Prophet of Doom

It was already evening twilight when Lilith and Isaiah reached the Mithras Tower. Most of the people inside were already heading home. Very few were brave enough to stay after dark, even after the defeat of the opposing state. Lilith touched Isaiah's arm to get his attention.

"He should be upstairs. Just follow me and keep your mouth shut." She turned to lead him inside. Heading for the elevators, she noticed that only one person was left in the lobby. She glanced his way, then stopped for a better look and nearly fell over. The man sitting alone in the lobby seemed familiar. When he looked back at her, she realized that it was Koromos, alive and well. He puckered his lips to kiss at her. Before she could either respond or faint, Isaiah grabbed her arm and shook it.

"Is something wrong?"

Lilith considered telling him the truth for a moment. "No," she finally said. "Let's go."

She ran for the nearest elevator without looking back. Isaiah exchanged glances with Koromos, but neither felt disturbed by it.

(X)

When Lilith stepped onto the top floor, she whistled to announce her presence. Isaiah followed her to the doors at the end of the hall. She forced them open with one hand and a foot. Dante was still sitting at the computer with both feet propped on the edge of the desk. While Lilith was gone, he'd put on a black coat with two dragons, one red and one blue, on the chest. He was on his cell phone speaking in Cantonese.

"What is he saying?" Isaiah asked.

"I'm not allowed to say. It's one of his emissaries in Lil-Chin."

"You don't have a priesthood, but you have emissaries?"

"They are his eyes and ears. Nothing more."

Lilith stepped behind the chair to get a good look at the screen saver. It was a cartoon version of Evel Knievel having mishap after mishap on a motorcycle. She bit down the urge to laugh until Dante finished the call. He closed the phone slowly as he spoke.

"How has your normal day been?" he asked.

"Honestly? Boring, yet enlightening." Lilith offered him the evening glory in her left hand. "I brought you something. It was the first to bloom at sunset." Dante took it gingerly from her. "You have a guest," she said while motioning to Isaiah.

Dante was in no hurry to greet him. He lowered his feet to the floor but didn't turn to face Isaiah. "Is this how you treat those who come for your help, son of Eva?" Isaiah asked

Dante's eyes widened with recognition. He turned in the chair with the evening glory still in his hand. "Isaiah," he said. "I didn't think you were still alive."

"I shouldn't be, but I have special emissary duties of my own."

Lilith grabbed a chair and watched the scene unfold. Isaiah and Dante suddenly noticed her when she dropped herself into another chair. "I see you've met my daughter. I'm sorry if she's made things difficult."

She glared at him. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"I'm not."

Isaiah snickered. "She is a lot like Eva, isn't she?"

"That goes for you, too!" Lilith threatened.

Isaiah placed a hand across his chest and bowed. "Forgive me."

"Grab a chair," Dante said, "and tell me what brings you to my forsaken realm."

Isaiah took a third chair. "I wish it were good news."

"What is it? Has someone in Hell been misbehaving again?"

"That would be simpler, but no. This time it's the other place."

Dante tapped one finger against his armrest. "You don't mean Heaven? That would be absurd."

"Not quite. It's actually one rogue angel that's doing something very bad."

"For whom?"

"All of us. Demons, angels, and everyone in between. Last I saw it, it was in the form of a female."

"What's its name, and what's it doing?"

"Its name is Ariel. She has found half of the Idda Corrof and intends to unite it with the other half."

Lilith heard her father sigh as he bowed his head. "What is the Idda Corrof?" she asked.

"An item with a dangerous power," Dante answered. "It was deliberately hidden to protect it from both angels and demons. In either hand it could do extreme damage."

"It was created at the beginning of the Universe," Isaiah explained. "The Higher Forces recognized the need to maintain a system of checks and balances, especially when intelligent beings discovered the concepts of good and evil. The Idda Corrof was created and then deliberately split in half, with one side representing Heaven and the other Hell. If these two pieces were reunited, then every demon, angel, and their masters will become effectively human."

Lilith shrugged. "That could be good."

"But it's not," Dante added. "If that happens, then the Universe will begin to disintegrate. Good and evil will be equally wiped out, thereby negating all existance."

"Bummer. Why is she doing this?"

"Out of ignorance," Isaiah said. "The Idda Corrof is supposed to be mere legend, even for us. When Ariel discovered it was real, she thought that she could use it to wipe demons off the Earth. She doesn't know that she and all like her will be affected as well. Very few on either side actually know it really exists and what it does."

"Is she honestly so eager to be rid of all of us?" Lilith asked. "Does she not know that there are demons opposing Hell and angels opposing Heaven?"

"She knows; she just doesn't give a damn. She cares nothing for either of you nor your empire. Everyone knows that if anything were to happen to you, then the empire would fall into chaos, taking the rest of the world with it. It will be the Stone Age all over again. No pressure, though."

"None felt."

"Where did you last see her," Dante asked, "and where is the other piece?"

"I last saw her in the Southern Continent Amerika. The second half is in Jih Pan."

"Jih Pan?" Lilith asked. "Where is that?"

"Off the far eastern coast of Chin," Dante answered. "I'm sending you there to check it out."

"By myself?"

"No. I'll send someone with you. The codeword is Cassandra. You'll leave as soon as possible."

"In other words?"

"Now."

"Of course." Lilith rolled her eyes as she stood. "I'll have to stop by the manor to pick up a few things. Tell whomever the intended sidekick is to meet me there."

Isaiah spoke as Lilith headed for the door. "Whether or not you find Ariel, do not return without the other half of the Idda Corrof."

"I don't intend to, but intent is not enough." With that, she closed the doors and headed down the hallway.

"She's very gloomy," Isaiah said.

"She gets it from her mother." Dante activated his cell phone and made a serious long distance call. A woman with a soft voice picked up on the end. "Lucia," Dante said, "I need you to do me a favor."

(X)

Lucia pushed the door open with her foot and leaned out the side of the airplane. A Jih Panese forest whizzed below as the plane flew low. "Come on Lilith!" Lucia called. "The sooner we get down there, the sooner we can leave!"

"Famous last words, among others." Lilith zipped up her leather coat before joining Lucia at the door. "Let's go. You first."

Without hesitation, Lucia threw herself from the airplane. One second later, Lilith followed. They fell through the trees and landed side by side on their feet. "Where from here?" Lilith asked.

"Your father said towards the sunset, towards that large mountain."

"Should we fly?"

"If Ariel is already here, she will see us. We can run really, really fast."

Lilith gave Lucia a sarcastic expression as Lucia disappeared in white feathers and ran through the forest. Lilith gave her a few seconds head start before transforming and running after her. The fake chase continued until dusk when Lucia and Lilith finally reached the base of the mountain. The two stopped and looked up. They saw a third winged figure flying towards a cave on the mountainside.

"Ariel," Lilith thought aloud. "There's no point in worrying about being seen now." Lilith boosted herself upwards with a powerful leap with Lucia right behind her. The two made it to the cave in just a few minutes. Before going in, they waited for Ariel to make a sound. What they got was a scream of rage.

(X)

Ariel returned to her human form when she reached the cave. As soon as she found her footing, she created a light in her palm and stepped into the cave. Sparkling crystals twinkled in the light when she passed them. She stopped to touch one. It released a soft tone.

"Are you hiding what I've come for?" she asked. The crystal sang again before she continued into the cave. She walked for nearly a mile before she saw the largest crystal at the end. Rather than reach out for it, she killed the light in her palm. The crystal gave off its own light.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," the voice of someone else said as the person it belonged to took the crystal. "I hope you don't intend to leave with this."

Ariel placed both hands behind her back. "I do. Don't be so foolish as to think you can keep it from me. You are one of many, and you'll go down like all of them."

The man raised the crystal so it could illuminate his face. "Do you know whom I am?"

Ariel instantly recognized him and screamed with rage. "Koromos!"