The Inner Circle: The Gates of Hae'Evun Read online

Book Three

  The Inner Circle

  The Gates of Hae'Evun

  Cael McIntosh

  Copyright ? 2015 Cael McIntosh

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10: 0646938754

  ISBN-13: 978-0-646-93875-2

  DEDICATION

  For those who mattered.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue: In the Beginning

  1

  1

  Wooden Box

  20

  2

  Not Out of the Woods Yet

  29

  3

  Hunger

  37

  4

  The Other Side of You

  46

  5

  Silly Stories

  54

  6

  Nothing Left of Me

  60

  7

  Lost

  70

  8

  A Funeral

  78

  9

  He is a Terrible Human

  90

  10

  Just Like You

  97

  11

  The Tome

  103

  12

  Too Dead

  110

  13

  Abomination

  118

  14

  Scriptures of the Holy Tome

  124

  15

  Isolation

  132

  16

  The Truth

  146

  17

  Talons

  155

  18

  Perspective

  162

  19

  Desecration of the Spirit

  173

  20

  Bird Cage

  181

  21

  Exodus

  189

  22

  The Burden or Remorse

  198

  23

  For Him

  205

  24

  Refuge

  212

  25

  As All of Us

  217

  26

  The Price of Life

  225

  27

  Into Her Darkest

  232

  28

  Mendacity

  239

  29

  Involution

  244

  30

  Not You

  253

  31

  Meet Your Maker

  262

  32

  The Second Coming

  268

  33

  The Gates of Hae'Evun

  279

  Epilogue: Seteal

  291

 

  Prologue

  In the beginning

  In the beginning, Maker created Hae'Evun then the Earth. Hae'Evun was Maker's first creation since the creation of time itself and therefore since he'd created himself. The world was without form and void and darkness was upon its surface. The Spirit of Maker moved restlessly over the surface of the waters.

  'Let there be light,' He uttered and there was light.

  'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters,' Maker said, and even as He uttered the words, he saw the waters splitting into clouds above and pooling into great oceans below.

  Satisfied with His work, Maker rested.

  On the second day, Maker knew that there was still much to be done. 'Let the waters beneath the clouds be gathered together unto one place,' He said softly. 'Let dry land appear.' A moment later, great bodies of land reached up from the surface of the water and the oceans began to recede. Maker smiled over all he'd created and called the place Hae'Evun.

  'Let there be trees that grow mana,' Maker announced, and trees erupted from the earth, mana growing within small blue flowers.

  But there went up a white mist from the earth and covered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord Maker formed a silt of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The silt opened his eyes, having become a living soul. Maker planted a garden eastward, and there He put the silt whom He had formed. Satisfied with what He'd done, Maker decided that the third day should be one of rest.

  'Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat,' Maker told the silt whom he'd called Sa'Tan. 'From the highest branches to the lowest, the mana thou shalt eat.'

  Peering at the silt standing alone in his garden, Maker suddenly became very sad, for He'd noticed the man was all alone. 'It is not good for a man to be alone. I will make a companion for him.' With those words the wind picked up and Sa'Tan looked about himself fearfully. He was tired and his legs soon fell out from under him. The silt toppled over and fell into a deep sleep. Maker sliced open his flesh and tore out one of his ribs. He then focused on the wound and watched as the skin writhed back into place and sealed together as though it'd never been broken.

  Maker pushed against the Ways and formed a white mist about Sa'Tan's rib. Dust blew up from the surface of the earth to form a beautiful woman, even as the man awoke. 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,' Sa'Tan cried, overjoyed that he shouldn't remain lonesome. 'She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.'

  Sa'Tan and his wife Sa'Hin lived happily for many years. They had children and watched them grow into healthy young silts and have children of their own. All was well with the garden in Hae'Evun and the silts were fruitful and became many and spread throughout the land. Sa'Tan was the leader among them, answering only to Maker Himself. Seeing that His works were complete, Maker folded Himself into another Way.

  In this new Way, silts did not exist, for they were in Hae'Evun. They had been his first creation--His experiment. Now He would make a better creation, one that would live in a paradise. He would create not just one tree, but many, and they would bare many flavoursome fruits. This place would be filled with souls that crept and flew and swam.

  Turning His attention to the empty world, Maker found it to be void with darkness on its surface. The Spirit moved to the face of the waters. 'Let there be light,' Maker said, and as with His earlier creation, there was light. 'Let there be a firmament.' Maker twisted the Ways and watched as the waters departed. Maker touched the waters and land pushed into the air.

  'Now,' Maker said, his voice filling with anticipation for that which was yet to come, 'let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth.' Black mist blotted out the sun and the planet was covered in darkness. Then with a deep, rumbling sound, countless varieties of radiantly flowered plant-life forced its way from the surface of the ground.

  Maker saw that it was good.

  'Let the mist bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of the sky,' said Maker. And out of the earth, Maker saw the embodiment of all His creations into flesh. 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth.

  'There is nobody to praise Me for such beauty.'

  Maker turned in dismay, staring at the beautiful greens and radiant blues. Earth was not at all like the dull grey realm of Hae'Evun.

  'Let there be a man,' Maker said. And there went a mist to mingle with dust into the flesh of a man. Maker created him without wings, and strong legs for running. This one would dwell on the earth.

  Before breathing life into the man's nostrils, Maker took one of his ribs and with it created a woman in his likeness. He blew life into their nostrils and their ey
es were opened. Maker took the humans and put them in a garden filled abundantly with birds, rivers and trees bearing many kinds of fruit. 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat,' Maker addressed the couple.

  Favouring His most recent creation, Maker stayed with Adam and Eve and blessed them with many children. The tribe of Adam continued to grow until it spread out and around the original garden of Eden. For a hundred years, Maker walked with the humans of Earth. He stayed with them and guided them, but they still had much to learn. Too often they'd fall and become injured. And Maker was beginning to lose interest in them.

  Twisting sideways, Maker folded into Hae'Evun's universe. There the silts toiled, farming mana and building cities, but many had grown impatient with the Lord. They cried out for purpose and felt cheated by his abandonment.

  Now, Sa'Tan--having lived for many years--flew to the base of the mountain of Horeb. There the Spirit of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and Sa'Tan looked and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

  'I will turn aside and see this great sight.' Sa'Tan stumbled backward several steps, his wings quivering with the temptation of flight. 'Why is the bush not burnt?'

  When the Lord saw that Sa'Tan had turned aside to see, He called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, 'Sa'Tan, Sa'Tan. Here am I. Draw not any closer. Put back your wings and bow your head, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am your Maker.'

  Sa'Tan hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon Maker.

  'Sa'Tan,' Maker whispered at his ear. 'Look at me.'

  Turning fearfully with downcast eyes, Sa'Tan found a great crown with ruby horns and a small black pebble at his feet. 'What of the crown and this pebble?'

  'I have made greater Ways,' Maker murmured softly. 'Hae'Evun was the first and Earth shall be the last. Because it is perfect, I will move on to greater things. For I am Maker.' The fire dulled for but a moment before reigniting with great fury. 'Is it true that there are complainers among you?'

  'There are complainers.' Sa'Tan swallowed nervously. 'Please show mercy on them, my Lord, for they are weak in the Spirit.'

  'I will give them a position of great responsibility.' Maker sighed. 'You will be the guardians of my other world,' the Lord thundered in a voice so loud that every ear in Hae'Evun could hear him. 'You will protect the inhabitants of Earth.'

  Even before the words had finished being spoken, shadowy, wingless creatures appeared were the midst of Hae'Evun. The souls were vague, translucent images, that faded as they moved away and became clearer when the distance was decreased. Children splashed about in the nearby river, but in Hae'Evun, the waters did not move. The shadowy reflections of the people of Earth ate brightly coloured foods from a seemingly endless variety of trees.

  'Can they see us?' Sa'Tan asked shakily.

  'They cannot,' Maker replied. 'You will watch over them and heal them when they are hurt. This is the gift I have given to all my loyal silts. You may heal with a touch. Only from death must you not bring back a soul. It is a perversion in the eyes of the Lord. You must protect the humans in my absence, for they are my most favoured of creations.'

  'And what of the crown?' Sa'Tan asked, picking up the crown.

  'The crown is to tell all of siltkind that you are My chosen one,' Maker replied. 'You will be the Devil and command all the nations of Hae'Evun.'

  'What if someone should take it when I'm sleeping?' Sa'Tan challenged the Lord.

  'If any other should so much as touch this crown, they will feel the fury of these flames,' Maker answered and again the fire grew taller and raged angrily.

  'What of the pebble?' Sa'Tan picked up the small black sphere that'd been left in the grey dirt.

  'The stone is for you alone,' Maker said, 'for you are My most loyal servant and friend. Through the Stone of Maker, you may access a portion of your Lord Maker's power. You may use it three times because three is the holy number of Hae'Evun and every third day you rest. With each use, the stone will grow weaker, because I cannot endlessly trust even you with such power.'

  'Why have you given me this gift?' Sa'Tan gasped in astonishment.

  'You are to use it after all else has failed,' Maker replied. 'Should a war break out on Earth and there be too many injured to heal, then you may use the stone. When a plague wipes out the cities of Earth, then you may use the stone. When the harvest produces little and the men of Earth have nothing to eat, then you may use the stone. Should you use it for selfish or trivial matters, I will curse you for all eternity and the Ways themselves will hate you and turn against you and spit you out like poison.'

  'Yes, my Lord.' Sa'Tan fell to his knees and bowed down before the burning bush.

  'I will feel the draw on My power,' Maker said, 'that in the day of distress I shall come to you with great haste.'

  Lightning struck the side of the mountain with terrible force and chunks of rock fell to the ground at Sa'Tan's feet. Among them he found two tablets with engravings on their surface. 'These are my commandments that I have given you.' Maker raised his voice so that every ear could hear. 'I am the Lord, your Maker, who has breathed life into you and who has performed many wonders. This is my covenant with all of those in Hae'Evun.

  'You must not have other makers before Me or create a graven image of anything and bow down to it, nor serve it. For I, the Lord Maker, am a jealous Maker, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children and their children's children and their other children even to time indefinite for those who hate Me.

  'You must not raise the dead, for their souls are mine.

  'Remember the third day, and keep it holy.

  'Honour thy father and thy mother.

  'Protect the inhabitants of Earth with all your strength.

  'You must not kill.

  'You must not commit adultery.

  'You must not steal.

  'You must not do harm to your neighbour.

  'You must not blaspheme the Ways.'

  When Maker finished speaking, Sa'Tan put the crown atop his head and the Stone of Maker into his pocket. He picked up the tablets and held them in his arms.

  'Thank you, my Lord,' Sa'Tan whispered, a tear trickling down his cheek. A moment later, the fire died away, leaving the small grey tree unharmed. It was in that moment that Sa'Tan knew Maker had truly left them and he was the sole leader of Hae'Evun.

  Sa'Tan turned away from the mountain and wandered over to the river where he'd seen human children playing earlier. Although their images were difficult to see, much like his own reflection in the water, he gazed at the creatures in awe. Their flesh appeared to be a soft pinkish-white or brown and their features were oddly shaped. Human limbs were shorter than those of a silt and their faces less angular. Their eyes were smaller and more circular, and their fingers had a layer of hardened armour at their tips. One of the boys raced out of the water giggling and Sa'Tan gasped at his unsightly feet, which were elongated and tipped with no less than five stubby toes. The child didn't even have a back toe. Sa'Tan mused as to how the boy could possibly maintain his balance.

  The child laughed again, but it was a distant sound, like that heard in a dream. He raced along the stream only to vanish when he was almost out of sight. Concerned for his wellbeing, Sa'Tan hurried after the child and as he caught up the boy began to shimmer back into existence. The child raced into the outstretched arms of his mother, who twirled him about in the air. Immediately Sa'Tan was enamoured by her beauty. Rich brown hair flowing over her shoulders and down her back served only to complement the colour of her eyes. She was slender in build and her grace of movement was perfection.

  A man approached and kissed the woman, before sitting on a nearby rock. Sa'Tan stared at the rock, his heart burning with jealous desire. The woman turned toward the bearded man and she leaned over to kiss him in return. As she did so Sa'Tan moved to sit on the same rock, it existing in both Hae'Evun and Earth. He and the man occupied t
he same space and Sa'Tan imagined that it was he who was being kissed.

  The woman pulled away, having kissed her husband and known nothing of Sa'Tan's presence, but her expression was one of confusion.

  'Your lips felt different,' she said with concern. 'Are you all right?'

  'I feel quite unwell,' the man's deep voice echoed vaguely.

  Sa'Tan leapt away from the rock, realising that his continued presence in the same space was doing harm to the man. But how was that possible? They'd occupied the same spaces for hundreds of years and never been effected in such a way. Perhaps Maker had brought their worlds closer than He'd intended. The woman turned slowly and squinted, her eyes momentarily connecting with Sa'Tan's, but she simply shook her head and took the child's hand.

  'Come on, it's getting late. Let's go home.'

  The beautiful, translucent trees swayed gently on a breeze in the other world. Sa'Tan reached out to the green leaves, but they failed to react to his touch and his hand merely slid through the air. Turning from the river, Sa'Tan flew home, unable to dwell on anything but the beauty of the woman he'd seen. Maker truly had achieved perfection in His new world.

  Once he'd arrived in the city, Sa'Tan was distracted by the masses of congratulations and the camaraderie in the air and on the farms. The crowds swooped and danced and chanted the name of their Devil repeatedly. All the same, Sa'Tan could not escape the image of the woman in his mind, so desperately he desired to see her again.

  In the months that followed, Sa'Tan returned to the river every day at the same time, but the woman did not again appear. He was on the verge of giving up all hope when he approached the river at the end of a warm, sunny day. When he heard splashing, he thought at first that some silt children must be playing down there, but as he approached, he recognised the strangely distant, echoing sound coming up from the riverbank. There, knee-deep in the water was the young boy. Overwhelmed in his excitement, Sa'Tan hurried passed the foot of the mountain where he'd first seen Maker and down to the river.

  'You,' Sa'Tan called. 'Boy.'

  'He cannot hear you, my Devil,' his friend Mi'Chael said as he landed nearby. 'You know that.'

  'Are you so certain?' Sa'Tan replied as he hurried over to the river. He tried again and again to shake the boy's shoulder, but could not.

  'Are you playing the fool?' Mi'Chael laughed.