From Heaven To Earth (The Faith of the Fallen) (28 page)

Christ. He scared the shit out of me,
Peter thought.
I’ll show
him though. He’ll understand soon enough that I have the city’s best interests
in mind.

“Do you really think peace between all of us is possible?” Peter asked.

“It’s in your hands now. Funds will be available shortly,” the mayor
said. They walked outside the capitol to the top of the steps leading down to
the sidewalk below. The mayor raised his hands to the crowd.

My family and I need to take refuge before Peter does anything rash,
Michael thought.
I can only hope that what I have told him will help him
realize that he doesn’t need to think in absolutes.

The reporters quieted.

“I know all of you must be wondering how we are going to handle the
half-breeds that have secretly shared our city with us for many years.” He
gestured at Peter. “This man, Executor Peter Herrero, is now in charge of
neutralizing this threat. He will take your questions.”

Peter did not know whether to be excited or frightened.

“His press conference will begin at noon. Thank you, and have a blessed
day.” The Mayor waved and walked down the steps of the capitol. The press
allowed him to pass and cleared out.

When the mayor was at the bottom of the steps near the street he reached
into his pants pocket and pulled out a small cell phone. He dialed the number
for his chauffeur.

“Yes sir, I’m pulling around the block now.”

“Take Xoe home. It’s an emergency. Call her school for me.”

“Yes sir.”

He dialed his wife next and waved down a cab.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?!” His wife yelled at him when
the call connected. “The Curtain has been berating me for being unavailable
because of this Park incident last night, and the last thing I need is for you
to be unavailable when I need you. I called you after I watched the news this
morning and haven’t been able to reach you. Where have you been?”

“Vern, honey, I’m sorry.” The Mayor pushed his left ear closed with his
free index finger so he could hear his wife. “The phone was on silent while I
was meeting with Peter.”

“Do you have any idea what’s been shown on the news!” she continued.

“Yes I know. It’s time for a vacation. Call and make the arrangements
with our contacts at the airport.”

“Yeah, I need to calm down. A vacation. You’re right. We need to get out
of the city,” she said.

“Keep Xoe safe. She’s being driven home now. I’ll meet you at the
airport. Ok?” Michael told her.

“Ok,” she said.

“Good, I’ll see you at the airport. Love you,” Michael said.

Ok, ok. Love you too, I’ll see you there,” she said, and hung up.

A yellow cab pulled up in front of the mayor. Its window rolled down and
the driver craned his neck to look at Michael.

“Yo, you need a ride?” the burly cab driver asked from the front seat.

“Yes. To the airport please,” Michael answered.

“You got it,” the driver said.

The next call Michael placed was to his accountant.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Yes. I wanted to let you know that at least 10 million will be withdrawn
from the main account today. Remove all emergency holds on my funds until
further notice.”

“It will be done, sir. Thank you for the warning.”

Michael sighed.

“Is everything alright, sir?”

“Yes. Thank you. Have a good day.”

Michael hung up.

While you still can,
he thought.

He crossed himself and prayed for guidance: for himself and for Peter.

When Drean, Gerald and Riell passed through the doorway of the house
Grakan stepped in and closed the door behind them.

“Right now we’re standing in the lobby of the mansion. If you’ll follow
me...” Grakan spoke loudly over the constant moaning.

“What is that sound?” Drean asked.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Grakan said.

Their footsteps clicked against the dark wooden floor of the manor. Its
lobby was an expansive rectangular room. Bleached wooden columns reached up
from the floor to the ceiling on both sides of them. Painted Chinese dragons
twisted around them all the way to their tops.

They stopped in front of a circular pond. An obsidian statue of a
succubus and incubus, intertwined in what looked to be an uncomfortable sexual
position, was at its center. Light from small torches lining the walls of the
lobby reflected off of its polished stone.

A succubae’s head was carved into the left edge of the pond, and looked
over the water. The head of an incubus was on the opposite side. Both heads
spouted a constant stream of water into the pond. Koi of different shapes and
sizes swam in its limpid water.

Columns held up a balcony behind the statues. Curved stairwells, one on
the left and right of the balcony, provided access to it from the lobby.

“I never get tired of looking at those two demons going at it,” Gerald
said under his breath.

“I expect no less from you,” Riell said.

“This is in the southernmost part of the manor,” Grakan said. “The
master’s study is in the northernmost. You should pass through the...”

“Brainnnns...” a gurgling voice said from the left of them.

Drean was closest to the zombie when it revealed itself, and he did not
know how to react to the rotting figure of a man dragging itself toward him.
The zombie’s head was crooked to one side, and saliva dripped from his
blackened maw. Drean stepped away with his hands out showing that he meant no
harm.

Grakan turned to the voice, perturbed.

“Pat, what in bloody hell are you playing at?” Grakan walked over to the
zombie and smacked it on the side of the head.

“Pat?” Drean chuckled to himself.

“Don’t make fun of him,” Gerald said. “He’s a friend of mine.”

“I apologize,” Drean said.

Pat looked taken aback and then stood up straight. “I’m sorry, sir...” It
said in mournful tones. “I didn’t mean to be bothersome... you know how I love
to play with our guests.” The zombie shuffled closer to Riell who shrank back.

“Go take a bath or something... Jesus.” She held her nose.

“As you should, Drean.” Gerald twisted his face to show that he was
disappointed in Drean’s superficiality.

Drean lowered his eyes to the ground.

“Pat it’s been a while!” Gerald held out his hand, which the zombie shook
with great fervor.

“Gerald! I thought that was you.” Pat tried to smile. “Can’t really see
as well as I used to. How have you been?”

“I’m hangin’ in there. You’re hurting my hand there, bud,” Gerald said.

Pat released Gerald’s hand.

“My apologies. It’s just good to have company in this house again. Other
than the students we rarely have guests anymore,” the zombie said.

Gerald turned to Riell to introduce her to the zombie but she glared at
him.

“Well,” He coughed. “We have some urgent business to attend to.”

“It was a pleasure as always, Gerald.” Pat extended his hand. Gerald
reached to shake it but before he could the zombie’s hand fell off.

Pat burst into tears and bent to the ground to collect his hand.

“You’re a zombie,” Riell scoffed. “How can you possibly be sad about
this?”

Drean gave Riell a look of disgust and brushed past her to shake the
zombie’s remaining hand.

If you touch that zombie you can just stay clear of me until you take
a shower,
Riell thought at him.

Gerald tried to comfort Pat by putting his arm around his shoulders.

“The undead can be sensitive you know!” Gerald narrowed his eyes at
Riell, who threw her hands up in surrender.

“Alright, Pat.” Riell knelt in front of the zombie, and tried to keep a
straight face while she held her breath.

“Yes?” The zombie sniffed.

“I’m sorry if I was rude but we have to get a move on.” She moved a few
steps away before taking a deep breath, and shot a questioning glance at Drean
who walked past her to the zombie.

Drean yawned before extending a hand to Pat. “My name is Drean. I am
honored to meet you, Pat,” he said.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Pat said, and shook Drean’s hand.

“Do you play guitar?” Drean asked.

Gerald clapped his palm against his own forehead and Riell sighed.

“No. Never touched an instrument,” Pat said.

Grakan eyed the group of them and cleared his throat. “I’ve come to a
conclusion,” he spoke loudly to get their attention.

“What’s that?” Drean asked.

“A conclusion is a...” Riell began.

“I know what a conclusion is, thank you.” Drean gave her a side-glance.

Riell raised an eyebrow at this and folded her arms.

“You three are unfit to travel,” Grakan said. “And where you all are
going you’re going to need to be rested at the very least.”

“We can’t waste any more time. I’m exhausted, yes, but Leoran could bring
an end to everything we know at any moment. He might already be in Hell,” Riell
said.

“No. It will take him days to reach Hell without inter-dimensional
travel,” Drean said.

Gerald nodded.

“Yeah. I wonder why he doesn’t just teleport himself there,” Gerald said.

“He’s not powerful enough,” Drean said. “He is a shadow of a shadow. A
mockery of what our Father stood for.”

“That’s one way to say it I guess,” Gerald said. “I would have just
called him a pussy.”

“Do you all have a point?” Riell asked and gave Drean a look that could
smelt steel.

“We’re going to Hell...” Drean gestured downwards. “Now I’m not sure what
you’ve heard,” he looked directly at Riell who turned her gaze away, “but it’s
the exact opposite of where I spent most of my life and if Heaven is everything
that is perfect: contentment, joy...”

“Etc., etc. What’s your point?” Riell said.

“I say we get some rest while we can,” Drean finished.

“Yep. Agreed,” Gerald said.

“Yes, my sentiments exactly.” Grakan clapped his hands three times.

Three spheres of light appeared from the door upstairs and slunk down into
the lobby. As they drew closer they could see they were translucent humans in
suits: an elderly man with an eye patch over his left eye, a young man with
shoulder length hair, and a headless boy.

“These servants will show you to your rooms. Please enjoy your stay,”
Grakan said. “Take care of our guests you three.”

The ghosts floated up the staircase to the balcony, and the three of them
followed behind.

“Oh, and don’t disturb the other residents,” Grakan called after them, as
Pat took his hand and used it to lift himself to his feet. “Not all of them are
going to be thrilled by your presence here, Drean.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Drean called back to him.

“Of course, sir. I hope to see you again soon.” Grakan bowed to Drean as
the three of them crossed into the upper part of the house.

Grakan stood up straight, stretched his back and fluttered his wings slightly.

“Ahh...” he said after he was done stretching. “Gri will be pleased that
the angel is so powerful. I’m not sure how well Zaltus is going to take it
though.”

Pat nodded and growled. “That old sorcerer... always prowling around here
like he owns something.”

“He may own more than we know, old friend.” Grakan patted the zombie on
the shoulder and felt something gooey on the palm of his hand. “We had best be
wary,” he said and sniffed the black jelly on his hand. He retracted his head
immediately when the stagnant smell of rotten flesh filled his nostrils.

“If ‘we’d best be wary,’” the zombie intoned, half laughing at Grakan’s
predicament, “then why didn’t you let Gerald and the others know about Zaltus?”

“We were instructed not to, and you know as I do that Gerald already
knows of Gri’s union with the sorcerer. It seems that he too has left that bit
of information out.”

Grakan looked at his palm; it cracked loudly as he hardened it into gray
stone and reverted it back to flesh. The goo on his hand remained stone
however, and he brushed it off. It fell to the floor and broke into several
pieces.

Pat laughed and nearly doubled over from coughing. “I’m shocked they both
would choose a time like this to test them.”

“They need to prepare and this house would be the place to temper them.”
Grakan opened the door to the house to return to his post. “If they can survive
the night here then maybe they can survive the endeavor they’re going to face
in the depths of Hell.”

Riell, Gerald and Drean followed the three ghosts from the lobby up to
the second floor of Gri’s manor. Drean reached out to brace himself against the
railing. When he touched the golden rail he drew his hand back quickly as if it
had burned him.

Did it just move under my hand?
Drean thought himself delusional
but felt it shudder beneath him violently.

Riell noticed his reaction and looked at him quizzically.

“Why did you flinch?” she asked.

“The rail. It vibrated when I touched it,” Drean said.

Riell and Gerald both stopped to touch the rail.

“Do either of you feel it?” Drean asked them.

“Nope,” Gerald replied, he watched Drean for a moment though.

“I don’t either,” Riell said. “Are you alright, Drean?”

Drean didn’t answer her, but continued to stare at the rail.
Why did
it react like that when I touched it?

“We must continue, please,” the elder spirit said from the top of the
stairs.

Gerald shrugged and walked up the stairs. Riell looked Drean over before
she followed. When Drean walked up the stairs the headless ghost slid silently
in front of him.

“Obe, leave the young man alone. We need to get them to their rooms,” the
elder ghost said.

Drean watched the ghost as it touched the railing and flitted about the
ceiling frantically.

“He says the house fears me.” Drean said after a moment.

“Obe, let him be.” The elder ghost waved at Obe.

Obe settled at the top of the stairs.

“How did you understand him?” Riell asked.

“He just spoke out to me with his body language. I’m not sure how. I just
understood him,” Drean said.

They reached the top.

Moans and screams escalated all around them. It grew colder. Ghosts with
twisted taffy-like limbs wandered about. Holes gaped where their breasts and
genitals should have been.

Drean could not understand them, and then all at once he could hear them
clearly.

“One more time? Please?”

“I just want to make love. I just want to have her again.”

“Give her to me! She’s mine! Mine!”

“I’ll rape them, every single one of them, if I don’t get free service
now. I demand it.”

“Am I a man, or a woman? Tell me! Tell me!”

“I need it. I’m dying. Dying.”

Each ghost had similar laments of desire or dissatisfaction.

“Just ignore them,” the elder ghost said.

“What are they?” Drean asked.

“Half-eaten souls. They are the product of prolonged succubae or incubae
use,” the elder ghost said.

“Which is why I got out of that,” Gerald said.

“You had sex with a succubus?” Drean asked.

“Uh. Once. A few times. Ok, more than I should have,” Gerald said.

“Why?”

“We don’t have time for this,” Riell interrupted. “Drean you don’t need
to know these things.”

“Tell me why, Gerald.”

“Sex with them is one of the most phenomenal experiences I’ve had. That’s
why. One time and no one else will compare. That is if you get an experienced
one. And the one that I saw… well; she really set the bar.

Riell gripped Gerald’s arm.

“That’s enough.”

“Damn. Fine. He just needs to know what he’s up against you know?”

A great bronze double-door awaited them a short distance from where the stairs
connected to the balcony.

A snarling demon was depicted on its left side. Its aversion was directed
at an angel that faced him from the right door.

The angel had a drawn sword, ready to defend itself from the incoming
demon. A torso and head were engraved across the center of the doors: the half
on the left, the angel’s body and the half on the right, the demon’s body.

Why did you try to stop Gerald?
Drean thought at Riell.

I have my reasons.

If we are going to be faced with succubae here, I need to know what to
expect.

We’ll protect you. He shouldn’t have said what he said about them. I
don’t want you to be tempted if we do see them, and now you have in your mind
that they can give you pleasure of that magnitude. Your curiosity could
outweigh your resistance against them. They play on curiosity and desire. Just
remember these souls around us. They are the reason you must stay away from
them.

Drean set foot on the balcony and the doors shuddered. The whole company
glanced back at him.

“I’m not doing anything,” Drean said.

The elder ghost floated over to the door and touched it with his hand.
Its tumultuous reaction to Drean’s presence lessened and ceased.

“Obe’s assessment is correct. The house fears you,” he said.

Obe pointed at Drean.

“Is he accusing me of something?” Drean asked.

“No, angel, don’t be so anxious,” the elder replied. “You are our guest
here. The house may not understand why you are here, but it will not harm you
unless you show intent.”

Drean sighed in relief as the headless ghost beckoned to him with a
finger.

“Drean, don’t leave his side until you’ve reached your room,” the elder
ghost said. “Riell, follow me from now on. Gerald will follow Gustav.”

“So you’re Gustav.” The ghost faded out of view and reappeared at
Gerald’s side. “I’ve heard a lot about you. You had quite a reputation with the
ladies when you were living.”

Gustav grinned at Gerald’s recognition of his past life.

Riell walked up beside the leading ghost.

“And you are?”

“I am Ajeb,” the ghost said. Ajeb placed both hands on the door.
“Interesting. The doors are not responding.” He pushed on them a little.
“Nothing.” He turned to face Drean. “Perhaps it seeks to deny you entry,” Ajeb
said to him. “Reassure the manor, Drean,” Ajeb urged, and motioned for him to
come forward by the door.

“But, how?” Drean asked.

“Explain why you’re here,” Ajeb said.

“I am only a humble guest in this magnificent home,” Drean began. The
doors shook. Drean moved closer to them as he spoke. “I mean you no harm and
understand that if for some reason I break this vow you will retaliate.” Drean
stood in front of the doors now.

All he could hear was the cacophony of anguish around him. His hands
trembled as he reached for the door.

“Grant me entry, so I may speak to your master,” he finished.

When Drean’s hand neared the door the demon on the left side roared, cast
a menacing stare, and the head of the demon-half of the middle engraving
snapped at Drean. Drean drew back and pushed the door with both hands.

It shuddered once more, and the demons within it sank into the door.

A rush of cool wind blew against Drean when the door opened. Beyond the
door a long narrow walkway led to a circular courtyard. Exotic vegetation
reached from the ground up through the skylight of the courtyard from all sides
of the walkway: enormous colorful flowers, bushes and trees. Green wooden walls
stretched up high into the air a few feet behind the plants, and oriental style
roofs curved upward from the top of them.

A life-like sculpture of a robed humanoid at the very center of the
courtyard caught Drean’s eye. Its robe encompassed his face and body and Drean
could not discern its race. Its hands were raised at his sides, palms facing up
as if he were balancing an immense amount of weight.

“This is the common area,” Ajeb remarked. “Many of our students and teachers
walk through these gardens in-between lessons.”

The three visitors followed their escorts.

Drean peered through the growth around him. He thought he could see
through the wall beyond the plants. Drean stretched an arm through to test his
new theory and was surprised when he could feel no wall where there should have
been one.

“Sir, I strongly recommend you desist.” Ajeb flitted in front of him and
glowered.

“I... I, apologize,” Drean said. “I just wanted to see if the wall was
where I thought it was.”

The ghost nodded. “I know you’re a curious one. The garden around the
perimeter of the courtyard has no end to answer your question. At least not one
that I know of. It stretches through this plane and into another.”

“But how is that even possible?” Riell said. She stepped closer to listen
to the conversation.

“Gri is an accomplished soul-botanist. His garden is grown from discarded
soul-seeds,” Gerald said.

“Heaven’s discarded soul-seeds? Why would he dabble in something so
volatile?” Drean asked.

Gerald shrugged.

“He believes all souls deserve a chance to live.”

“Each to his own I suppose,” Drean said.

“Gri considers his garden his masterpiece,” Ajeb said. “Most of it
remains uncharted to this day. However there are several paths you can walk
that will bring you back to this courtyard if you wish to explore it.”

“Maybe some other time,” Riell interjected. “We should be getting to our
rooms.”

“So this is him then.” Drean stopped underneath the statue and stared up
at it.

“Yes, this is the master of the manor,” Ajeb said.

“What does this say?” Drean peered at an inscription at the statue’s
base. “I can’t read it.”

“It is in demonic,” Ajeb said. “It reads: ‘Feed your mind. Feed your
body. Feed your soul. Embrace your identity. Claim your destiny.’”

“Interesting,” Drean said.

Why would Gerald bring us to see someone who has obvious ties to the
demonic?
Drean thought about saying something to Gerald but decided against
it.
I have to trust him, at least until he disproves his worthiness.

Riell noticed three stone walkways branched off from the statue: west,
north and east of their position.

I should have known,
she thought.
Three ghosts, three paths,
three guests. Three different fates? They’re trying to split us up for a
reason.

“We’ll be going to different wings of the house from here,” Ajeb said.

“Drean you will be following Obe.” The headless ghost flew around the
group excitedly before coming to a rest by Drean’s side.

“He’s taken a liking to you, sir,” Ajeb remarked.

Drean raised an eyebrow and tried to grin at his new companion but could
not hide his disgust.

Riell stifled a chuckle. “It’s really not necessary to put Drean and I in
different rooms,” she said.

“Those were our instructions, madam,” Ajeb said. “We must follow them.”

Be careful, Drean,
she thought at him.

His eyes met hers and he nodded.

“Alright, let’s get on with it,” she said.

“Gustav, you will lead Gerald...” Ajeb continued.

Gustav faded from view and reappeared at Gerald’s side with a wide grin
on his face.

“...And I’ll accompany you, Riell,” the ghost finished.

Obe led Gerald on the northern path, behind Gri’s statue.

“He’s taking me to my usual room in the north wing. See you guys later.”
Gerald turned and waved.

“See you, Gerald,” Drean called after him.

Riell gave him a nod.

“Why are you so irate, Riell?” Drean asked.

Riell’s lips tightened when she heard Drean speak.

“We should be in Hell right now. Not lounging around here.”

“We need to be rested for the journey and for the battles to come,” Drean
said.

Ajeb floated to Riell’s side. “Drean is correct, madam. Let us be on our
way.” Ajeb floated down the eastern path.

Riell cast Drean a worried glance and followed the ghost.

“See you later, Riell,” Drean said with a wave.

If you need me let me know.
She spoke to him telepathically.

I will.

Heavy winds stirred the plants of the courtyard. Thousands upon thousands
of leaves and flowers rustled simultaneously. The garden’s vastness awed Drean.

Drean turned to look behind him one last time. Gri’s statue was no longer
in sight.

Drean sighed and walked with Obe down the western path.

Deaf and blind to what is all around me, yet I must press onward,
Drean
thought.