Clouds, endless clouds intermixed with the stark blue of a clear sky. That
was all there was above and below. Blue and white, endless and eternal.
Structure existed, structure and form. Between the two cloud banks stood
Heaven. Formed out of pure motives and though heaven stood between Creation
and the endless depths of the uncreated. One section of Heaven is formed out
of hexagonal plates, these plates each supported a single building ringing
by a flat area. On one of which stood two people. Serene was the only word
that best explained their facial expressions, until they both turned a
corner. Then there was only fear.
Heaven has always existed as long as there was an Earth. After the fateful
day Erehwon said "let there be words" Heaven watched over the creation with
a kindly eye. There bad been kindness and there had been guidance, such did
Creation become fruitful and full of life. Those who over look Creation are
known as Alexdphi, the administration Angels. The leader of which now stood
with another of his kind. They were standing in front of one of the
hexagonal plates, one of which had been shattered leaving a gaping hole
staring towards Creation like a sightless eye.
Alex, the leader of the Alexdphi, turned to his second in command. "It's
escaped, fled towards Creation looking for a Host." Alex bowed his head and
mumbled a silent prayer to his Lord God, Erehwon. "We have failed you Lord,
where ever you may be. We have failed in our duties. Please forgive us so we
may serve you once more to the fullest of our capabilities." If there was an
answer it was not soon in coming.
"He's not there, if He is He's not listening," Whispered Parr, second in
command of the Alexdphi. "He's gone!" Parr wiped the tears from her eyes on
a sleeve of her sky blue robe. All the Alexdphi were dressed in the same
style of robe. Full and lush in fabric without adornment or decoration.
Sandals made out of leather adorned each Alexdphi foot with a belt of the
same material draped around the waist. It was not a uniform as much as
consensual comfort in action. "We must alert the Warriors of the Host."
"Too late," mumbled Alex as he stared out into the clouds. On the horizon
appeared a dark shadow that was rapidly increasing in size. "They know."
The Warriors of the Heavenly Host are known collectively as Hagaphim. The
Hagaphim are the martial arm of the Host. It is their duty to enforce the
Will of Erehwon and thus the strictures of Heaven. The Hagaphim dressed in
fabric made of fire. Their red skins blazed with an inner heat often
released upon the unworthy. Yellow eyes of animal cunning glared out of a
hard bone skull, a pair of small but effective horns adorned the head of
each Hagaphim. Thick pink and fluffy hair covered the hides of the Hagaphim
in place of any clothing. Huge bat wings flapped from the shoulders of the
Hagaphim, easily supporting the Hagaphim above Creation. Dipping one wing
the Hagaphim landed in front of the two Alexdphim with only a gentle breeze
to betray the movement.
The Hagaphim looked at the broken shards of crystal and screamed a loud
hunting cry towards the sky. The cry was repeated and echoed by other
Hagaphim who took up the task of notifying all of their kind of what had
occurred. "It has escaped! Nauseous walks with the Mortals. You have failed,
you weak girly man and you mere slip of a girl. You have failed our Lord
Erehwon. May His mercy be non-existent and very fatal.! I shall join my
brothers and return the prisoner to its cage. Hold your bowels in fear
wretches, your punishment will be forthcoming." The Hagaphim launched itself
into the air with a mighty sweep of its wings, wing tips beating into the
open faces of the Alexdphim before they could protect themselves.
"I think that went rather well all considering," muttered Parr as Alex wiped
the blood from her face with gentle fingers.
____________________________________________
Mr Badger leaned against the bar and belched. He was at his favourite local
when visiting these parts, "The Dog's Bollocks." A quaint little English
style pub based around the idea of "shut and up and drink." The bar was full
again due to the close proximity of a weekend and a Rugby test match that
afternoon. Mr Badger took a very deep drink from his beer mug and surveyed
the crowd. Many of them were regulars just as he was. With a wink he
gathered their eyes and staggered his way across to their tables. The groans
and complaints as he sat down just made him even more happy in his drunken
stupor.
Mr Badger took another deep swallow from his glass and continued the story
where he left off before. "Tricky little buggers aren't you, moving tables
when I was in the bog having a crap. Can't fool ol' Badger that you can't."
Mr Badger chuckled to himself and smiled. "Where was I, ah that's right. It
was just me and the Ninjas. Facing off over the broken table. Must have been
at least twenty of the little slit eyed bastards staring at me and fingering
their sharp sword things. Not that I was worried, hell no. Not ol' Badger.
Would take more than twenty heavily armed Ninjas to scare this fella. Nope,
I broke the bottle across the table and spat in the first one's eye. Did he
scream! I tell you! Then I............" Mr Badger explained the story of the
bar brawl with many sweeping arm gestures and fake voices.
Those around the table groaned again and tried to see the television over Mr
Badger's shoulder. They'd heard this story over and over again and still
didn't believe a word of it. They just wished he'd stop prattling and just
shut up and drink. Before Mr Badger could finish the story the door to the
bar exploded inwards in a shower of wood and metal. Silhouetted in the haze
of the traffic outside flickered a comet shape emblazoned with a human face.
In a flicker of action the comet screwed up its face in a contortion of
pain and flew straight towards Mr Badger. The two forms collided and merged
into one in a blaze of light that had those nearest reeling away in pain,
clothes igniting from the fury of the collision.
Mr Badger staggered back against the shattered bar and held his stomach.
"Think I'm going to puke," muttered Mr Badger as he fell over the bar.
People screamed as they attempted to flee the bar but their efforts were in
vain. Mr Badger vomited a sickening streak of green bile that flooded the
room like liquid fire. The room exploded in a shower of wood and flesh. As
the debris rained down all that remained inside the rubble was Mr Badger's
still form and the naked bones of those who were denied escape.
____________________________________________
The building used to be a Distillery back during the gold rush. Now it was a
collection of copper pressure vessels, rusted pipe work and rotting timbers.
Glass was scattered around the building like a reflective mine field from
all the empty bottles and glasses scattered and shattered by over a hundred
years of storm and wind. A sign with letters scarcely legible rocked to and
fro from a yard arm near the door. The name was long since lost to the
passage of time but one word at the bottom was clearly marked as if entropy
had been barred access to these letters only, the name said "Rum."
A human shaped figure flickered into existence outside the door of the
Distillery. It wore the robes of the Alexdphim but a look of fear seemed
ingrained into its features. Knocking upon the door the Alexdphi stopped
with a self-conscious grin and stepped inside. Row upon row of crates and
boxes were carefully arranged around the room. The feeling from the design
was that of a shrine, a shrine to Rum. The Alexdphi walked into the centre
of the room and looked at a large suspiciously casket shaped box standing
there. The casket was suspended over a mound of empty Rum bottles piled
together. Extending a trembling hand the Alexdphi knocked on the lid and in
a voice which must have been trying really hard to be impressive and
steadfast (actually sounded whiny and pathetic) announced it's presence. "My
name is Alik of the Alexdphi, awake Saint."
The lid of the casket was thrown upwards with superhuman force and aim. The
lid collected the Alexdphi directly under the chin, throwing him back into
an untidy pile at the back of the room. "Shit, does my head hurt or what,"
mumbled the Saint of all Drinkers as he levered himself out of the casket.
Looking around the room with piercing eyes the Saint of all Drinkers
noticed the trembling Alexdphi in the corner. "Was it you? Did you wake me
up you little pissant?"
Alik of the Alexdphi nodded with a tremble and extended his hand. "It was I,
oh Great Saint. The Host of Heaven calls for you to walk the lands of
Creation once more. An entity has escaped from Heaven with a power not at
all like that of our Lord Erehwon. It seeks to bind with a person and spill
its guts of the knowledge of Heaven like a great gossiping old woman with a
telephone to the world. Together, they could end us all. You must find this
person and make sure he or she as it may be in this politically correct
story after all does not spread the knowledge it has gained."
The Saint of all Drinkers smiled and flicked his fingers. A broken Rum
bottle materialised inside his right hand as if it had always been there.
With a sweep of the arm the bottle ripped the throat out of the Alexdphi.
The Saint of all Drinkers smiled as the Alexdphi became still and shut up.
"Smacking time," mumbled the Saint as he left the Distillery and headed South.
____________________________________________
BigJobbs hummed the song playing as he drove through the intersection. "I'll
tell you what I want, what I really, really, want............." BigJobbs had
just finished work for the evening and was just about to take the pleasure
of a quiet ale before slumbering the day away. Seeing the flicker of
movement out of the corner of his eye BigJobbs slammed on the breaks of his
car with strength led by emotion. Waving the Pizza delivery vehicle through
the red light BigJobbs relaxed with a sigh of relief. "Those things should
be like ambulances, always get the right of way. Someone could have been
dying of hunger and the cruel uncertainty of a red light could have denied
them their pizza in time. Such inhumanity." BigJobbs parked the car outside
the pub, just in time to see it explode in a shower of gunk.
____________________________________________
Mickey was feeling good, he'd just fed off some card player who didn't
realise losing the game was going to mean losing a whole lot more. Wiping
the acne grease off his chin Mickey counted the cards he'd won during the
previous few games and arranged them into his existing decks for later use.
Keeping a careful watch on the clock, being "sunlight intolerant" due to his
"blood condition" Mickey didn't want to leave it too late to find a place to
crash for the day. Mickey had been a Vampire for many years now and wasn't
about to let it all go just because of forgetting to put a watch on that
evening. Hopping onto his bike Mickey keyed the ignition and roared off
towards the distance. He knew a nice pub where he could grab a few drinks
and feel out the neighbourhood. Had to be somewhere safe around here to stay
for a few days, and hunt for a few nights. Mickey parked the bike next to a
white car that had arrived moments before he. The man inside looked vaguely
familiar but Mickey just couldn't place him. Mickey's attention was taken
elsewhere suddenly as the tavern exploded. Together with the enormous
occupant of the car Mickey ran towards the tavern, with the timbers still
falling.
____________________________________________
Mr Badger awoke with lights flying in front of his eyes and inside his head.
There seemed to be another voice chanting something inside his brain,
something important. Shaking his head Mr Badger got up slowly, helped by two
other people who seemed concerned over something. Mr Badger looked around at
the devastation and blinked. "How'd this happen?" Asked Mr Badger to the
person next to him.
After checking out the kitchen to see if any pizza was trapped in the
freezer BigJobbs helped up what seemed to be the sole survivor of the
night's excitement. Looking at the guy BigJobbs was suddenly struck by a
wave of recognition and then a wave of anger. "Badger you bastard! You
stiffed me a weeks rent!"
Mickey spun around from stealing the contents of the till. Finally he
recognised the two people in front of him and sighed. "Only a matter of time
before they start with the goatee comments."
Outside, a figure dressed in a grey trench coat walked into view, a broken
Rum bottle in his hand.
