Okay, this is the first chapter of the next instalment of Confessions. Unfortunately, because I am moving overseas, I won't be able to update for a while. Sorry, I know a few people are waiting for this, but I thought that this is better than nothing.
Thanx to my proofreader, Ka-chan! Much Appreciated!
Confessions 2 by Daniel Dubach aka 'Son of Durex' Chapter 1: Memories Part 1Jerikor's consciousness floated away from his broken body. He would need to find a new body to transport his consciousness. Jerikor had only been 'killed' once before, and the experience was not one that he enjoyed. He started floating over the landscape, looking for a suitable soul. This would be difficult. First he would have to find someone suitable, and then persuade them to give up their bodies and mind, living on as merely a facet of his consciousness. Jerikor had no idea why humans would accept such a proposal; maybe the lure of unending life, despite being confined to the sidelines, was the catalyst. Jerikor knew that living forever was not as wonderful as many humans guessed. Jerikor would have shrugged, he had to acquire a corporeal body, it didn't matter what the reasons were, just as long as he could possess a new body. He was worried about Tess. He was sure that the Iscariots would not ignore this, and that many other organisations in the world would be interested in the genetic experiments that had created Tess. However even if he could find a willing person, the process was difficult, it may take more than one attempt before Jerikor could find a new body. Flying over the world, he saw the soul-lights of many people – he could not see their corporeal forms, only their souls in the form a flickering flame. He knew what he was looking for. He needed a dull red flame. A soul that was angry at the word and the soul of a person who no longer wanted to stay upon this world. To these souls Jerikor spoke his whispered offers. He spotted the type of soul he needed and closed in on it. Focusing, Jerikor managed to discern the surroundings. The person was standing on the edge of a tall building.
'What are you doing?' Jerikor spoke into the person's soul.
"Who said that?" the person demanded looking around, "Don't try and stop me!"
'I merely asked you what you are doing.'
"I'm sick of this! I hate my life! Everyone else has someone to love. I'm always alone! I can't stand it anymore! I want to kill myself!"
'Merely because you have no one, you wish to throw your life away?'
The person started crying, "I never knew my parents. My mother was a prostitute who abandoned me after I was born; my father was one of her customers. I spent my entire life living with families that didn't love me. In school I hardly had any friends because I didn't have any parents or family." The person tried to take a step forward off the building, but Jerikor stopped them.
'If you want, I can be with you. I can be your family.' Jerikor said tenderly.
"What do you mean?"
'You said that you no longer want to live, that you no longer want that body. Give it to me; let me become part of your body and mind, so that you are never alone again.'
"You can do that?" the person said hopefully.
'I can. But it is not easy. You will be forced to relive my entire life. The experience could cause you to lose your sanity, or even worse your life.' Although Jerikor knew that that probably didn't matter to this person, he always tried to make sure that they knew what they were getting themselves into.
"You mean I'll never be alone."
'No, I will be with you. Always and I mean always. Once we become one being, there will be no difference between us. No method to return to a separate being. You will be stuck with me for all eternity.'
"What are you? A vampire ? A Devil?"
'If you allow me to show you, you will be able to see.' Jerikor spoke, approaching the spirit closer. This person could be perfect. It is obvious that this person had strength of mind, maybe even strong enough to survive the process of transferring all his memories.
"You won't use my body to do bad things will you?"
'Only what is necessary for our survival.'
"What do you mean that I will be forced to relive your entire life?"
'To become one being, a shared entity, we will see each other's lives. I will experience everything you have experienced and you will experience all that I have. This is hard for most mortals, I have lived for a long time now, and sometimes the mortal mind cannot deal with the enormity of my memories.'
"And what happens when they can't handle all your memories?"
'They lose their very identity, they can no longer remember who they are, and flashes of their and my life constantly torment them. Most kill themselves.' Jerikor said bluntly.
"I want to try it!" the person said.
'Are you sure? Once you say yes, there is no going back. Your former life will end. No one will ever remember you; it will be as if you never existed. Your own parents or wife, your best friends, they would treat you like a complete stranger. Are you sure you wish to enter this contract?' Jerikor spoke the last words ceremoniously.
The person caught the change of Jerikor's tone, and answered in kind. "I do accept this contract with you, and know that there is no going back. There is nothing for me to go back to anyway."
If Jerikor had a corporeal body at that stage he would have grinned, 'Very well, we have now entered a contract that neither of us can back out.' Jerikor approached the person's corporeal body and although he could not see it, he could sense it. He began to impose his spirit over the body, letting his being seep through the consciousness of the person and integrate with it. 'This will feel a little…weird.' Jerikor warned before starting to transfer his memories.
Jerikor spun his sword in a wide arc, parrying the claws and with a rapid riposte cleaved the daemon's head in two. "Forty-seven Ral!" Jerikor called joyfully over the din of battle.
Jerikor's best friend and close companion, Ral was surrounded by daemons. He merely smirked and spun in a rapid circle, his gigantic axe cleaving daemon flesh like it was butter. "I may only be on forty-three, Veo, but can you get seven at once?" Ral taunted back. Ral towered over Jerikor, he was hugely muscled and his hands were the size of bowling balls. His voice was gruff and deep, seeming to boom from his barrel like chest. There was no other Angel that Jerikor could trust like Ral. They had fought together in over thousands of clashes, and the two knew each other's fighting styles like they knew their own.
They were currently clashing with the forces of the Arch Deceiver, Lucifer. An archangel that desired for the seat of God Himself, and was cast from God's sight as punishment, although Jerikor almost agreed with Lucifer's attitude that Angels should be being with a completely free will, he had not joined the other angels who had flocked to Lucifer's banner. He had betrayed them all, and now the two, God and Lucifer were locked in an eternal battle; with neither being the victor.
Suddenly the battlefield turned dark. Both Angel and Daemon paused in their clashes of life and death to see what was happening. A dark red pentagram burned into the soil on the ground. A massive hoofed foot manifested and smashed down on the soil.
Jerikor began to grin ferally. "He's coming Ral. The coward is actually coming!" he yelled excitedly, and began fighting his way towards the rapidly manifesting daemon. He forged through the melee like a being possessed. No Daemon could halt his implacable advance and most fled from the aura of wrath and blood lust that surrounded Jerikor.
"Veo, NO!" Ral called out, trying to catch up to Jerikor. Despite his massive axe, he made slow headway against the mass of panic-frenzied Daemons that where trying to be anywhere but where Jerikor and the now nearly completely manifested Daemon were going to clash. Even fearless Angels started to back away, knowing that they would be of no help in the coming clash.
"COWARD!" Jerikor roared. "WEAKLING! Prepare to face another 301 years of imprisonment because of my blade!"
"HAHAHAHA!" the Daemon roared in laughter. "I have grown more powerful, my dear little Angel prince! I believe this battlefield will be your last!"
Jerikor's grin widened to manic proportions, "What makes you think that that will be enough Me'Ne'Kilth?" The Balor hissed as it heard its True Name muttered, but seemed to be able to shake the affects. Jerikor laughed mockingly. "What kind of pathetic creature is afraid of its own name, Me'Ne'Kilth?" Jerikor spat the name, as if it sullied his tongue by merely speaking the name. "Only a Daemon!" Jerikor spread his wings and used them to jump towards the Balor at amazing speed, his sword flashing as it descended towards the Daemon's head.
The Daemon quickly manifested its weapons, a sword and flaming whip and blocked the attack; although the power of the attack forced the Balor back a few steps. The whip curled around one of Jerikor's ankles and threw him away. Jerikor righted himself in mid air and used his wings to shoot back towards the Daemon. Me'Ne'Kilth desperately blocked, but Jerikor still managed to open up a deep wound in the Daemon's side.
Jerikor laughed psychotically, "And you said you got stronger, I was looking forward to a challenge!"
The Daemon also began to chuckle, "Ah, excellent, you are better than I remember, I am going to enjoy killing you slowly!"
"Hahahaha! I would like to see you try!"
Me'Ne'Kilth merely grinned; red light sprang up around him, coalesced into chains and whipped towards Jerikor at amazing speed. Jerikor's eyes widened and he barely sprang aside to avoid the attack. He was about to taunt the Daemon again when the Daemon's blade cut into his shoulder. Jerikor grimaced and sprung away as fast as possible.
"Oh, what happened to the taunting? I thought you said I was too weak to do anything! And now it is you how can only run away!" Me'Ne'Kilth laughed manically.
Jerikor spat out some blood. "Heh, looks like you may be more than just trash, Daemon, but then again, all of your kind is trash. Be cleansed for your sins!" Jerikor yelled, springing towards the daemon. The chains whipped forwards again, but Jerikor rolled out of the way, without losing any momentum. Jerikor swept his sword in a wide disembowelling stroke, which was met by the Daemon's own red blade. The whip swept up, but Jerikor dodged it and attacked again, cutting a deep line in the Daemon's shoulder. Me'Ne'Kilth swept the chains and twirled them around his body, driving Jerikor a short distance away. Keeping the chains twirling around his body like a suit of armour, he swept at Jerikor with his whip, forcing Jerikor to dodge this way and that. Whenever Jerikor tried to close the distance, he was beaten back by the mass of chains, yet he was too fast for Me'Ne'Kilth to hit.
"Looks like we have reached a stale-mate of sorts, Daemon!" Jerikor laughed.
Me'Ne'Kilth smirked, "Maybe you just aren't as good as you think you are, little Angel." The flaming whip that the Balor held suddenly split into three different heads.
"What the?" Jerikor managed as all three heads sprang towards him. He managed to dodge one of them by back flipping and blocked another with his sword, the last one, however wrapped around his throat. "Argh!" Jerikor managed before the Balor slammed Jerikor into the ground with the whip. The impact made Jerikor drop his sword. Again and again Me'Ne'Kilth slammed Jerikor into the ground with his whip.
"VEO!" someone yelled, and thunder rumbled in the heavens. Jerikor and Me'Ne'Kilth turned and saw Ral standing a short distance away, his axe held loosely in his hands. "Release him now!" Ral snarled, and the thunder rumbled louder.
"HAHAHAHAHA! You think I would listen to a lower class Angel like you?" Me'Ne'Kilth demanded. A bolt of lighting forked out of the heavens and struck at Me'Ne'Kilth, who barely managed to dodge it. "What? Who are you?" the Balor asked the approaching Ral.
"I am Ral, Angel of Thunder." Ral said, still walking slowly towards Me'Ne'Kilth, more bolts of lightning forked out of the heavens and struck at the Balor. "The Heavens themselves despise your presence here!" Ral readied his axe and swung a mighty blow at the Balor.
"Too slow!" the Balor called triumphantly blocking the blow and cutting Ral from shoulder to hip in a savage attack. He raised his sword for a killing blow, but stopped when he saw Ral grinning.
"I wasn't too slow, it was fast enough," he chuckled.
Me'Ne'Kilth looked around in confusion, not understanding. The whip was empty. "What?"
"That's right, I just attacked you to distract you long enough for Veo to get out. Hehe, you lose, Balor!" Ral laughed.
"WHAT?"
"BURN IN HELL YOU CURSED DAEMON!" Jerikor snarled, descending from the heavens like a thunderbolt, his sword cleaved the Balor from the top of his head to the groin, slicing him clean in two.
"I will get my revenge, Angel Prince!" Me'Ne'Kilth snarled as he dissolved into mist.
"I guess it worked," Jerikor said, before slumping, he had not the strength to even stand.
"Yeah…"
Ral and Jerikor knelt before the holy throne, wearing red collars from which sprung four chains, binding them to the ground. "You have committed numerous sins, the most grievous being engaging the enemy without order to do so!" spoke Gabriel, one of the throne angels.
"Normally, this would only result in a short period of imprisonment, however numerous witnesses speak of your lust for battle and your disregard for the troops under your command," continued another of the throne Angels, Uriel.
Jerikor spoke up, "Then why is Ral here? He has done nothing!"
"The fact that he followed you into battle is enough for his accusations!" spoke The Irin; twin angels who made up some of the Supreme judgement council of the Heavenly court.
Jerikor laughed coarsely, shocking all the Angels around him. "That's it? That's all? Just because we engaged an enemy without being told to?"
The Throne Angels looked uneasily at one another before Gabriel spoke up, "There are also suspicions of your loyalty to God. It is well-known that you were a supporter of the Deceiver of Fools."
Ral looked uneasy at this, but Jerikor just laughed harder. "You've got to be joking me! If I was not loyal I wouldn't be here right now, allowing myself to be bound and chained and have these allegations levelled at me!"
"Silence!" roared Camael, the Angel who personified Divine Justice.
Jerikor laughed even louder, "Or what? What can possibly happen to me that can make this all worse?"
The Angels gathered ignored his comment and continued, "We have decided to grant you leniency," Jerikor scoffed as he heard this, "and have granted you the choice of your fate. You may allow yourself to be destroyed or banished to Earth, never again to tread the Heavenly Halls!" spoke Camael.
Ral eyes widened, but Jerikor seemed unfazed. "Oh, how nice indeed. I can choose between destruction and an eternity of boredom, which should I choose?" he said sarcastically.
The Irin's eyes burned with anger, "Be grateful that you are granted this choice!"
Ral turned to Jerikor, "Veo, what are you going to do?"
Jerikor turned to his friend, "I don't actually know."
"Know that I will follow you, regardless of your choice!" Ral said fervently.
Jerikor shock his head sadly, "You should choose your own path," Jerikor looked up towards the Angels waiting for his answer, he addressed Gabriel, the Angel he had the most respect for in the gathering. "I choose to be banished to Earth, forever barred the Heavenly Halls and never more to be in the presence of God," he said strongly.
"Are you sure you choose this choice? Your name will be banished from all records, another Angel will take your Name and your portfolio of power, and you will be effectively powerless."
"I am certain, now hurry up and get on with it!" Jerikor interrupted.
"And what fate does Ral choose?" spoke Camael. "Know that if you repent, you may return to Heaven and retain your Name and powers."
"I follow Veo, no matter where he goes!" Ral spoke fervently.
"Your loyalty is astounding," spoke Gabriel with a smile.
"And foolish," growled Jerikor.
"Very well," started Camael, "With the power vested in me, I cast Sopheriel Mehayye, keeper of the Book of the Dead and Angel of Death, also known as Jerikor Veorraent, Sarim (1) of Heaven and Ra'miel, Angel of Thunder, Warrior of Heaven, for the whole of eternity to be banished to Earth and the Mortal Plane. Never more to walk in Heaven's Halls, never more to bask in the Holy presence of God, never more to serve God or His servants, forever banished and never to return!" with each word that Camael spoke Jerikor and Ral felt their holds on their celestial bodies slipping bit by bit. Ral disappeared earlier than Jerikor, who was more powerful and managed to stay long enough to snarl out a warning.
"Know this! There will be a day when you will regret your decision, by every strand of my being I swear I will wreak vengeance and make you rue the day when you cast me out!" Jerikor snarled before disappearing from Heaven.
(1) Sarim – in the celestial tongue this means Prince of Heaven, it is a title bestowed on powerful Angels, most of who are blessed by being allowed into God's presence. Lucifer was also a Sarim before he was cast out.