A Gospel According To Lilith-Six Chapters Poem by Lonnie Hicks

The Gospel According to Lilith

BOOK ONE

TRANSMORGRIFICATION


An Original Novel
By
Lonnie Hicks


Copyright 2009
All rights reserved – Lonnie Hicks

2009



ISBN 978-098434886-3-3
Printed in the United States
Book Design by H2 Advertising

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, from the author.


This volume is not intended to reflect, adhere to, or comment upon any religion or set of religious beliefs. Rather it intended as a mythical exploration of the origins of good and evil.

Chapter 1

Among the heavenly spires, upon the highest balcony, Lord watched Lucifer conduct the Worship of the Universe Services for all the heavenly hosts.
“This cannot be.” he thought to himself. He felt a slow-moving anger build within him.
“How could this happen, yet escape my eye? ” he said to his minister who appeared beside him. “How can all of you sit at my table and not know? Someone knew, someone must have guessed, and, yet, none who sat with me—none counseled me in this the most evil betrayal of all betrayals.”
He cried out in anguish and faces looked up from all over the realm knowing that Lord was angry and justice was to be meted out to one or many. They tensed, waiting, knowing that anyone of them could fall dead and no one would know the offense or the difference.
“See him, ” Lord said still looking down at Lucifer whose beauty was undeniable. “I made him my most beautiful angel. I raised him on high. I made Lilith the most beautiful woman in the entire universe and this is how they repay me—with treachery? ”
“He bewitches her and she becomes pregnant with his child? ”
“This is all done in my very bed in the night? ” He turned to the minister. “So you say she is with child and that child is his? ” Lord said suddenly.
“Yes, ” my Lord, “it is so.”
“You say she confesses such? ”
“She did my Lord.”
“Bring her to me. I would hear her. Bring her to me. I need to see her, hear her response, see if she will offer me false regrets or perhaps a plea of how she was deceived, or bewitched.”
The minister stirred to leave, heart pounding, unsure if his part was beginning to be perceived by Lord—who would guess in time that he, the minister must have known of the liaison, but did not convey that


truth to Lord. As he traversed from the throne room, he feared he might be struck down before he reached the door.
Down each step from Lord’s throne, was a step into his own hell for surely the wife would betray him to Lord, if pressed, to save her own soul. He was lost in the end.
“All this, ” he thought, “would have consequences far beyond a simple tryst and that this would ignite, among all in heaven, far reverberations. There would be here, ” he thought, “fatal sin, inexpugnable, wide-ranging and irremediable; and possibly war.”
The minister survived the last step emerging out into Angel Air where the hosts were completing Worship Services.
In the pulpit, Lucifer was mesmerizing. He was magnificent. There was no denying that. His arms were outstretched in flowing robes as he told the angels to rise up in praise of Lord. They all took their wings and made them rise above their heads and move slowly up and down in a rhythm with his words, “Lord is good. Lord is great. Lord is on high.” The minister Raphael could see how Lilith could be bewitched by him-everyone was. His heart went out to her.
He swept by angels and Cherubs, certain that his mission would not end to the good.
He found Lilith in her apartments red-eyed from crying, eyes which grew wide at his entrance, guessing, he guessed, why he had come. She crossed her arms around her stomach instinctively, he guessed, as a protective move. She was clearly pregnant.
He said “Lord demands your presence.”
She nodded. “I understand.” she said.
She roused herself robotically and prepared to leave. Even sad and crying, Raphael marveled-she was a beautiful woman. She was the most beautiful woman in the Universe. How could any not love her?


Chapter 2

Lilith’s trek to Lord’s spire was seen by thousands who looked upon her and looked away, fearing to look at her—least that act be noticed by those who could then report she had been looked upon favorably—and then, make this known to Lord, where interpretations could be made that, in looking at her, their loyalty could be questioned.
Lilith moved slowly thinking it was true; she owed much to Lord. He had given her beauty above all others, had elevated her above all others and made her his wife, making her immortal and almost his equal.
She knew his wrath would be severe. It would mean her reduction from her elevation—an elevation many had previously thought undeserved from the first instance. He would punish Lucifer as well. And she wondered about the child. What of the child?
Lord, at Lucifer’s installation as Minister of the Universal Service, praised him mightily.
“I am, today, appointing Lucifer, whom I have favored to be Leader of Worship in the entire Universe. I have granted him the gifts, of beauty and grace. I have given him the power to inspire and the greatest gift of all—immortality.”
“I have placed him on this high ground because he has found favor with me. He will lead you in the Celestial Rites, in the Universal Sacraments and, mind you, these are no mere routines. Without this infusement of my Spirit in the service all becomes dull ritual and does not cleanse the soul; and uncleansed, we see the contamination of the Spirit and some will fall-fail to make the Holy stance and become shadows whose dull lights, bring the dark, and bring to many, even angels among us, to the fall. Lucifer, I now name you ‘Morning Light’.”
“Here me now, Cherubim, elevate your dreams and aspirations to levels which, by my hand, you Lucifer,


now possess. I give you him to imitate. Follow his example such that you might rise as well to the highest highs.”
Lilith was hesitant because she remembered that Lord had broken the rule of Strict Equality in taking one among them, no two, Lucifer and her—raised them up for others to admire—but, in doing so, made them a target for envy.
She spoke out loud to herself rehearsing what she would say to Lord.
“My Lord, am I to convey in this my gratitude or my remorse, because in being high, I have only earned my own isolation; I sought to cling to the only other who understood my plight, Lucifer. We were attracted to one another, enveloped in praise of you, but drawing, also, remonstrances from others. We were two children caught between shinning much for parents’ sake only to earn the envy of all the siblings.”
“You are wise, Lord, ” she thought to herself. “Surely you understand, indeed foresaw, this circumstance. Surely, Lord you knew we, your creations, would be attracted to one another in our mutual need. So, Lord how can it be that in this, I or we, must have all the sin; can you not share in this as well-because in creating us, these events progressed and were inevitable? Can you relieve and, perhaps even eschew, the sufferings which surely your wrath might bring? ”
“Bring to your heart forgiveness in this Lord, ” she said out loud, “for surely that way lay the peace.” Her step was livelier now buoyed by this new ready defense. She drew closer to Lord’s chamber. Her new thoughts, to her, seemed to make her prospects more bearable and her heart gained strength feeling there might now commence a reconciliation, not a condemnation; a negotiation, not blame; an opportunity there for redemption—hers and Lucifer’s. Things might be mended back to whole again-if she could make Lord
understand.

She neared the chamber door, still thinking, “How could I not love him; it was fate set in motion by Lord himself.”
She entered and Lord surveyed her deliberately with Raphael at his side. Lord’s mood to Lilith was one of anger mixed with agitation.
He did not speak but stood merely looking at her. Then, slowly he drew his clothing aside and sat upon his throne. Raphael took his place beside him.
Finally, he spoke not looking at her. His light was so great Lilith could barely look at him.
“All my love was gathered in you, Lilith. I took you out from among the Cherubim and pronounced you to be on high, scarcely a whiff from my own status. I loved you with the deepest fire within me. No soul gave more, Lilith, than was given you. No heart pounded greater than this heart pounded for you.”
Lord paused. The tension was almost unbearable. All of heaven seemed to hold its breath. “And now, word comes to me that this was not truly reciprocated by you. While accepting my gifts you secretly stomped upon them, besmirched them, indeed transported them to another, giving to him what I had given to you; twisting all that is precious, tainting it to something clandestine, dark and betrayal-ridden, pursued in the night as I lay sleeping! ”
Lord paused.
“Tortured, I in these moments, bled for you Lilith, from these wounds inflicted. First my thoughts were to find fault within myself. I did an inventory of where my own shortcomings might lie. I wondered what I had done to facilitate this happenstance.”
“I cannot Lord…” Lilith began but he stopped her with a raised hand.
“No, I will have my say, I need to have this pain, to make fully visible to you my wounded entrails; to make them visible for all to discern.”
“Oath betrayed, ” he continued, “if that were not enough, there is to this even darker news. What can be
the shade darker than darkest night? What is worse than this? ” Lord stood; his hands clasped together, a great sadness in his eyes, as he wept. He cried a wailing cry.
“A child, Lilith? ” he asked? “Here adds a three-fold foment, a new offense which is dagger sharp in my heart. A child is spawned of this dreadful match-a child. A child, whose heart, whose lungs, whose very existence conjures in me forever, images of the coupling, the sexual seed. The very face of betrayal is now alive, inside you, coming into the world. A deeper cut is made on the wound; a new affront is made visible here. I see inside you the fatal scar which will not heal. I am clubbed to my knees.”
Lord stood mute for a long moment.
“A child, Lilith, no doubt conceived in the love meant for me-a child whose very existence will be testimony to my cuckold! ”
“Tell me of it, ” Lord said suddenly his eyes continuing to tear, “tell me though I might die from the hearing. Tell me that I might understand not only the act but, as well, the circumstance. Tell me that I might feel and see what was in those fair nights destined to be me with you, in our bed, destined to be my child, not his. Tell me straight away, I have the need to know even if every word will be a rapier to my soul.”
Lilith hesitated.
“Tell me! ” he commanded.”
“Lord…” she began.
“I must know.” Lord said slowly,
While she paced before him, Lilith began sputtering and said, “Lord he was too beautiful and I sought most times to avoid his eyes because to look at him was to take me too close to feelings I sought to throw over-board. I am sure he was the same. I had to go to Service, and like the others, I looked upon him, and to do so Lord was to fall. My eyes would, once fixed upon him, could not look away. I was transported. I floated. Even while seated, he drew me with his spirit and his words. He was your emissary Lord, and I, like the others, were filled with his praise of you, his words were spoken so beautifully. The combination was over-powering.” She paused.
“Go on.” Lord said.
“One day I walked at Sermon’s end, meaning to return to my apartments, but suddenly he was there, by my side. I looked at him startled, looking back to the pulpit to see if he was still there, but, no, he was there beside me. I froze at his booming voice, that sublime presence.”
“He said to me beautiful words, Lord. He said I want to touch you in your violets and blues and indigos, and, I know I should not. I long to be with you he said.”
“I have had no other thought, ” he said, “I have watched you sleep, Lord at your side; I could not resist coming each night to be near and hear your heart beat.”
“Was that you? I asked him, Lord.”
He said, “Yes.”
Lilith was quiet for a moment and bowed her head as she remembered that conversation. “I thought it was a dream, but I knew it was his face. It had been him. And I, too, could feel him upon me those nights. I could feel his caress down my spine, all the while laying there in bed with you Lord, yet he came to me again and again and lay with me irrespective.”
“I asked him if was him in the dream and he said, ‘It was me’.”
Later I said to him, “Lucifer, do you not know that I have this baby within? Are you aware? ”
He said, “I had guessed and I am of the view we both should go to Lord and say we are in love and have the subterfuge to an end.”
“I cannot, ” I told him. “It would crash down all the heavens. No, we must take the time to think it through, as to the best way to surface the news; for we must fully understand the moment of all this and what can be the foreseeable consequence.”
“I do see, ” Lucifer said. “I’ll agree to a wait but no more than two days. I’ll not have fear guide us in this; we have little to apologize for except love moved us to bad judgment.”
“Indeed, ” Lilith said, “bad judgment-is all it is, and it happened in a dream.”
“But events transpired to overcome that plan.” Lilith said. “Lord, you found out it seems before the two days expired.” She paused. “I now stand ready to confront what I have done and make what amends I can.”
Lord looked at her and finally spoke, “Do you love him? ”
Lilith did not speak.
“I said do you love him? ”
Lilith said, as she looked into Lord’s eyes and saw the pain therein, “Yes I do, Lord. I am helpless not to, he has my heart, my soul and try as I may to resist, I cannot expel him; now the child makes that doubly difficult. In this Lord, my will is powerless, ” she paused. “I am lost.”
“So you are lost, you say? But Lilith, ” Lord said leaning toward her, “I have given you and he the will to resist. Yet you say to me that my gift to you does not exist? Surely you know that your helpless claim cannot subsist in a loss of will? You have been given that from me forever. Give me another explanation for that one does not ring true. I am your Lord, responsible for your very being. No one knows better than I, your tendencies and capabilities.”
“There is more to this, I suspect, ” Lord said smoldering “than that which you have thus far given me.”
He leaned close to her face again. Lilith blanched, fearing Lord’s explosive temperament.
“What more, Sire, can I cite? I am honest with me as I can. He seems to me not resistible and him, me. What is this “more” of which you speak? ”
Lord spoke slowly, each word measured. “I am of the suspicion that you have not run to him, but rather, away from me. I am of the suspicion that you enjoy the pleasures of pride as much as that of love; but the final end is that you and he covet not only Love’s Sweets but perhaps more; an entire kingdom, which has now a potential heir within your loins.”
Lord paused and then continued, “Star-crossed lovers merit reprieve but none, I say to you, will be forthcoming for rebels and revolutionaries. Here before me plain to see is not only the seed of suspicion but the seed of a new dynasty, one which clearly, is designed to replace me.”
Lilith, dumb-founded, could not speak.
“Leave me now, I will ponder these thoughts in my private, and see where they lead. I need now to think of larger things.”


Chapter 3

Lilith went to Lucifer and he gave his thoughts.
“That did not go well, I see. He gained details and the details changed his whole view. We are no longer star-crossed lovers but pretenders to his throne. Lord will now eschew thoughts of forgiveness and treat us as rebels. You and I, and the baby, are the greatest possible threat, and, he will act swiftly as he must, because to linger would be, in his mind, disastrous.”
“We must act. We must gather the Cherubim whom we can trust and plan for what surely will be an attack. You and the child must be given over to a safe place for the goal in all of this, from Lord’s view, will be to take the child from you.”
“Take the child? ” Lilith asked, “What do you mean? ”
Lucifer looked at her sadly. “I mean that he will likely not want to see the child survive.”
Lilith touched her stomach aghast. “You mean kill the child? ”
“I fear, ” Lucifer said simply, “or least we must be aware that he, or one of his minions, might attempt to do so. So your sequestration is critical in this. You must not be taken at all costs.”
“Now, ” Lucifer said “let’s go off to the garden spot and speak with those who might cast their lot with us, who understand the gravity of what we have before us.”
Lucifer and Lilith moved under cover of veil and scarf after having sent word to key Cherubim leaders that they should meet on a matter of critical urgency.
In a flice, Lucifer stood before the small group of fifteen, “As many of you know Lilith and I have a situation. We fell in love, we were unable to turn our heads from one another, and that love, I am reporting here, was consummated and Lilith is with child.”
There was a hush and then an audible gasp from the group, “With child? ”
“My! ”
“Lord will be furious, does he know? ”
“He knows, ” Lucifer said. “Lilith told him hours ago and he has taken a different view. He does not view this as an affair of the heart. He believes that it is a part of a plot, a plot to over-thrown him and that it is his kingdom we want—to supplant him and place ourselves on the throne with our child as heir. Lilith is persuaded that he will not relent in this view. This presents, Lucifer said, “ultimate danger not only to us, but as well, to all of you.”
“To us? ” one in the group cried, “Why us? ”
“I have not told Lilith this until now, but I have gotten word that he now regards all of you, and any those associated with us, as suspect and his plan is to smite one and all and your families as well.”
Lucifer paused as his words sank it. “I am sorry to have brought this onto your shoulders. But, I don’t know what to do. My first thought is to sequester Lilith and the child to safety somewhere, but beyond that, I also hear that Lord is ordering his closest guards to arms and plans to demand that all the Cherubim proclaim their loyalties to him, or to Lilith and me. He is not allowing any middle ground or time to ponder. Those that hesitate at the question will be killed.”
Another in the back of the group spoke. “It’s true, my wife has been summoned. I did not know what it was about.”
“And mine too, ” another said.
“My son, ” said another.
There was the slow track of recognition as they all realized that some among them had been targeted and family members had already been summoned.
Lucifer said, “I am not asking you to make decisions now, but time is running in my view. We must summon those of you who plan to join us, combine all our powers and take up arms to protect ourselves. Lilith and I have the powers of Heaven with us, and, if necessary, we can defend ourselves against Lord’s hosts and defend others as well.”
That said, the night-shade came and all departed agreeing to meet in the early morning and report what responses there might be or rumors.
Lucifer and Lilith lay that night to contemplate how future events might transpire and what fate might fetch for their unborn child.
Lilith said in that quiet time, “I am for you in this, but I fear for the child.”
Lucifer responded, “I will not back-step one wit for, if this is what we must do to preserve the child, then, so be it. If we must take up arms and provide the defense, so be it. If war it must be, then war it shall be, because there is no higher cause than that of defending those you love.”
Lilith offered, “But are we right in this Lucifer, will the end be peace or destruction, and, if the latter, who then the winner? What if it is only a desolated world our baby seed will inherit? ”
“I am not sure of what lies beyond these words we utter in the dead of night, ” Lucifer said, “the future is often shaded. But, if I take this single candle, if it will be all I have-the only beacon against this night- then, this small illumine will have to suffice.”

Chapter 4

Before morning the reassembled group went to the garden to count the ones who would take up arms with Lilith and Lucifer, and, to retake from Lord their missing family members. Word had spread that hundreds were gone, taken by Lord who had chosen the women and the young, apparently thinking that they would more easily reveal intelligence as to who the plotters were.
There was anger in this Cherubim group at this—many had brought their thunder sticks, fire bolts and spears clambering in the meeting to storm Lord’s castle and take back their kin; to declare that a new kingdom be proclaimed where Lord would be taken down, forced to reform and recognize the rights of Cherubim.
Lucifer stood before them and stated that a plan such as that “would only decimate our meager ranks. Rather, ” he said, “no, we have not the strength for a frontal assault. We must wait to gather strength and add numbers to our ranks and choose a spot and way of our own choosing for the assault. Gather now our brethren in this; come to, by morn, the high spot near the pulpit such that we can speak again and plan.”
With that, and murmuring, the group dispersed and Lucifer looked at Lilith saying “You know what this means—he’ll know we are gathering, he probably has already been told by someone from this very group; and headlong now we all rush to warring; all creation bates it’s breath as to what will be this outcome.”
“I agree, ” Lilith said simply.
The presence of arms in the ranks that next day underwent inspection by Lucifer who had to gauge what strength lay among his battalions. He had a battalion of higher angels and a battalion of arch-angels, Cherubim, Ranklings, Soarlings and others who stood before Lucifer and Lilith, eyes open, some bulging, all showing fear—the fear of the unknown, of rebellion, death and mayhem, of going up against Lord.
“None know, ” Lucifer said, “and I can not tell you the outcome, other than we must fight and get our families back.”
Gathered then as one, they mustered to the planning of the initial battle scene which was to attack the arsenals, where the sun-bursts lay, deadly weapons, which could spew deadly radiation across whole galaxies. Several of these could take the battle to Lords’ forces but only Lilith and Lucifer and Lord could trigger these weapons so great a force was needed to set them off.
Lucifer said, “We must first take them from Lord’s arsenal because deprived of that explosive force might force Lord to early negotiate and spare us all a fiery death.”
Lord gained word of Lucifer and Lilith’s plan confirming his worse suspicions and this sealed the antagonism and hardened his heart. He told his ranks, “All the rebels must be killed.” The word went out among Lord’s battalions that all the rebels must be killed, and the cataclysm exponentiated.
“I will show all who rebel against the kingdom, the ingrates who conspire, that vengeance is mine and that my righteous wrath is great.” He spoke to his assembled hosts charging them with battle plans, the first of which was to protect and guard the sun-bursts sequestered in the arsenal.
And, so it was, too, that Lucifer’s hosts—banners waving-rode, in war’s fever, pushing back both fear and common sense, supplanting them with glory dreams and ideologies- promising promises. The red robes of Lucifer’s sermon garb became the flags of the battalions, some others yellow stripes; some merged these to give the assemblage color and inspiration.
They marched to music made by members of the heavenly choir; they were singing inspirational songs
offering encouragement and said, “Think of your families and your children.”
Lord’s wards, two-thirds to Lucifer’s one third, felt confident of their numerical superiority. Raphael said “At best, this “war” will be over in a day.”
Their mood was uplifted since Lord rode with them at the head in full view of all the hosts. Lord had his chariot and stomping steeds that mounted the arsenal hill standing there snorting magnificently. Lord fingered their reins.
He spoke aside to his general who said “Their numbers are puny most Lord; we shall no have difficulty in running them through. We only await your word in this and we will down upon them and they will run Lord, they will not resist. Tell us now when to bolt and we will all be home by tomorrow.”
Lord peered down among them seeking Lucifer, finding him sitting a winged horse seemingly calm. The general said from his own look “he seems confident Lord-almost complacent.”
“Let’s then, ” Lord said, “offer him, in this, some discouragement.”
With that and a wave of his hand the general sent the signal down the ranks to drive a wedge with the chariots to break through the middle line of Lucifer’s infantry, which, the General thought, would fold rather than hold, and once split, the general would take advantage of his superior numbers, would take down Lucifer’s divided troops in small groups.
The down-hill race had begun with Lord's charioteers plunging into Lucifer’s ranks in the middle and, immediately, the center of Lucifer’s infantry line broke retreating allowing Lord’s charioteers to enter at the center. But five ranks in, to Lord’s astonishment, Lucifer swept down with his own charioteers on the flanks and had Lord’s charioteers surrounded on all three sides; a trap Lucifer devised, had been sprung. Every horse was speared and wounded, went down, as chariots, charioteers and horses from Lord’s ranks floundered on the ground.
The chariot men—not used infantry combat—were no match for Lucifer’s infantry forces now reinforced with even more infantrymen. Meanwhile, Lucifer dispatched more infantry from the rear to prevent Lord’s charioteers from being reinforced while Lord looked on as his finest fought bravely but finally succumbed.
The shrieking of men, horses baying, lives ebbing, banners down, some limply waving, painted the scene where heaven’s hosts took the look of a red hell, of red blood flowing.
There were some who stumbled blinded by lance or spear, by blood from head wounds; some wandered, mumbling incoherently. All in the gathering dusk faded from view underneath the gloaming.
Later, Lord sat in his Council of State; his ministers were glum and sour. Lord said, “This Lucifer has the faculties given him by me. I shall not again underestimate his use of these. Make me now a single plan to prevent the sun-bursts from falling into his hands. We meet here again in an hour to see what you have contrived and, mind you gentlemen, failure this time is not an option. If we visit defeat again, I will spell for each and every one a consequence which will not be liked.”
The next day Lord’s Angel Hosts assembled at the launching point and Lord surveyed their ranks and spoke, “I have given you the high assignment to protect our people down below as they seek to secure the sun-burst beams. Your job is to swoop low, dropp your maiming hooks and swoop up again to cause mayhem in their ranks and then release the Swooping Prey back down among them as human bombs.” Lord raised his hand and said, “Fail me not. Fail me not.”
The Angel Hosts flew high, each carrying a Prey, a tiny demon cherub, who would swoop down aiming
toward the eyes of the enemy, thereby blinding them.
As thousands of Angels lofted, surveying the field, seeking Lucifer’s hosts and spotting them, made Lord to know they were in place, awaiting his word to attack.
Meanwhile, Lucifer muttered to himself that “This is not a good development.” This was a surprise because Lucifer had no aerial counterpart to challenge the Angel squads of Lord. He murmured to his general, “Do we have anything to counter this, we are exposed to attack from above and must need, therefore, to hunker down and take the blows? ”
The general was glum and only said, “We have nothing, Lucifer, and must pray the damage is minimal.”
Lucifer’s forces arrayed themselves on the ground and moved to close positions, one to the other, each spreading his shield or wing to cover one another against the diving demons, who sought to split the seam between the covering wings and shields and find the eye of its holder.
The battle started. Immediately there were screams as the demons smashed irises and blood spurted from the unlucky targets; Lucifer, despondent, saw his ranks waver and his hosts break and run, fleeing. He knew he would likely face the wrath Lord would muster for he was, indeed, a vengeful Lord.
But from the air came a trumpet sound and looking up Lucifer could see Lilith at the head of new hosts who came rushing in on a tremendous cloud, around her thousands of her personal hosts and Cheribums, who she had been busy in recruitment. This sight for Lucifer was a welcome one. Lilith flying above was the picture of a fierce woman warrior crashing down upon Lord’s angel hosts and cherub demons—her angels counter-attacking, spewing cloud-gasses which enveloped the Prey, blinded them. Eyes aflame from the cloud-gas, the demons shrieked and sank to the ground there crushed by shield, sword and lance.
Other hosts fell from the sky as Lilith’s hosts shot cloud-darts which, just head-size, enveloped shoulders and face, and then the scream, as the demon hosts clasped both hands to face, cried for Lord, and began the deadly plummet to surface ground where, amid gathering shields, Lucifer’s hosts again swarmed over them.
Once grounded, the fate of Lord’s flying demons was sealed. Demon Prey were up-tossed from the mayhem; severed Angel limbs and angel parts lay aground; de-feathered wings and screams, bloody hearts lay strewn all upon the battlefield, signaling a rout.
Silence then; deafening, as both groups paused to intake the final scene where Lilith floating just above the ground, her hosts all around, saw shock on the faces of Lord’s hosts, dismayed at the outcome before them.
But Lucifer looked to his recruits; thousands were blind meandering, crying out, and asking for comforting. The battle was won but at great cost.
The battle was won to Lilith’s credit but, it also entailed many losses to Lucifer’s minions. No new battle could be waged soon by them. Lucifer took his place beside Lilith surveying Lord’s form on the far hill. He stood still and then turned away. Lucifer knew there would be another battle line drawn and that one would have a different outcome.
He and Lilith embraced as the hosts cheered. She took his face into her hands, planting a kiss. Lucifer said “I understand this is one battle and many more will have to be before we can declare victory. But know in all of this I stand with you for all eternity, for we have been given the gift of immortality, and shall live together for best or ill, for all time. I pledge here now my hearth and kin to stand with you now and to the very end.”
Lucifer cried softly holding her, feeling that seed within her, and said, “All my effort and purpose is growing inside you and my equal pledge is to love and honor you. We have this mold cast, have set ourselves upon this path; have by this primordial scene fixed our future. We cannot go back, or mollify what destiny has
planned for us. If this then is the primordial fork, then let it be that we shall play out our part, not retreat or soft wield our deep felt commitments and sentiments.”
The hosts rose in one voice “Hosanna, Hosanna, ” they all voiced as one.
“We now bury our dead, ” Lucifer said, “and pray them on to peace and prepare ourselves for the next onslaught.”
Lord, too, made vows of his future intent. “It was she, ” he said to his lieutenant, “turned the battle with her treachery, it was she who came to manifest how far she has gone into treasonous treason; it was she who wielded the spear which pierced my heart on that battlefield; it was she who rallied my enemies, turned my Angels against me and clambered down to destroy the loyal angels.”
“I shall mark this day the beginning of time when fatal sin came to this kingdom. I shall this day mark the forked road-one fork leading to my kingdom—the other to sin and treachery. Here a new history begins and I shall judge all by these new standards. In this new era, all is will and no will, chose or eschew, chose which road beckons you. Mercy shall not visit those who diverge from the righteous path; rather, blood shall be their destiny and I shall visit upon them a terrible judgment and cast them into fiery hells where they shall burn forever.”
Here, Lord. issued the first decree, for in the kingdom, previously, there had never been treason and hence no need for decrees. But, here now, was a new era beginning and all knew Lord’s new terrible wrath now commenced and new decrees would be placed upon them. Loyalty and obedience to the word was now the primary order.
That night in his Throne Room, Lord sat his head awry—in his mind recasting the day’s events, reliving the horrible sights he had seen from his hill-top perch; mindful, so mindful, that he must prevail next time or lose all he possessed.
“But how best to defeat them, ” he mused aloud as he thrust himself up from the throne and began to pace, “to accomplish that task? Am I to don the warrior-cloak while still grieving grievous loss? How can my mind clear if my heart chokes off in my chest? What is my prize of gold or kingdom if my soul dies quietly in the infirmary pierced asunder? ”
“Even now I have her face before me: Lilith, ” he said, “how could you abandon me? How could you not love me for all I am is in you? I gave you immortality so that I could always be with you. I feasted in my heart of hearts each moment near you. Betrayal is crime true, but the greater loss is not to be able to be near you; the former is mere effrontery, the latter is murder most supreme—mine.”
“This is murder which does not allow death, the death without the dying, an eternal damnation, a carving out of my being— from all existence—until I stand here now a hollow hulk, speaking, breathing, talking, commanding, but my essence has been exorcised. And that, as all can surmise, is true murder done without the dying.” Pausing, Lord said, “These two shall, in due time, clamor down to the gates of hell begging to be let in, once my wrath is upon them.”
At light Lord woke amassing his resolve, conjuring the plan for the day’s assault knowing his scheme, if executed well, would crush the rebellion and rebels; all would be thrown down the Pit of Wells to fiery hell, to their final end. He would start again with new, loyal, hosts, with a new ethos and would again grant kindness without regard or thought to its consequence. He had made Lilith and Lucifer powerful, close to himself in their majesty, and now he faced them combined against him. He would not make that mistake again.
He spoke to his assembled hosts, “We, today, will cast off yesterday and face this new sunrise and, I say to you, I guarantee that this day all, unto the last one of them, shall fall; that the last unto the last of them shall dropp their treacherous shields, flee, or be destroyed; that one and all of them shall break before my judgment, be
captured and thrown down the Pit; that each and every one of them shall recompense the heavenly balance sheet.”
A roar went up among them and Lord sensed a refreshment of their faith and resolve. “Now mark these times, ” he said “newly minted, for all creation is now re-born, a new time not so innocent, is upon us, one which has been marked by this stain—a stain which must be expunged, a debt to be paid.”
Another roar echoed and each rank made its bow pledging to Lord a victory for one and all.
The field where the battle was to begin was on a softly rolling plain with seven rising hills, where each detachment could rise to the fight, but, before hand, each battalion was hidden from each other behind a hill’s crest. It made surprise easier for both sides but more difficult to see how the battle progressed since, in this scene, there were many skirmishes but no one single, large, battle scene. It was terrain made for tactics and maneuvers, not massed pitched battles.
Lucifer surveyed it all, Lilith as his side. She said, “This is not the ground I would have chosen because my aerials cannot hit the mass, but must swoop down upon fragmented groupings, thus, losing the element of efficiency. This day will then be long and nothing can be counted as done until all the small battles have been counted, and even then re-massing will be difficult meaning we shall not know for a time who or what has won.”
“My fear, ” Lilith said, “is that we might win most skirmishes and still will not have won the battle. They outnumber us two to one and we cannot lose more hosts than they or we are done.”
And a gargantuan battle it was. A thousand, thousand, hosts descended among the seven hills and many ranks were, therefore, invisible and commanders could not coordinate as they would wish since there was no line of sight view of the battlefield.
Lord rode the between the hills and the valleys offering encouragement. Lucifer and Lilith flew above relaying commands from ravine to valley.
There arose a first volley from Lords’ hosts upon the central hill as their hosts sought to mount the top of a hill held by Lilith’s forces. These were met with an aerial bombardment from Lilith’s hosts and a push toward the top, as well, from Lucifer’s infantrymen. Backing down, Lord’s ranks shrank, pushed back into the valley below with Lucifer’s minions in hot pursuit. But Lucifer miscalculated in allowing that pursuit because he could see Lord had planned to have his infantry descend into the valley with hosts he deployed from behind yet another hill. These combined to surround Lucifer’s forces. Lucifer’s hosts pursuing were now the pursued. There were cries of anguish as the plan hatched and Lucifer saw the loss of an entire battalion, now being decimated rank after rank, outnumbered three to one and they soon fell beneath Lord’s forces of purple and green.
Lucifer said to Lilith as they watched; “We see our dream die here at arms and we are helpless. We must choose between hope and clear futility; do we fight on or spare lives and take what fate awaits us before Lord’s Throne? ”
Lilith spoke quietly, “Not as yet. I’ll have my aerials launch another dropp to see if mayhem can cause the scatter and help us yet re-coop what our eyes reveal below as sure disaster.”
Lilith’s forces flew high, their cloud-gasses shooting out, enveloping, but, this was of small consequence since Lord’s forces and those of Lucifer were in such close proximity—the cloud-gas had to be sparsely used—least Lucifer’s infantrymen be felled along with those Lord had fielded. A drag of time later it became clear that none and nothing would appear to save this battle or to save this day.
Lucifer raised his hand to halt the proceedings, telling all his hosts to cease in resisting and he took Lilith by the hand to begin a slow march through the ranks aimed toward Lord’s position on the high hill; each face in the angel hosts looked up to gain sight of what they all understood was the march of surrender, the final battle act, the end of the rebellion.
Slow march and longest time, Lucifer and Lilith then stood before Lord, his mount stomping ground, his eyes piercing down—his judgment ready, his wrath unsheathed, his words coming clear, addressing one and all.
“These two, ” he began, “were given my greatest fruits, all the gifts I had to give, all the love I possessed and yet, they saw fit to betray me, in my own bed, in my own house and still yet harbor the spawn-seed of that awful union.”
“You shall be, ” he said to Lilith and Lucifer, ” seated before me and I shall pass judgment upon you befitting the crimes of which you are guilty.”

Chapter 5

It was before the assembled hosts that Lord summoned the two to hear sentence passed against them and for them to receive from the parchment read, their fates and transmogrifications.
All hush came upon the group as each stood at Lord’s command whereupon he began to read from his rolled up scroll. “I have given each of you the gift of immortality, and mark while this I cannot revoke—this gift is irrevocable-but note, beauty is one gift which is redeemable and I, herewith, ” he said, raising he sword high so that all could see lowered it over Lucifer’s head spoke, “revoke from you the beauty I gave and give you the appearance of the animal of the field with cloven hooves. I place upon you the face of the goat and horns to mark your treachery.” Sudden, it was that Lucifer had cloven hooves, and horns on his head, that his whole body was crimson red. A gasp went up from all the hosts.
Lord continued, “You shall have the pitch-fork tail, signal of the forked tongue used to deceive and all shall know you by these presentments and you shall be so named for all eternity, and more, all your hosts and Cheribums shall be as gargoyles—hideous—and they shall cleave with you in this punishment.”
Lucifer stood now the image of a redden goat; ugly now, with his beauty gone, evaporated.
Lucifer spoke, his mouth was smaller now, but, he still had his eloquence, “You, Lord, have pronounced, and I have received, your judgment and punishments for a crime that has no precedence. I accept your pronouncements but ask Lord that you contemplate that when love given and received is put down viciously, without a shimmer of forgiveness or understanding, when this simple relationship is judged wanting and deemed a threat to kingdoms, what then is the true meaning there? How balanced is this judgment against Lord’s own values and sentiments? ” How can Love be a crime? Especially since we, Lilith and I, were by your own creation, fated to be attracted one to the other? Should not you Lord forgive and understand that you might have had a hand in the whole scheme? ”
Visibly angered, Lord leaned down from his throne-perch and fully-faced Lucifer’s new countenance and said “Your sentence is pronounced and you shall be cast down the Pit. You ask if your punishment is just. I answer you that to escape these deeds with your life intact is, in fact, mercy, more mercy that the angels you led received, which now all around us, lay dead. They have not life or limbs whist you walk about full-bodied, uglier true, but full-limbed. Nay, you have mercy.”
He turned then to Lilith and spoke close to her face, his tone softening.
“I gave you my all; nothing retained, and allowed all to flow away from my heart to you. I did not anticipate that my reward would be menstrual blood in my own bed and another’s embrace round you and conception too, in that very same space. How could you? ”
Lord’s lament was monstrously sad so great its depth.
“How could you.” he said again? ”
He paused, “I, ” he said raising his sword again, “strip from you my beauty gift and make of you a snake to crawl upon your belly henceforth.”
And Lilith was, in the instant, a serpent upon the floor.
Lord peered down, gazing upon her lowly form.
“I raise by this kingdom’s highest heights this further judgment upon you. So, as the seed you carry is evil sent, I smite it from your belly and thereby prevent its birth in this world and, too, make it such you will forever in your womb be barren.”
The hosts gasped as Lilith, even as serpent on the ground had a small bump, which in Lord’s pronouncement was gone and dispensed of. Her cry, even with serpent lips was audible in the midst of the hush now over the assembled hosts.
Lord thrust his sword even higher and said “I condemn you and your hosts to the Pit where you will be thrust down its fiery depths. I hereby condemn you, Lucifer and you Lilith, to spend your hideous immortalities on Earth.”

Chapter 6

The Earth in that time newly forming was a place of exploding volcanoes, fierce lava flows and it was formless and lifeless. Meteorites and asteroids rained down daily in terrifying numbers, creating huge sulphur and methane gas clouds.
Lord’s pronouncement had been carried out instantly and Lucifer and Lilith found themselves on a fiery crag where the heat was unbearable; where their bodies burned with red hot heat, with white fire and a blue blaze but, being immortal there was no relief for their torment. In that instant Lucifer said “we must get away from this Hell and find some place for shelter.”
As he spoke, he heard Lord’s voice was booming, “And I banish all the hosts who cleaved to them to Hell as well.”
All around Lilith and Lucifer could see angels now made into demons descend to be with them exiled by Lord. Thousands arrived, each a gargoyle, no longer the beautiful angels they once were, all cowered and astonished to be in such a place but happy to see Lilith and Lucifer. Many took heart that at least all would be together in the place.
Under fire with brimstone hurtling from the sky Lilith was able to with a great effort take herself from the serpents form temporarily said, “I am able to resume my old form for only brief moments so let me speak while I can.” She looked out over the many thousands there-many injured, most frightened-and offered them hope for the future.
“We are in this Hell; true, but some of our strength still remains. Lucifer and I can change our forms, but only for small intervals, so I appear before you in woman form in order to speak with you and to let you know we shall not lose heart despite this circumstance. Place your faith in our resources, even as I know many of you now suffer, sharing a fate which comes from having given us your support. Know you well that we shall survive this and rise again and deny the fate decreed us from Lord. We shall go down this crag and found a new dynasty below. Lord has banned us but he was not able to take from us all our powers. Lucifer and I have many powers left we shall build anew here. Join us.”
Lucifer said, “Bear the pain as you will; I see below cooler valleys and we must gather ourselves and clamor down to the valley floor where we can begin to structure a new life.”
It was a horrific descent where hot lava and steam burned many horribly step by step. There were cries and pleas of mercy to Lord even as they moved slowly down, passing burning boulders, fiery heaps, steam gardens and pyres. Lucifer could hear cries in his ears-some of the hosts asking for mercy, asking Lord to forgive, but these cries were not heard by Lord. There was only silence from above and in a crevice made of molten sulfur they all sat, to rest before the final descent to the valley below where Lucifer had promised accommodations would be more bearable. Lilith looked at the faces and whispered to Lucifer, “It is clear that, naturally, some among us regret this turn of events and will likely seek redemption from Lord’s decree and that will likely be rejected, thus, then, dear one, they will likely turn on us as the progenitors of their now unbearable torment. We, too, shall see, ” Lilith said, “rebelling rebels and revolutionaries in short order. For that we must have a plan and not be caught by surprise and, thus, suffer more in this horrid place—from a wedding of the specters of Hell and the specters of Politics.”
“I agree, ” Lucifer said, “this is foreseeable.”
They arrived at the valley floor to survey the landscape for shelter points and Lucifer pointed across the crevasse to a high cliff which appeared to have caves embedded midway above the valley floor. “There, ” he said, “we can find a cooler spot away from this murderous inferno and sit to speak of our plight and our sojourn here.”
They all agreed and began the trek up the cliff wall to the cave Lucifer had identified, sore and injured many of them, dispirited were some of them, resentful were others. Lucifer could see the frustration and confusion mix that inhabited them and knew that some of this would spill out and contaminate the new life he and Lilith were planning to build. His thought was to confront the riffs before they became disastrous and thereby cripple the whole enterprise.
That night in counsel, in the cave where they had gathered, he spoke of these issues and more.
“I know some feel our fate here is hell itself and that Lilith and I led, therefore, must take blame for urging you to rebel and now this, ‘unbearable eternity.’ I see this view. I understand. I understand that some would want to make a plea to Lord to take you back, to forgive and, thereby, relieve this suffering; ask forgiveness for the blasphemy. If that is the wish of some of you I would hear you on this. Stand and let yourselves be seen; how many are of this view? I, myself will help, in this, to see if Lord will recant and punish Lilith and I, but relent among you innocents and take you back. Let me see by standing up, how many are of this view? ”
The pause of thought ran threw all of them as they sought to see and feel where their own inclinations lay, and, at some long pause-point, several hundred of the thousands there stood up.
“I see some have declared.” Lilith said. “Here, then, is the plan. Choose among you delegates and then prepare to present to Lord your best case. We will then communicate on high and see if Lord will repent. It is a course to try; it is a cause of worth. Let us sleep this night and tomorrow make the attempt to communicate to Lord your desires and see what transpires.”
All nodded to Lilith’s plan and began to make arrangements for sleep. As they busied themselves
arranging the space Lucifer spoke to them soothingly, “We will on the morrow make a permanent shelter from raining rocks, create a space inside this cave where we can all live normal lives, sheltered. We must plan in our exile to make a new city in this Earth.”
The next day the delegation for Lord’s review assembled in front of all the hosts and called Lord’s name.
“Oh, Lord, ” the delegation leader said, “we are here, some of us, beseeching you, asking your forgiveness—to take us back, take us away from this dreadful place, to return to your kingdom, give us your salvation.”
There was a silent pause and no response came and the group hesitated and started to disperse when that familiar voice, that booming thunder-box of Lord’s occurred.
“I hear you; I understand your words and your anguish, and your pleas for redemption at my hand. This makes my mind tend toward salvation for the truly repentant. Here this, I make no promises here, but I will hear from all who want to come to sit with me and make individual personal pleas. Ready yourselves all who would come and I will transport the lot all at once.”
The group of several hundred looked at one another understanding Lord would hear them out and in a flash all hundred were gone, taken from where they stood, by Lord for counsel with him.
Astonished, the remaining hosts looked at one another and finally turned their gaze to Lucifer and Lilith who stood stock still mindful that a pardon from Lord for even a few might create an avalanche of those who would, too, ask for forgiveness, thereby abandoning Lucifer and Lilith to a lonelier still, haggard exile.
But Lord’s voice instantly returned and was again back in the room; his pronouncement clear.
“I have smited your delegation each and every one.”
There was a hush of disbelief spreading among them and a murmuring twinged with fear and loathing.
“How could you Lord? ”
“Know this, ” Lord was saying, “my decree is one of suffering. You have all sinned against me and have, thereby, earned your punishments. There shall be no reprieves. You shall suffer from my command for all eternity. Let this be for you clarity; sin and punishment are not to be severed, but are welded together irretrievably.”
There was stunned silence in the room at this.
Lilith spoke, “Lord I can see, especially in the case with me that such a betrayal, from your view, falling in love could warrant the hell you have bequeathed for Lucifer and I, but I am not able to see where such a harsh meting of punishments has been earned by those who merely followed their consciousness. I am of the view that mercy is not a sign of weakness but of strength yet, you by this, show no inclination for forgiveness and, thereby, in my eye reduce your presentation from on high down to lower motivations and pettiness.”
All were stunned at Lilith’s statement. There was no immediate response from Lord. But soon the cumulative effect of Lord’s silence and Lilith’s statement ignited among them a cumulative dread awaiting Lord’s response to Lilith’s speech.
It came.
“By the kingdom which is mine to rule, that the creature I created would affront me so and repay my gift with insolence, blasphemy, and such rejection pains me. Such salt on such wounds do not heal. Such deeds cannot be expunged. These are such dire acts, from which there can be no retraction. As deeds are done, so, too, are they punished, and, you all shall have to suffer yours; and from me know, there will be no, I say again, no reprieve.”
“You ask, Lilith, that I make an exception for you and honor your love for Lucifer and stay the hand of punishment. Understand, in this, despite my love for you, I have not allowed in this an exception for myself, even though in my heart, I might sorely wish to…”
“This is done.” Lord said with finality.
An awful silence fell. There was no sound or response. Everyone there knew matter had ended.
Lord’s disembodied voice was now gone silent.
They all stood mute.
Lilith spoke and said “This is our new home.”