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SHORTSTORY ONE
A ravaged city whose roads were obscured, and in some cases, blocked off from collapsed buildings slept soundlessly through the night. This city had collapsed months ago from a war that stretched across the entire continent- some have said it was a global war. The only thing that hindered the war escalation was starvation, and both sides being short on supplies. The food and weapon shortage was due, very simply, to the vastness of the war, for which this particular city was a microcosm. The pain experienced on all sides- extreme starvation and lack of supplies and shelter- eventually lessened the pain of opposition. One pain lessened another. Nobody knows the stimulus for such a war, as there have been more religious answers than scientific, more songs and poems than theories. Some have said God caused it, others have said God allowed it. And then, there were those few who said that they did it. Whatever the people’s speculations, they have remained such at least for the time being. The survivors’ top priority was not necessarily to know why the war happened, but how to live through it. They slept in buildings which were remnants of the war’s active hatred, dominated by soot and brokenness. They were lucky, however, to find a building that wasn’t completely leveled to the ground.
On the ground were pieces of blackened concrete, cruel fragments of steal beams and twisted rebar, and an occasional corpse which was just as black and marred as the structures. The Survivors also could not travel far, for a haze blotted out vision of more than three meters, thus compounding the possibility of getting lost. The haze also brought a stench that wreaked of sulphur and death, which etched away at their sanity.
However massive this war was, there was a few, a mere handful, who led the rest. One of these few was a sixteen year old boy by the name of Aurelan. His mother and father had both died when he was very young, which was twelve years before the war. His uncle took care of him in this city, though he died in his office from a suicide bomber during the war. Aurelan was struck with the deepest sadness and depression. At the time, he felt like his uncle was all he had left. But through the war he met three others, and that quickly became his family. Together, they would survive this beast.
They lived off the remaining food in supermarkets, who also brought food back to the other survivors. They felt it a calling to, if just for a few hours, sustain others‘ lives. Aurelan could not see another person die. It would be too much for him to take.
On one particular day, something quite different happened. Something that nobody had foreseen, something that broke all prior arrangements, plans, and objectives. It was something extraordinary.
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The early morning light illuminated the blanket of haze, making it a toxic green in color, and somehow making the stench of death worse. It was as if the heat put the death-blanket at liberty, spreading the smell. Aurelan put a bony hand over his head, blocking out the dimmed brightness. Him and his friends had gotten so used to things being dark that even the slightest bit of light hurt their eyes to look at. Aurelan rolled over away from the light with an irritated groan. Somebody stood up, a rustle of clothing, dust being brushed off. Aurelan cracked an eye. It was Toro, his tall gaunt figure looking like that of a ghost in the haze.
Aurelan laughed a little, and shading his eyes from the brightness, “ Early start?”
Toro jumped, “Heh…you scared me.” He turned, “ Yea…I..Im starving.”
“Me too brother.”
“Coming with?”
Aurelan groaned and rolled back on his back, “Yea, just give me a sec. Can you wake Stacy and Jim?”
“Yep, where did you see them last?”
Aurelan pointed up to a pile of rubble just a few feet behind him.
“Ok um, ill wake them.”
Aurelan laughed, “Not what your thinking man.”
Toro smiled, and as he disappeared in the haze climbing up the pile of rubble, said “Ok, if you say so.”
Aurelan was left seemingly alone, encapsulated by the green haze. He took hold of a large piece of concrete and hoisted himself from the ground, feeling groggy and weak from hunger. He had spent three months living like this. All around him, dust, haze, rotting corpses, broken buildings. The chaos of the war left nothing untouched. Aurelan wondered how much longer the four of them would be able to survive.
He then heard faint voices which the haze made into dull murmurs from its thickness. Not much later, the three of them returned, Toro leading them.
Aurelan addressed all three, “ Well, who’s hungry?”
Jim jumped out at (and nearly fell from exhaustion) Aurelan and exclaimed, “I am!”
“Stacy what about you?”
She gave a glum look
“That’s an answer enough…Toro, you ready?”
“yep.”
“Good, then lets go find ourselves breakfast. Also remember to take back enough to feed five other survivors. These people they’re just as starved as we are, if not more.”
They made their way down into the road, weaving in between the rubble and sharp metal objects. They would have set markers up to help guide them to and fro from the supermarket, but they were afraid they would be followed. They did not want another group to use the markers to take away the food that Aurelan and his friends found. They had to use piles of rubble and buildings as landmarks, an effective improvisation.
Nobody spoke as they walked through the toxic mist, and they stepped silently, so as to make as little noise as possible. They didn’t want to be tracked, or noticed. Once the other survivors found the location of the supermarket, its food would be gone in an hour, and the four would have to find another place to find food.
Approximately twenty minutes later, a dirty supermarket sign broke through the haze, and the contours of the building became recognizable.
“Step in silently” Whispered Aurelan
Stacy walked in first, followed by Toro, then Jim, and finally Aurelan, who looked around outside the door for any sign being watched.
The inside of the supermarket was filthy, covered in ash and dust, with a scent that was even worse than the haze outside. However, it was their only bet. Besides, the four were only after the bagged and canned goods, the ones sealed away from the elements. Jim found himself in the chip aisle of the supermarket, while Stacy and Aurelan checked the canned fruit. Aurelan wasn’t certain where Toro had gone but the last he saw him was next to the canned beans.
Aurelan grabbed a can of pineapple off the shelves and cleaned the dust from it with his shirt. He then walked over to a corner of the shelving unit and started banging the can against it. Toro walked next to him with a mouth full of beans, and said, “I think I’ve told you before…they have can openers for that”.
Stacy and Aurelan both laughed. “That you have. Do you have one on you?”
Toro grabbed another handful of beans before reaching into his pocket and saying, “Sure enough. Here you go pal.”
“Thanks”
Aurelan took the can opener, and pressed it into the aluminum and turned the crank until the lid separated from the rest with ease. Stacy walked up behind him with a can of fruit salad, “Can I see that after you?”
“Only if you remind me to use that next time instead of the corner of an aisle. “
Stacy laughed. Aurelan handed her the can opener, then heard footsteps coming from another aisle. Jim walked towards them all with three bags of chips in his hands.
Toro mumbled through a mouthful of beans, “You really intend to eat all of that?”
“You kidding me? Of course I will. Im starving.” Jim opened up a bag and dove in.
Aurelan suddenly heard a light thrumming noise from outside. At first he dismissed it as his own food depraved mind playing tricks on him, but as it got louder… he couldn’t ignore it.
He turned to the others, who were too busy talking and eating. “Guys do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”, Toro said, clearing his mouth of the beans
Jim gave him a puzzled look.
“You guys stay here ill be right back.” A couple of “ok’s” sounded behind him as he walked towards the humming noise.
He slowly emerged from the dirty supermarket, first checking the buildings outside for any sort of device that could be making the noise. His eyes quickly went from building to building, pile of rubble to pile of rubble. Then, in a moment that sent shivers down his spine, his eyes fixed on the misty sky. A luminescent object stood hovering, shining blue over the thick green of the air. Then suddenly the object disappeared, then reappeared on the ground in the form of a human. The humming stopped, and the form started walking towards him, its blue radiance piercing the grays and the distasteful greens. It opened its arms, and a distinct voice cut through his Aurelan’s shock, “You can put that can of fruit down, the starvation is no more.” The figure’s mouth did not move. Aurelan stood still shocked. Moments passed, then suddenly a dozen questions came pouring out from him, all the while the fear of dying at that very moment from this thing dominated his mind.
“I…im…im sorry, but who are you?”
The radiant blue figure laughed without opening his mouth, “Im God.”
He could not speak…he was dumbstruck.
A scream sounded from behind him. It was Stacy. Aurelan walked swiftly over to her saying, “Look I think its ok…its ok.. I don’t know what the hell is happening either…just, uh…” Toro and Jim followed her, eyes going wide and legs buckling.
The figure’s head turned toward Aurelan, “Tell your friends im here to save them. It might spare them some of the fear. I would tell them myself but I can only communicate this way with you.”
“Why me?” asked Aurelan out loud.
“Your questions will be answered….eventually.. but for now, I think your friends could use some assurance.” In all actuality, Aurelan didn’t even know if he could trust this…this being… at this point, but he did so anyway.
“Guys…look, he says he is here to help us…He..” Aurelan looked back at the radiant blue form, “He says he’s God.”
Jim struggled to lift himself up from the ground, “God? H…How?” After a few moments of studying the being, Jim spoke again, “Ok, so he’s God.
Toro and Stacy walked slowly up to it, shielding their eyes slightly from the being’s brightness. It opened its grand, long arms, “Tell your friends im here for them, im here for all of you. And in just moments, this world will become a utopia and you and your friends will never go hungry again.” Aurelen shed a bitter tear, on the verge of believing, but not wanting to believe. Aurelan told his friends what he had said.
Toro dropped on his knees before its blue, God-like radiance. The being took a knee and embraced him”. Tell this one his two younger brothers are safe in my arms..” Two younger brothers? Aurelan had no idea he ever had two brothers. “Hey… Toro he says your brothers are safe with him. And that you shouldn’t worry.” Toro broke down in tears. Stacy stood next to it, studying it,…calculating…trying hard, as it could be seen on her face, not to lose control.
“Enough crying on ash and dust, I would rather see my people crying tears of joy on plush grass under the shade of great oaks. Aurelan are you ready?”
“I am…so many have been affected by this war…so many have suffered”
“Their suffering and your suffering will be no more”
The being levitated from the ground then ripped the top section from the bottom part in a discordant noise of steel tearing under force. Once it was completely off, he levitated higher in the air with it before he tossed it away from the four. It disappeared into the blanket of haze. God’s light grew brighter than it ever had been, and in a great voice, one that silenced every single noise in the back of Aurelen’s head, roared out at the skies. Aurelan, being the only one that could hear it, cringed from the being‘s voice. The other’s reacted as if they heard nothing at all.
Instantly, the thick green blanket above the skies peeled back, revealing the authentic blue sky they had missed so much. The stench was replaced with the smell of flowers. The buildings disappeared completely. Green grasses covered the ground, and trees replaced the piles of rubble. Never once before had Aurelan been bombarded with so much emotion at one time in his life. He was shocked, overjoyed, afraid to believe, and questioning all at the same time. However, as he looked across the newly formed horizon, he could not help but feel that his great being changed worlds on a regular basis, and if that he was willing to help them, he was trustworthy.
A voice penetrated Aurelan’s mind. “This is not a free ride out… you still have a duty, and there is a point to all of this. I want the beginnings of my new army as comfortable as they can be. Though for the time being, recover.”
And God blinked out of existence, leaving the four shocked beyond all thinkable measure.
SHORTSTORY 2
Eyes like smoldering chips of fire stared intently at a crystal ball that showed four humans on another world. They lie on the grass, looking at the sky and each other with joyous expressions. Then, a sneer, like that of a boar having tasted something foul, and a voice as penetrating as a diamond tipped arrow, “God thinks he can stop what I put in motion…that fool.
His lips peeled back in a severe look of disgust as he saw a rather taller stand up and smile at the sky as if he was smiling at God himself. Though one of the other males, he noticed, seemed to have mixed feelings. He seemed happy, though also distant, detached. His mind was on God. A whisper, as swift as a serpent’s tongue tasting the air, the leader.
Then in a pitying tone, “He always seems to want to make friends with the humans… he likes the attention they give him, I suppose.”
A hand passed over the crystal orb, and shadow filled his eyes as his sat in devious contemplation. He started trembling in rage- a whisper escaped his lips, “It was I who started the war….The war will be finished, along with God himself…by me. A swish of a cape kicked up a thin layer of dust, and footsteps echoed downward, downward into the city of hell.
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He descended down his spiral staircase, past two motionless guards and made his way to his council chambers. The people within the city, at the sight of their ruler, dropped to their knees, most with an expression of supreme terror. Most of the humans living in the city of hell were not there by choice. Other creatures such as the lizard-kin, an odd breed of half man half lizard, were there as slaves. This made the population of the city of hell, strangely fitting for its name, filled with not humans but creatures of many kinds.
As he neared the council chambers, a walkway of odd creatures in his wake, he was greeted by Barbarthegra, one of his most loyal advisors, “Azrael…Good to see y..” he read Azrael’s face, and slowly, his friendly façade caught aflame. “Was it the blue star?”
Azrael motioned for Barbarthegra to let him into his chambers, and Barbarthegra vigorously stepped out of the way.
The council chambers was lit by torches with crystal globes over them, suspended high on walls. It fragmented the light, and dimmed what little lighting there was to begin with. The room was oval shaped, table in the center, and on the opposite sides, the entrance and Azrael’s throne.
Azrael put a limp hand on the arm of his throne, and collapsed heavily in it. His deathly gaze fixed on the table, then suddenly shifted to his advisor, “Go and fetch the others, Barbarthegra.”
“Yes, my lord”
Azrael leaned his head forward again his knuckles in the darkened room. For three months, Azrael had that entire globe fizzing with fire, suffering, torment…and in a blink of an eye, God had returned and restored it to a state even more pure than it was. It always baffled Azrael, that a being could be that powerful, and yet care to make a connection with such a puny mortal race. Fundamentally, it made no sense to Azrael, and he loathed him for it.
He was sure, however, that his plan would wipe him off the face of the planet. It would be a final confrontation between him and that ancient blue warrior. The rewards would be full reign, forever.
Barbarthegra returned with Azrael’s remaining five advisors, creatures of many kinds, not one human among them. Azrael motioned for them to sit, and they did so with a scattered rustle of clothing, curious expressions on their faces.
“The blue star…” Azrael’s tone grew drawn out and venomous, “has revived the planet we kept in torment for three months. And is raising an army with the remaining survivors.” A silently indignant air circulated around the table. “ I know this, he never chooses leaders unless there is some other body to lead.”
A seething advisor from under the shadow of a cloak hissed, “ All we need is one command from you, lord of lords, and the blue star‘s head will be put on a spit, suspended high for all to see.” His words danced in between him and Azrael for moments.
Azrael , eyes as red as churning lava, “I have a plan. We shall make a deal with the lost souls in Hell to come out and fight for us. We tell them they can keep the planet if they win.” Azrael laughed, then issued a rasp as swift and damaging as an assassin’s knife, “Not so, Ofcourse!”
“The army of the dead will keep the blue star busy, and that is where you six,” he pointed at the table, “Will pin him down.”
Barbarthegra smiled wickedly, “And you shall drive a knife through his heart.” Azrael’s eyes filled with shadow like it was a black liquid. It mixed with the firey red of his eyes which made appear vaguely similar to blood “No Barbarthegra…I will drive ten knives into his heart.
Loud laughs resounded from the table, echoing sinisterly against the walls.
After the laughter died out, Azrael mentioned one last thing, “And from hell, my dark brethren, I will form a portal into their world that will transport the army of the dead, as well as us.”
The hooded creature nodded, hissing in agreement.
With that, Azrael lifted himself from his throne and just as he was about to exit, growled in a low tone, “Follow me underground to hell .”
SHORTSTORY 3
Aurelan sat in the comfortable thick of the grass, a verdant green which soothed him to the core, but not quite. His friends laughed among each other, rather separate from him, united by a different train of thought. Aurelen could not shake feeling of abandonment, even though God had replaced a world branded by war and death with a world without the faintest sign of it. Aurelan had deeper concerns, now, than whether or not he was comfortable, and was given the freedom now to choose to deny the comfort as it didn’t pose a threat to his livelihood like during the previous circumstances. He kept on thinking on the blue figure, the way he instantly knew something about Toro that Aurelan had not, and his immediate compassion for Toro’s losses. Most of all, his rescuing them from the blanketed world of ash, and its sooty relics of conflict. It all would have seemed to good to be true, if not for the last thing God had said, “I want the beginnings of my new army as comfortable as they can be.” An army implied battle. Aurelan had not the faintest clue what the opposing force would be apart from soldiers from the last war. Aurelan could not be certain, and in this lied the problem. He simply didn’t know what would happen . However, Aurelan had an ever increasing feeling that the battle would happen soon, and they needed to be ready. This feeling grew on him since God left, and perhaps, Aurelan thought with hope, was another way God spoke to him.
Jim suddenly called out to him , breaking his downcast contemplation, “ Care to join us Aurelan?”
He noticed the three had moved a distance away and were sitting under an apple tree, looking perplexed. They had never seen him act this way before, alone, to himself.
Aurelan lifted himself up from the thick grasses and walked over. When he arrived at the tree he noticed they all had apples in their hands, which were dominated by white craters having taken bites out of them.
At this close distance, it was quite obvious to the three that something was on Aurelan‘s mind. Toro brought it up, “Is something bothering you?”
Aurelan sat down next to him, “Yea…a lot is.” His gaze was on the plush fields of grass and the trees of many kinds in the distance.
“What’s wrong?”
Aurelan, with a subtle air of discomfort at going into the specifics, “Do you know how he could only speak with me?”
Toro cast him an envious glance, “Yes”
“Well, I felt like the bond we had was more than that. And, I don’t understand why he just left. Do you think I’m meant to feel…left behind?”
Toro briefly pondered this, then said “I don’t know I didn’t have the sort of connection you had.”
Aurelan’s gaze drew downcast once again. “There is more than that Toro. I feel like he is telling me that a great battle is coming, and that we should be prepared.”
Toro shot him a questioning glance, “I do remember him saying that we are the beginnings of his new army, but, we have no idea when it will happen. God did not give us a specific time.”
Aurelan looked at him
Toro continued, “Why would he give us peace and then suddenly cause chaos? I don’t think he would do that. No one can be certain man. The war he spoke of may not even happen in our lifetime.
Aurelan furrowed his brow at hearing these words, “I’m sorry Toro but something tells me this battle will happen very soon. Within a couple of hours. I can hear…”
Jim abruptly cut him off, as he overheard their conversation, “Aurelan…honestly man I think you need to chill. Do you think God would have you worried this much? Just kick back, relax a little.”
Feeling stirred within Aurelan. God had indeed said to recover. However, if it was God telling him to prepare himself and the others for war, what could he trust more? The feeling grew stronger and stronger by the minute and his feelings solidified into rock-solid facts. He couldn’t deny it any more, he had to tell them.
Aurelan stood up and addressed them all, “ There is a war coming. And its coming quicker than any of you realize. Look, was I not the one God could communicate through? Why are you guys not trusting me in this?
He had not heard Stacy’s opinion but the expression she gave him told him she had overheard the conversation like Jim and was with the others.
Nobody of the three answered him. Aurelan’s gaze shifted between them all, searching their faces in vain for any sign of agreement. Aurelan grew flustered, “It’s a shame that we should be divided by comfort…You guys are not aware how weak this is of us.”
Aurelan turned away from the group and walked away. He did not know where he was walking towards, but it didn’t matter to him.
Just then, a voice like that of a cool stream penetrated his mind, “Keep an eye on the horizon…your support is near.“ His eyes grew wide in shock for just a moment, but then beamed as he smiled. He was growing accustomed to this great deity’s workings, and his encouragement meant everything to him.
No more than fifteen minutes later, he started to feel the ground shake, and scattered voices cheering and shouting in the distance. He looked up. There, on a hill with the sun churning powerfully behind them, were at least fifty people dressed in tattered, ashen clothing. They gestured amongst each other before one of them broke away and walked quickly up to Aurelan. As he neared, the contours of his face became more detailed. He recognized him! He was one of the survivors he used to help bring food to. As soon as he came within hearing range, he exclaimed, “Welcome Aurelan!” Aurelan walked up to him and said, “Hey..wha…how did you guys find each other?”
He pointed up and said, “God had us find each other! We met in a central area…all of the leaders. We each found a commonality. It was this humming noise in our ear.”
After hearing this Aurelan felt ecstatic beyond belief, “You heard it too!? I was the only one in my group that heard it!”
“Ah… not many can hear when God calls them. You should see the group behind us- its massive. We were told to lead them here because they couldn’t hear God’s battle cry, just like in your group. Ill show you.”
Aurelan walked beside the fellow survivor, saying, “I recognize you…our group used to give you and a few others food. .remember?” He turned his head, “All too clearly, and I would not be hear today if you didn’t keep me and the others with me from starving. I’m Kronos, by the way.”
He laughed, “I’m Aurelan, nice to meet you.”
Aurelan observed the line up of leaders ahead of him. As he walked closer, they waved and nodded to him which made Aurelan feel like a brother at first sight. It was a support he was sure they would all need, for they would soon be fighting side by side.
The line up parted to let Aurelan and Kronos pass, and just on the other side of the hill, lie a crowd of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Kronos laughed when he saw Aurelan’s expression. Aurelan turned to him and breathlessly asked, “How long did this take?”
“Not long with the help of God. Though, Aurelan, we need to get going. An opposing army should be here anytime led by Azrael, the culprit of the previous war.
“Wait, so we have finally know who started it?! How did you find out?”
“God appeared and told the leaders not long after we found each other. God must not have told you.
“ No he didn’t…but…who is this, Azrael?”
“He is the ruler in the city of Hell...Look, Aurelan I’m sure God will explain all this to you later, but as of right now, we are short on time. Did you say that you had a group with you?
“Yes I do.. They’re back relaxing under an apple tree. They didn’t believe me when I told them a battle was coming.”
“Are you sure they didn’t believe you?”
“I’m positive…They didn’t want to believe me.”
“I’m not so sure”
“Why?”
“Look behind you”
Aurelan turned around, and to his great surprise were his three companions, jogging up to them. Stacy called out to him, “Did you say you heard a buzzing noise in your ear before?”
Aurelan smiled broadly, and the Kronos welcomed the three of them, “Welcome, noble leaders”
Toro jogged up to Aurelan and apologized, “How we let our comfort get in the way of believing you we aren’t sure…we are sorry.”
Aurelan patted him over the back, “I forgive you. Are you ready?”
“For the war?” Toro laughed, “born ready.”
Aurelan saw Stacy and Jim join the line-up out of the corner of his eye they recognized and greeted Kronos.
Aurelan, Toro, and Kronos all followed in line and waited, waited for God’s next order.
THE FOURTH AND FINAL SHORTSTORY, THE GREAT BATTLE, IS ON ITS WAY
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE READ. ANY COMMENTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED,
THANK YOU,
ARCHANON
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