The Brimstone Chronicles - The Book of Eternity (Book 3)

CHAPTER 21 - Powerless

According to Lucifer, Leliel could contact the other Essences of Humankind telepathically by using the Tree of Knowledge of Light and Dark. Lucifer revealed to Alexander and the others that he had hidden the tree in the form of another, "What mankind refers to as the largest and oldest tree in the world."

"You're saying that Methuselah is the tree we're looking for and that it used to be in Eden?" Dennis asked as he looked up at the enormous tree they had all just appeared under.

"A stroke of genius, might I add." Lucifer replied, "Moving it to the most patriotic country on the planet keeps it hidden. Thousands have looked upon its enormity only in awe and wonder, but no spiritual human has ever thought to sense its divine properties. The few that are drawn here believe they were merely in the presence of a strong source of untamed life – which is true, but not the entire truth."

"So why not return the tree to Eden now that Eden is heavily guarded by good and powerful beings?" Alexander asked.

"Because guarded or not, the new location of Eden is known by anyone whose sight is even a fraction more than the average human seer."

Following his instructions, Leliel sat in the lotus position at the base of the enormous tree. Alexander, Arianne, Nexus, Shift, Dennis, and Kryssana, sat on the earthen floor far away enough to be out of sight for Leliel to have some privacy. The crescent of the moon was almost at its peak in the star-filled sky and a gentle wind opposed the somber mood of the companions waiting and gazing.

"Now we wait." Lucifer's voice behind them startled everyone except Alexander, Arianne, and Shift.

"Do you have to be so creepy?" Dennis protested.

"My apologies, old habits."

"Why are you here anyway?" asked Shift, "Shouldn't you be with your brothers, watching over Leliel and bonding and stuff?"

Lucifer sat on a boulder near Kryssana's left; sadness hooded his eyes before he replied. "I... can not. The Essences' first instinct in my presence would be to flee."

"They would think it is a trap." Nexus added.

"Indeed they would. With the reasoning of my brothers and cousin however, it is hoped they will be assured of my true nature and convinced to help us."

"What if they don't?" Dennis wondered, "Is there a Plan B?"

"Sadly, there is not. Darkness is constant and infinite, as is Light. Such entities cannot be corralled by even the Universe itself."

Kryssana turned to Lucifer, "Why not? Why can't we just send in the Arch Mages to purge the Holy Trinity?"

Dennis stood and began pacing, "Even I could go in. I manipulate both space and atoms, negative and positive. Doesn't that allow me to manipulate Light and Dark as well?"

Lucifer shook his head, "It does not. You can only move the atoms you speak of, thus you can not convert them from on charge to the next – an ability that Alexander himself has, yet even he would be powerless against a trinity of Darkness."

"I guess you'd be the expert." Dennis sat back down.

Once again, sadness was reflected in Lucifer's eyes as he spoke, "Darkness was always first, but Light is always strongest. Neither Light nor Dark was created by anyone. The first children of the Universe were created in Darkness, perhaps in that regard you could call it a womb. That is also why it is believed that the Gods who created first through the breath of the Universe are the Dark Gods."

"The Dark Gods?" Alexander looked up, the term sounded familiar but he could not remember where he had heard it.

"Chaos, Order, and their Protogenoi. At the time, Darkness was not an evil force, 'twas a nature of the Universe. But upon wanting to see the children that were created, the Universe opened its eyes for the first time, bringing Light into being. One by one the Dark Gods also opened their eyes and the Light became stronger."