“But how? How did this happen? How is this possible?” she asked, desperate for answers and clarification.
Brigid spoke again with great certainty and age. “The world exists in its own right, born from the darkness of Chaos. All worlds are born from Chaos. Each planet has its own spirit or life essence. This is what allows life to flourish and for the planet itself to live. But not all planets have this essence.
The other children of Chaos are the Primordial Gods, Gods of incredible power beyond either your or my understanding. They are born from and return to Chaos or the Lifestream, we were never quite sure which. Or if they are different perspectives of the same entity.
These Primordial Gods allowed life to develop to a point that sentient beings evolved. They had many offspring, many of the Gods that formed the first of their pantheons. Many of which had survived until the War. The mortal’s beliefs strengthened the younger Gods while many of the Primordial Gods returned to Chaos. The younger Gods flourished and multiplied as they became altered by mortal belief. They grew strong, they grew weak, ages turned, and new Gods rose as old ones fell. Mother Goddesses returned to the Lifestream and were reborn stronger. This happened time and time again as mortals started to build their empires and as their empires flourished. Right up until the War.
As beliefs became longer-lasting, Gods grew ever stronger, but they also grew greedy. Their civilisations flourished and grew, conquering weaker nations and absorbing their strength. The Gods continued to breed with each other and also their subjects, birthing Demigods of great power. An age of great magic existed which allowed for magical races to flourish and diversify. One of these magical races was the Angels. They are mostly descended from the bastards of Sky Gods, Zeus, in particular, is responsible for about half the Angel bloodlines.
There was a balance between Man, God, and Demons, you could say. Terrifying Monsters and beautiful Angels roamed the Earth providing equilibrium, essential for nature. But everything changes and the Angels grew very powerful while we in our arrogance of our own power never noticed. We paid no attention to the work of Angels, after all, they were our servants. We rarely entered Eden nor made any demands to see inside their domains. We were busy with our own power struggles, our empires swallowing others whole. This was the time that the Roman Empire was swallowing most of Europe as well as parts of Africa and the Middle East. In the East, the Han Dynasty was swallowing up the Orient. We were very preoccupied with the major world events, and particularly the efforts of many ousted Gods to re-establish themselves.
We never thought for a moment that the Angels would enter our power struggles, let alone imagine they could even have a chance at winning. We were so sure of our absolute power over the world, so arrogant in our assumptions. Perhaps it is our own failings that allowed the Angels to succeed.
As it was, the Angels started breeding and training Humans to their will. It is remarkable the patience that the Angels showed in breeding a Human line from their Nephilim offspring. These Humans had never felt our presence, so to them, the Angels really were the voice of God. They had no idea that their God was a collection of their Arch Angels. These Humans were eventually released into the Cradle and from there they spread, developed and were enslaved. The Egyptians particularly swallowed up their numbers in droves. We all laughed at these strange Humans with their quaint new beliefs about an unknown God. We thought one of our own was having a joke.
Oh, how we laughed.” Brigid shook her head bitterly.
“We really should have paid more attention after Moses, but we wrote him off as a particularly powerful sorcerer with a flair for theatrics. Soon enough the Roman Empire swallowed up their numbers, but they had diversified. Splintering into different religions and sects, they spread and grew. The first time we realised there was a problem was when Jesus walked the Earth, he was no mortal Sorcerer. They were so sure that his death would solve this little problem, but they didn’t realise that it was a spark that would ignite to bring down Heaven. Mohammed caused alarm once again but by then we realised there was a problem.
Islam had spread across the Cradle, the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, and the scattered Jews clung desperately to their beliefs despite their continual persecution.
From there it was a downwards spiral. Islam spread to Africa and into India, Europe was swallowed whole by the Church even after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The spread of their religions removed the power of many of the Gods as the War started to take its toll. On the outer edges of what had been the Roman Empire, Gods and Goddesses were weeded out and captured. Many Gods escaped, especially those who lived in the Underworld. Some started afresh with other races, only to be hunted down later. Monsters and Divine beings started to decline, many species hunted to extinction. But many races were not eradicated despite the Angels’ best efforts.
Sects of Pagans still existed throughout Europe, and they had the problem of their own people fighting each other. The Crusades started, and we laughed from our prisons, excited for their power to come collapsing down. Instead, it only strengthened their power, people fought and died for their beliefs, which only grew stronger. Once Europe started conquering the world, we realised there was no hope. Christianity ruled Europe completely and had spread to the Americas, Africa, Australia and its Pacific brethren. Islam had spread from the Cradle to most of Africa as well as forming battle lines in Pakistan, where it battled with the Hindu power base. It even reached as far as Indonesia. To this day the only Gods left fighting are the Hindu Gods, their power base the only one strong enough to withstand the incursions of Islam and Christianity.”
She laughed wearily, “But the Angels had not seen the flaw in their plans, for how could anyone have predicted that Humans would have lost their faith. With the loss of magic, miracles ceased, with the eradication of Monsters they stopped fearing, the world became theirs to control. Brilliant Humans started a revolution that is scouring away the Angels’ power base. Science is Humanity helping itself and seizing control of its own future. Despite the Angels’ attempts to stop and control it, science continues to evade religious control. Humans now live longer, healthier, and happier lives, due entirely to their own merit, something the Angels’ religions do not offer.
While the Angels are still converting the heathens at the edges of their powers and still struggling to wrestle some semblance of control in India, their ancient strongholds are crumbling. Science grows ever stronger in the modern world, and more and more Humans are rebelling against the Angels’ decrees. They don’t want to think about sin or the constraints it sets on their lives. In part it may be the mixing of the bloodlines, diluting the absolute control the Angels enjoyed, that makes them remember their true nature. It is probably more due to them finding scientific evidence about their true natures. They want to live their own way.”
Brigid smiled cruelly. “This may be the deathblow for Gods and Demons alike. Even the Angels cannot escape this new turn of events. It is too far gone even for them. They are making various attempts, from migration to war, but it will not work. More is lost to science than gained from it.”
Sariel stood up, saying nothing. She was too stunned, now she understood what Patrick had meant by there being no going back. Her mind had been blown, stretched forever beyond being able to resume her old existence. But it explained so much.
No wonder Gabriel and Michael were so desperate for a child, no wonder she was considered valuable despite being powerless. They had won the War, with a few exceptions, but now they were facing a new battle that they were losing. The Gods that were not dead were experiencing continual revivals as Paganism came back in vogue. Science as a whole was the dominant mindset of Humanity, despite what beliefs they had. The Modern World and the future belonged to Humanity.
The Angels wouldn’t die, not entirely, but in time, they could end up like the Gods, clinging to the edges of society. Believed only as myth or by the devout few. They might win Humanity back, but she doubted it. Something huge would have to occur for Humanity to start believing in magic again. And it would have to be very widespread as well otherwise, the Science Mind would discredit the evidence.
It was strange to think that Humans were unknowingly throwing off the yoke of their masters, the same masters that had overthrown their own masters.
Patrick gently led her out of the room, away from Brigid’s paralysing stare. She was magic incarnate from the way she pinned you with those glowing eyes, to the compulsion on her voice. But Sariel knew that every word Brigid had spoken had been true, there had been passion and resignation when she spoke. There was a sorrow in her eyes when she had spoken of the old times, fond memories temporarily easing the pain.
She didn’t see the vicious and triumphant smile Brigid flashed at Patrick or the nod he gave in return as he escorted her out. Things had been set in motion, but it was yet to be seen what would occur.
As for Sariel, she returned to the Archives and Main Library, dusting away in a haze. For weeks she was absent-minded, turning over and over everything she had been told. All of Gabriel’s cronies reported that she was efficient as ever in her continual cleaning of the library but was very distracted. She had initially been cheerful and chatty but was now withdrawn and vague.
Patrick and Mary were concerned for her, as too were Gabriel and Michael finally. They were worried about her change in behaviour, for different reasons.
Sariel might have seemed absentminded to everyone else, but her mind was ablaze with hunger and passion. She was throwing herself into her research, unbeknownst to everyone. Sariel was smuggling in and out journals, scrolls, and tablets. She poured through journals of Angels, Nymphs, and Gods, devouring their tales and histories. Trying to piece together a semblance of the truth.
She was shocked at the decadence and debauchery that had existed before the Angels; orgies, experiments, switching lovers, genocide, political intrigue, the list went on and on. The Gods had been so sure of their own power, demanding every little whim and expecting it to be met. Lovers in their bed, cities to be razed, empires to be destroyed, curses on those who had slighted them. Everything was a game to them, with no real consequences.
The Angels initially seemed like a better alternative, they did not condone the lifestyle of the Gods. And yet many happily did. Many Angels had seduced hapless mortals, bringing about more of their numbers and also countless Nephilim. It had gotten to the point that the Arch Angels had banned relations between Angels and mortals to deal with the uncontrollable Nephilim.
The edited histories she read were flowery and full of holes. There were gaps that didn’t add up, gaps that were filled in by either journals or Brigid. The Goddess was quickly becoming her most valuable resource about the Angels and Gods.
Her knowledge of before the War dazzled Sariel with how the world had been, but also her complete acceptance of how the Gods had lived.
Brigid was bitter and angry, but she was resigned to her imprisonment. She seemed to enjoy Sariel’s company, which may have only been because she could relive the past she missed so much. But either way, Sariel found her utterly fascinating. She had lived before the War, had been captured and drained over and over for her powers to empower the Arch Angels. She had seen the world she had known disappear and been transformed into the enemy she hated. She had tales of all mortals and their transition from cave dwellers into empire builders. Her knowledge of the world after her capture was much less accurate, her understanding pieced together from arrogant Angels drivelling their tales.
There were many gaps in the journals, someone at least had made some attempt to cull them. Though she had found many a secret nook and cranny containing the most startling journal. She read about experiments and breeding programs, of Gods living mortal lives to escape the endless intrigue of Heaven.
She also read about the change in the Angels after Gabriel and Michael had come to power. The slaughter of traitors, as well as the eradication of any undesirables. Which had then extended to mortals- the Angels had hunted many species to extinction, forced many races into hiding, culled off Humanity’s magical abilities and tried to eradicate its more promiscuous behaviour and sexualities.
She had hoped initially to try and adjust the Council’s perceptions, but now that seemed useless. In their eyes, she was just a girl who had never known about any of their atrocities.
But what was there for her to do? She had expectations from the other Arch Angels and the Council, and she felt sure that Brigid was grooming her to a certain mindset. She also felt sure that Patrick, Mary, and John were also grooming her to a certain mindset. Sariel desperately wanted to talk to someone about it all, but she had no one. She never got to visit the Citadel to make friends, and there was no one else anywhere near her own age in the Palace. She was as alone and friendless as she had been for all her life.
Would it ever change?
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