until their demise."

"I thought you said their ritual made them immortal," I interjected.

"In a fashion," Gemini corrected. "But while age and disease were no threat to them, they were still vulnerable to attack. I expect this is why they hid from the world- how many conquerors would hunt down this New Eden to usurp the secrets within? Only one being has ever come upon the Gates of New Eden, and here begins the story of Ha'Khael."

"He is a mischief demon," Gem explained, "though much more sophisticated than any I've encountered. Really, most mischief demons are pretty pathetic when left to their own devices, usually settling as the lackey of some higher Demon Lord. But Ha'Khael was different. His malice and his ambition are far greater than any I've encountered. Upon discovering the hidden utopia, Ha'Khael found an incomparable opportunity to wreak havoc. Hiding in the shadows he watched the Blessèd Childryn, and waited, and whispered dark thoughts into their ears. Any sensible mage would have recognized the threat and dispelled him immediately, but the Blessèd Childryn were deranged by their own zeal. The truths he spoke to them, they believed to be prophetic, and he was believed to be a harbinger of God's Will. With every word he spoke, he wove his dark intent into them.

"Eventually, after what may have been lifetimes of subjection to his malice and his cunning, one of the Childryn fell to utter madness. Blinded by his dementia, he spilled the blood of his brethren and burned New Eden's gardens at little more than Ha'Khael's suggestion. When all were dead, the horror and shock of what he'd done snapped him back into reality, and in learning what he'd done, in his tortured and broken state, he renounced his faith in God, rewarding Ha'Khael with the ultimate prize. No demon may possess a body if overcome by the purity of a baptized soul, and no holy mage has ever renounced their faith before or after the coming of the Blessèd Childryn, so Ha'Khael has become the only demon who has ever had access to those magicks. He has used the Blessèd Childryn's ritual for centuries to preserve his agility and his strength, and the White Light that flows through his host makes exorcism impossible. He's the closest a demon of the lower plane has ever come to immortality."

Gemini seemed to have finished, and I couldn't help myself. I exploded with the question that had repeated itself in my head throughout his tale. "THIS is the guy we're consulting?! We're asking a sadistic, dangerous demon about clues to a murder? How can we trust what he says? How can we even trust that he won't kill us as soon as we knock on his door?!"

The reflective robot looked irritated by my skepticism, but went on. "Despite how evolved he is, he is still a mischief demon, and is thus bound by the laws that govern all of his breed: he cannot lie; he cannot kill; and when given the Summons he must return to the Gates of the Lower Plane to be sentenced to servitude, as payment for the privilege of walking the mortal plane. If he knows anything, he will not be able to hide it from us if pressed."

"Still, Top has a point," Shadow spoke up at last, having walked in characteristic silence until now. "He can't lie, but he wields truth just as dangerously. He can't kill, but he's led hundreds to death with his manipulations. Be wary at all times. I'd heard rumors of him reforming in recent years, but it could easily be a trap."

"I have heard the same rumors," Gemini nodded. "It would explain why he has not bothered to move the threshold to his domain, but I cannot understand why a demon would want to reform. Committing acts of corruption upon the mortal plane is the only way to stave off the summons, so unless he desires the punishments that await below, it perplexes me."

"Wait a second," I said as a memory dawned on me, "isn't this the guy you arrested a little while ago? When the Wily Rescue Force came back. Didn't he say something about 'vengeance being upon us' and run off?"

Gemini smirked. "Our first meeting didn't go very well. He had acquired a unique charm that rendered him blind to other supernatural forces, but it wound up being destroyed shortly after his capture. I gave chase, but couldn't catch him. I didn't stop looking, though, which is how I stumbled upon his domain. As to how that happened, it's a thrilling tale - "

"And this is our best lead?" I had to interrupt him. Give the guy a chance and he can talk your ears off about his 'thrilling tales'.

"This is our only lead." Shadow said.

Gemini stopped abruptly, and Shadow followed less than a second after. Lacking his ninja reflexes I almost knocked over both of them. "We have arrived," Gemini declared. He assumed a standing meditation, with his fingers pressed into the opposite palms. He slowly lifted his left hand, his index and middle finger pointing into the darkness before him. He began to pull his arm downwards, drawing a line in the air with his outstretched fingers. From their tips came a sudden glow which lit the cavern. Only now visible in the pale light, Gem's face was screwed into a look of intense effort, and he was straining himself much more than the steadiness of his hand seemed to convey.

As he shifted a little to balance himself, the spark of light hit the crystals of his Gemini armour, reflecting and refracting again and again until the walls and ceiling were all alight with hundreds of identical specks of light, blanketing the dark cave like a thousand tiny stars in a night sky. It was beautiful to look at, but as it continued to shine, my eyes started to hurt from the cold, harsh light. I wanted to rest my eyes in the peaceful darkness, but the lights still burned, imprinted on my mind even with my eyes closed. I felt very weary now, and I knew the only thing I could do to rest at last was snuff the life right out of the tiny lights. I reached my hand out to catch the little lights, but they were too many, and too distant.

The cavern turned dark again, and I felt very foolish all of a sudden, with my hand sticking out in the air, and me, not entirely sure why I'd felt compelled to do so. Gemini, looking much more burdened than when he'd started the spell, nevertheless straightened himself up proudly.

"Finished," he announced. "We can now cross the threshold into Ha'Khael's domain. Are you prepared?"

He asked the question openly, but it was obvious it was directed at me, I don't think Shadow had ever been unprepared for anything in his life. Approaching the line that Gem had traced in the air, I reminded myself of the warning Shadow Man had issued; be wary at all times.