Ascent, p.21
Ascent, page 21
part #2 of The Lit Series Series
“The same thing that happens if another Leviathan takes their Conduit. They go back. They really hate that. If they take one of us out, not only do we become part of them forever… BINGO… they get to move to another Conduit and another… and another. This has been going on for millennia. The more ancient the Leviathan, the stronger they are. The more Conduits collected, the stronger they are. In their world, being strong is really fucking important. They lose their Conduit by any other means and they are locked back up. Older, more practiced Leviathans eventually win. Why do you think every year they try so damn hard?” Jason ranted, shrugging. “Did you ever wonder why? Why does it do so much to protect you and then, all of a sudden, its hunting season? It's respect. You are their equal. You hold the key to the cage of the most awesome creatures imaginable. If they don’t take you with them before you die… they have to go back. If they're successful, they get to bless another. The cycle continues.”
Sam scoffed. “Until what? What's the point?”
Spinning energetically around, Jason strode to the first framed painting on the far wall. “That’s the point!”
Curiously Sam approached the large frame. It was stark in contrast to the middle age scribbling he had just seen. It was a man, tall and thick, with large white eyes and a bizarre, elongated mouth. He was poised above a crack of light that emanated from the black ground beneath. Around him were figures, twisted scrawling of tormented, outstretched beings and symbols that Sam had never seen before.
“Bael,” Jason said proudly. “Bael is the point. It’s happened before. Bael destroys messed up civilizations. Bael changes worlds. Legend has it, he was the first. The monarch of the underworld. A supreme the others must follow. Must obey… loyalty to Bael grants them what they want.”
“And that is?”
“Us! We grant them access to those most pathetic.” Jason sighed as if the answer should have been obvious. “We feed them. Gift them with the suffering of the unworthy scum, cowards, and pointless people. The pain and fear of our ‘gifts’ go hand in hand. But Bael is not ‘free’. Sadly, tragically even he has to adhere to the rules of the Conduit cycle. That's what we are doing here… find the Conduit of Bael… render them powerless. Feed him his well overdue reward.”
“To what end?” Sam felt sick to the stomach. “Then he simply finds another. There's no point in doing it.”
As if on the precipice of unleashing a great secret, Jason cast his eyes around the room.
“We have learnt how to separate a Leviathan from its Conduit and join it to another. The Conduit son of a bitch that controls Bael controls them all. The Alpha male… think of that power. That power needs to be with the worthy.”
“And who would that worthy person be? You?”
Jason went quiet. His eyes glinted with suspicion, as if he had said too much. He then delivered what Sam thought was his first carefully considered response since they had met. “That… remains to be seen. But the Conduit of Bael is, ultimately, Conduit of all. It's happened before. Bael’s hard to find. Seers, Grimoires, other Leviathans… Bael chooses who sees him and who doesn't.”
Full of questions, his mind whirring, Sam noticed something else on the painting before him. A terrifying animal, a large black, decaying beast that stood in the foreground. He had seen this creature before. Quickly he scanned the bottom of the painting. The Devotee responsible for this one had written nothing. He had to ask, controlling his movements before he even spoke. He needed to appear innocent, simply curious, and not pointed. Raising a hand casually to the painting and pointing to the animal “What's that?”
“Oh” Jason replied, thinking for a moment, “umm… yeah… Lobo de fuego… was also drawn by Thiago… over… ahhh… there!” he pointed. “Not as clear as this one though, a lot older.”
“It's an animal. I haven't heard of an animal before,” Sam probed deeper. He knew what this was, but he wanted to hear it.
“It's the Fire Wolf. Bael’s right-hand man. Both Leviathans, both with Aces. Doing their thing. But in the past when Bael and his ally actually found each other, it has been pretty damn spectacular. There are no more powerful or ancient Leviathans than them. Together they form the perfect storm. Step one is to find Bael. Step two is to make sure these two don't come too close together… not yet anyway. Not until we find Bael.”
“...and if they do?”
Jason shook his head, unable to find the right word for it. “Bael meets the Firewolf, then others begin to come forth, searching for their commander. They will follow him and hopefully… just the right Conduit will allow them to do it.”
Bael, Ellie, The Firewolf, Joshua. They had already met. That was why they survived the Circle. That was why the Wolf could tolerate Bael's presence. They wanted to be together, just like Ellie and Josh.
Joshua collapsed on the wet grass of the oval. His lungs burning, his legs shaking with exhaustion as he looked up at the familiar sight of the school. Sobbing, he looked at the buildings. He missed it but he feared it. He missed his friends. He missed his classroom and he missed normal. Most of all he missed normal. Looking behind, he noticed the large dog slowly prowling towards him.
“Just stop!” He screamed, kicking his legs. “Just stop! Get away! You're not mine! You're not mine!”
The dog stopped its advance, watching Josh on the grass with interest. It lay heavily beside him.
“You killed my Mum! I hate you!” Josh screamed, getting to his exhausted feet. “You're an idiot!” He took a long deep breath, “f…f…fuck off!”
Immediately, guilt washed over him. He had used a swear word and what a swear word! The worst of all swear words. Hands brushing the tears from his face, he turned and stomped away.
“You don't have to be here! I don't want you to be here! You hurt my Mum! You hurt everyone! You tried to kill me, and my friend so why do you even wanna be here? Why?!” Furious he spun around to face the dog that now stood eye level with him. Enraged, he stepped closer to the dog, glaring into its white eyes. “You’re chicken. You don't show yourself to anyone. You use me to hide in because you're a chicken. What are you? Big and strong and you pick on people so much smaller than you. You're just a bully!”
The dog reared back, a low growl resonated about them.
“You took my Mum. I didn't have anything else,” Josh whispered, his voice breaking. “I had nothing else to take. You made me remember her and feel sad. Why can't you even let me remember her and feel happy? Why can't you let me do that? What did I do wrong? I was Josh. Just Josh.”
Sam heard Jason ranting and tried to pay attention. However, his own agenda began to force itself to the front of his mind. He scanned the paintings, moving from one grisly parchment to another.
“Has anyone bothered to think about what these symbols mean?”
“Huh?”
“These.” Sam carefully tapped his finger on the image before him to an elaborate motif scrawled amongst many others. “This. And the others, these symbols keep popping up. They mean something.”
Jason nodded happily. “We know what some of them mean. Remember, this other realm is chaos. A world of violence and supreme brutality. Pretty much how ours would be if everyone wasn’t so damn puny. As such, pride, division, and war is constant. We imagine that they represent different beings, different battles. The only one we are sure of is this one.” Jason went back to the first of Thiago's paintings, humming as he moved.
“Bael, as feared as he is, also had enemies. As does anything powerful… it means you stood for something. I guess it would be hard to imagine how many he had, seeing as how ancient he is. Most of them were brought into order. ‘Don’t fuck with Bael’ is the motto. There is, however, one that has been fucking with Bael for years. This one right here. Ancient, powerful, and smart. Almost Bael’s equal. This one really gives him a run for his money.”
Sam looked at the image and felt the blood drain from his face. His mouth agape as he tried to contain the shock, but he found it near impossible. The painting, those eyes, that small, faded silhouette standing upon a mound of suffering, contorted bodies. Underneath it was scrawled:
El renegado
“This annoying thorn in his fucking side is the Heretic. Think like…Judas, but more of an asshole.” Jason laughed loudly. “The Heretic has been around as long as Bael has.”
Sam swallowed hard, wiping his mouth in a desperate attempt to look calm, hiding the turmoil he felt. The Heretic, that annoying little thorn in Bael’s side. It seemed that Bael and he had a common problem. They both had the same pain in the ass… Bael's Heretic was Sam’s Dark Child.
“But!” Jason blurted, startling him. “I’ll show you something really cool. Come with me.”
Casting a glance back at the eye-opening display, Sam followed Jason back up the stairs. Anxiety high, he wondered what Jason’s, or indeed Chelamah’s and Noah's response would be if they knew.
Yeah, I know the location of Bael, the Firewolf AND the Heretic!
What did it mean to be the Heretic? Jason had referred to this particular being with a certain venom. Did it put Sam at risk if he was identified as the Conduit of this villainous character? After all was said and done, the Dark Child was still formidable and still played by the rules. He was as secure as he could ever really be. His safety was always dubious at best.
The room they entered didn’t have the windows blocked out like the other. Sam relaxed as the familiar skyline came into view, strangely beautiful, and for a moment it took his mind from the double gambit he was playing.
“What a view,” he admired. “It's amazing.”
“Meh, yeah,” Jason shrugged from the other side of the room. “However, this is the view I think you'll appreciate a great deal more.”
Standing next to a large, locked bookcase, Jason gestured allowing Sam to approach. One volume in particular caught his attention. It had the same leather binding as those held by Aahna, all those years ago. He remembered it well. Aahna’s work had been a desperate attempt to save her own daughter from a fate worse than death. They have them.
“Grimoires. Years of study and information. Tricks, loopholes and ‘get out of jail free’ cards. We don't have them all. We used to have more.”
“Where do they come from?”
“Well, pretty much the same five Scribes. Thiago being the first, if you discount folklore and fairy tales. The first Scribe Devotee. There are then the others. You could call it Mika’s life's work, collecting this stuff. Not easy, all from different places, in different dialects. A Scribe does not have to be one of us,” Jason concluded indicating Sam and himself. “The second and last Scribe were not blessed. Weird how they don't have to be. Devotees paint… sometimes Scribe but sometimes Scribes are just… people. They are ‘Keepers of knowledge’. Witnesses to our world and gate keepers of secrets. Weird huh? Some recorded, many were probably lost as the ramblings of ‘crazy’ people.”
Aahna. Aahna was the last. Sam was the subject of her study. He knew this. Her friendship however, her kindness was unforgettable. Did they have hers?
“Anna… Arna… or something like that. Chel’s mother. They are key. We think they contain the most powerful of all the Grimoires, but half of them are gone.”
“Gone?”
“Some fucker took them. We couldn't find them, but we believe of all the Grimoires, hers were the closest.”
“Closest to what?”
“She called it immunity. Immunity from them. Can you imagine? Some think of that as freedom. Can you believe it?” Jason said, bowing his head with exaggerated sadness. “Ungrateful fucks. But these ones are still good though. Grimoires from the first one talk about gifting and shit. You know, how to keep them at a low simmer stage.”
“Gifting?” Sam quizzed. “You mean, people?”
“Hell yeah!” Jason scoffed. “Can you imagine! That is what they need. That’s what they crave. Like a child, man… you don't gift them often enough and they make your life a living hell! We have a certain amount a month or… so many weeks. It's your responsibility to know how often. Some more than others, apparently.”
Offended, Sam bit back his words. Gifted? People were gifted? These were human beings: innocent men, women, and children. The word gifted meant condemning them to eternal suffering. He wanted to shout and scream, about the absolute amoral, disgusting practice of ‘gifting’ human beings to these creatures. But Jason had revealed so much to him already. There was still so much more to learn. It had been flowing forth unfettered. Jason’s hesitation to share was decreasing with every passing minute. Why? Plotting? Testing Sam's resolve? Sam had a feeling. He had seen this before. Indeed, he had been this person. So desperate to be liked, so longing for a genuine connection that he was oversharing his ass off. What would Ellie do? She would watch. She would listen.
“People?” Sam swallowed hard. “So, you choose which people become a gift to them?” The word ‘gift’ caught in his throat.
“Yep. Like, no-one significant. Sometimes it happens, you know, when you don't mean it to. I’m sure you've been there, but usually we choose our gifts with consideration. Wankers, thugs, low life, bitches. I kinda feel bad when that happens… whoops!” Jason chuckled coldly.
How very fucking kind of you. Sam thought. If not for being stripped, the Dark Child would have been gifted roughly 50 seconds ago.
Chapter 16
The wind howled as Ellie approached the convenience store, only making it to the undercover awning seconds before the rain pelted onto the streets again. It was still in darkness. A brutal assault had occurred there a while ago, resulting in the death of a young man. The yellow tapes blew around the boarded hole in the window, creepy as hell. Poor guy… what a dump to die in.
She had decided that Josh would most likely be in one of three places. The school, her apartment or back at his family home. Although the thought of him being somewhere with his aunt would have provided some comfort, given his current state of mind she hoped he wasn't. No-one around him would be safe.
Looking at the school across the road, she could see Josh's bench. It looked empty but she couldn't be sure. It was growing dark, and Josh was quite small. She would have to search for him. With a deep sigh she pulled the hood over her head and jogged across the wet road.
Reaching the footpath, she turned back to the store noticing Bael had not moved. It sat on the bench; legs crossed like a gentleman watching her. Not paying It too much attention, Ellie continued into the grounds. Josh would be heading to where he felt safe. Scared, panicked, he had chosen flight, not fight. There was such a thin line between them, especially with an 8-year-old.
It was clear that the Pantheon was split, although when Jason spoke of Mika there was reverence and respect. Their goal was to find Bael and dispense of Its Conduit. Then, in what they perceived to be a rapidly worsening situation, they would be protected from whatever happened next. Bael was illusive it seemed, much like his Conduit.
However, there were fractures. Sam didn’t truly believe Jason's intentions were the same as the others. A glint of vulnerability emerged when he disclosed beliefs about Aahna’s Grimoires, showing that perhaps he didn't find his ‘blessing’ quite as magnificent as he was obligated to.
This, Sam could understand. What he would give to be rid of his ‘blessing’. What would any of them give? More of a concern, however, was what they were not prepared to do.
“You admire them,” Sam stated, holding his anger in check with everything he had. “But tell me, because I really want to understand. How does that strength, that power, belong to you?”
“How does it not?” Jason shrugged. “I choose who goes and who stays. I choose who has the exquisite honour of belonging to a real tangible fucking God. None of this shit!” To Sam's surprise, Jason crossed himself. “Hail Mary full of fucking grace! Did it ever work for you Sam? Tell me this, what does that God say about you? Sodomite? Abomination? Fucking homo!”
“Shut up dude,” Sam straightened up.
“Yes! That's what their God tells them to do! Their god tells them to hate you, to be sickened by you. Their weak folklore tells them that you deserve to die.” Jason laughed loudly. “But he works in mysterious ways doesn't he?”
“Firstly, I'm an atheist,” Sam snapped. “And the insults? I've heard them all before and I seriously don’t give a- ”
“No! You're not getting it! Your God is right here! Your God is by your side! Your God has your back! Does theirs? Shit no! They beg for something that doesn't exist! They have never seen it and if they were honest, they know it isn’t there! Us though… you and I… we know.” Jason paused for a moment and gave a weird smile before bouncing up the stairs and out of the room. “Come on!”
Sam had to leave. This was getting crazy. If it wasn't for the stripping, one, if not both, would be gone right now. However, as he watched Jason open another door and head up a long narrow staircase, he couldn't help but follow.
“Where are you going?” he called, watching Jason vanish from view.
“Up!”
Impatiently, he followed Jason up the stairwell, barging through the door that Jason let close on him. The cold night air hit him at the same time as the dizziness arrived. So strong that he felt his eyes roll up in his head. She was back. What was he doing?
Sam panted, looking at him. “What are you doing?” Jason stood silently on the edge of the apartment building rooftop. The ice-cold wind caused Sam to gasp. What was his plan now?
“What's going on Jason?” Sam asked, preparing himself for the worst.
Jason stepped even closer to the edge. Without turning around he beckoned Sam. “Come here. I wanna show you something.”
“I don't want to,” Sam replied, wrapping his arms around himself.
“Don't be a baby. Come over here, look, it's incredible.”
