The Unbegotten: The Dark Ages - Endgame

Prologue

Ten years had passed since that glorious day, the day when the war between the gods and the angels ended. Life had seemingly returned to normal. The conflict between Jehovah and the Vul Paux was put to rest and the reunited God had reset the balance in the universe. The forces of creation and destruction were equalized once more. The angels and the Centines, now known as the Celestials, were charged with preparing mankind for the future, a future where they would eventually be exposed to other civilizations in the universe. However, not everyone was delighted by the idea. The Orphum, the ancient race of elves, trolls, dwarfs and other fairy folk, brooded and prepared for another war.

As the world came to grips with solid evidence of God’s existence, they labeled Him as well as the other Celestials extraterrestrials. Many humans demanded answers for past events. Resentment and fear led to panic and some took violent actions against the Celestials. The news that was supposed to bring the world peace plunged it into greater chaos. Yet despite all of the bedlam, an even greater threat loomed on the horizon, one that would test the very foundation of humanity and unwittingly bring about the next evolutionary stage for mankind, gods and angels alike.

Welcome to The Dark Ages.

Vanifera

It was ten o’clock at night. As I sat in Lea’s, a coffee shop on the outskirts of New York City, a sigh escaped my mouth and a deep feeling of dread descended upon me. It wasn’t because I was the Ambassador of the Celestials, the title given to me as the representative of angels and gods that inhabited the earth. It wasn’t because of the armed guards that surrounded me in order to protect my life due to the civil unrest brought about by angry mobs of people who wanted revenge for the actions that took place during the last Celestial War. It wasn’t because of the person who was sitting across the table from me, a topic which I will get to in a moment. It was because the day had come, a day that I have feared since I was told about it.

Lea’s was a quaint little place with makeshift tables, wooden chairs and vinyl tablecloths. Because of its homey atmosphere it was quite the popular spot because a person could have a cup of tea or mocha, relax and let the rest of the world pass them by for a moment. That’s saying something in New York.

That was not the case tonight.

The only ones in here were me, my guards and the man sitting across the table from me drinking a cappuccino and munching on a slice of banana bread. He’d assumed a form that made him look human. Had I not been able to see through his disguise I probably wouldn’t have believed it was him. Death himself, Nestronephylis, was sitting at my table.

He looked like a man in his sixties with thinning brown hair and a slender physique. Clothed in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie, he reminded me of a mortician. His mannerisms displayed the type of etiquette found in a refined gentleman. His gestures and movements were eloquently graceful and smooth. His baritone voice was soothing and his face was devoid of emotions. One could assume he was simply a nice older man by his appearance. However, I knew him, the real him, and I was fully aware of what he was capable of.

He took another sip of his cappuccino, gingerly replacing the porcelain cup back in its saucer. He sighed as he sat back in his chair and stared at me, his dark pupils masking the simmering rage within. I could tell he still harbored contempt toward me for what I’d done to him when we last met. I regretted having to use his beloved Despair against him, but I was a woman out of options. Still, this meeting wasn’t about us or the tension that apparently still existed. What happened in Zandora, his home realm, was ancient history as far as I was concerned but it was necessary in order for any of us to be here now. I’d wager that mattered very little to him. Death doesn’t like to be cheated or manipulated and can be a very vengeful force of nature when angered.

I knew we would settle our differences at the proper time and when we did tangle I would end up on the short end of the stick. That time wasn’t going to be today. On this day, Death had a much different agenda, a universal agenda, one that chilled me to the bone. Today, Death would perform the ultimate reaping, for today was the day that God would die.

How much time does he have left? I asked.

Just over fourteen hours, Death replied calmly.

I looked at my watch. In fourteen hours I would be in front of the General Assembly of the United Nations giving a speech on the importance of cooperation between the nations of the world and the Celestials. This speech held even greater importance because in fourteen hours the world would no longer have anyone to pray to. That was a hell of a concept for even the angels to accept.

Nevertheless, it was a piece of information that could not be divulged to the public. No one outside of the Celestials could know of this event. The chaos that would certainly ensue from the news of God’s death would be nothing short of catastrophic. Humans were a fragile sort and telling them that God no longer existed would certainly send many people over the edge. Though some were still harboring resentment toward the Heavenly Host, they at least felt some relief in knowing there was a greater power watching over them. They relied on this knowledge. It helped them to continue to hope and to believe that there is a force of justice and righteousness in the cosmos.

The responsibility of maintaining this faith was now in my hands. I knew the road ahead was going to be rough and I knew the challenges would be steep. I’d spoken to Raiel months ago when I first learned of this day. He vowed to work behind the scenes with all of the churches in order to maintain the faith. However, I could tell he was worried beyond words. We’d seen the potential humans have and if that potential is allowed to roam unchecked it would cause disasters throughout countless galaxies.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Nestronephylis finished off his banana bread and his coffee, then dabbed his napkin over his lips and rose to his feet.

That was delicious. It’s nice being able to eat. It is a pleasure too many take for granted, he said.

Glad you enjoyed it, I replied, still pinching the bridge of my nose. You should try the apple pie next time.

It’s time for me to go and prepare, he said.

I looked at him, a flood of fear racing through my body. I wasn’t ready for this, not by a long shot. Then again, how many of us are prepared when Death comes calling.

Will it be peaceful? I asked.

His stoic expression never changed. As peaceful as death can be. There will always be some pain, be it with the person being taken or the ones left behind.

I bowed my head and began rubbing my temples. This is crazy. I don’t know what to think. I knew this was coming but I’m not sure if I knew how to prepare for this. How…how do you deal with this?

I can’t answer that for you. I’m neither a counselor nor a consoler. That’s your brother’s job.

The coldness in his answer gave me a hint of what was to come. However, he was right about one thing. The one who provided us with peace and consolation was the one who was probably taking this quite hard.

Raiel, I said. He must be beside himself.

I would have to follow up with him at some point to see how he was doing. Just one more thing on my to-do list. There was so much on my plate, so many issues and questions swirling inside my brain. What would we do without the Father? How would we handle the hardships to come? I couldn’t help feeling fearful, my heart gripped by the sheer panic brought on by the moment. I lifted my head to fire off another question. I was disheartened to find that Nestronephylis was gone.

A sigh filled with the heartbreak I felt left my mouth as tears rolled down my cheeks. I pressed my palms together and held them over my lips, blowing through them as I tried to hold on to the remnants of hope and sanity. Between this and the fact that humanity was on the precipice of declaring full-scale war against the Celestials was enough to make anyone crazy. Faced with an uncertain future, I was left wondering whether any of us would survive. That was indeed the question. How could any of us survive without God’s mercy?

One of the guards came to me and whispered in my ear. Madam Ambassador, we should be leaving, he said.

I inhaled sharply, trying to summon the strength to compose myself and rise from that table. In truth, I didn’t want to move. I wanted to stay there because it seemed like the safest place to be. Don’t ask me why I felt a table in a coffee shop was safe. It simply did. Yet, I knew I couldn’t stay there because I had a huge role to play in maintaining the world’s faith. I ran my hands through my hair, brushed