Et tú, Clarissa?

Chapter twenty-eight

Ca 100 AD (Maya Civilization, Mesoamerica)

I smiled at the woman after helping her with her baskets. She thanked me and bowed before she left me to go to her hut. The little village of commoners, with their thatched roof and children playing on the farmyard between them was far cosier than the stone buildings where the chief wanted Huaca and I to live when we went between the different civilizations, so I often sneaked out, this time to find my way to a village in the edge of the rain forest. However, the reasons why I found myself here were far more than just the cosiness of the village. I did not find it as compelling to be seen as a God as Huaca did, especially at his own tribe, the Incas, but also at the Mayans. Like always, I had no interest of being treated different, better than others or listen to people flatter me. All I want is to help people and sometimes survive the prejudges and fears they have against me.

I felt Izem's touch along my leg and looked down at the big panther at my side. He looked up at me with golden eyes before he looked up at the stone temple. A curious light gleamed over the top of the stone temple, that actually seem to look at me. Izem and I exchanged gazes before we climbed the steps up to the top.

As I got up to the top, I was met by a man standing in a light as bright as the sun. He smiled at me and the beams surrounding his body dimmed down, showing two big, black, feathered wings on his back. In one hand he held a big sword which he fast placed in his belt. The golden chest armour shone in the light from the sun that had peeked out from the grey clouds when he gave me one of his finest smiles.

"My child. I am truly sorry I have not arrived earlier. I heard words of that your father had escaped Hell and had to handle the situation before I could come and find you."

His brown eyes shone of kindness to the same degree that his chest armour reflected the beams of the sun and although he had not yet presented himself, I somehow knew him. The attention he gave me and the feeling of protection.

"Have we met before?" I asked.

"Not formally. I am Michael, your uncle."

Suddenly the wind changed and Michael looked around, but I could not bear to look away from him.

My uncle?

"We better get inside. My siblings do not think it is a wise idea to speak with you, but I know that you have succeeded to keep your good heart through the toughest of times, which makes you quite remarkable and unique." he extended his big arm with an award-winning smile playing on his dark lips. "Shall we?"

Michael led me inside and I sat down without taking my eyes of the big angel in front of me. Aurelia's words came back to me. No one had seen an angel on hundreds of thousands of years. They rarely ever showed themselves and if they did, it was extremely important. But right then, I could not think straight, doing nothing than watched this majestic creature in front of me, unable to get a word at all over my dry lips.

"A great evil is walking this earth." he told me with his voice drained in gravity. "And your father and his first and foremost progeny are its creators."

It became quiet for a while as I processed what he had just told me, but it didn't take long before I looked up at him again.

"How can I help?"

His smile returned, but slightly battered.

"By knowing your pedigree." he took my hand and pictures appeared in front of my eyes as he spoke, like visions.

"In the early days of the Garden of Edom, when our Parents had just created the world as we know it, They created us. Me and your father included. My task was to guard the day and your father guarded the night, to make sure every living creature felt safe as the lights disappeared. But due to the powers he had to bear, his blood had to be different than ours. He became a demon and me and my other siblings became angels, but we could not be closer than we were. Everything worked fine until our Father started a new project. Humanity. From clay he created the first humans, Lilith and Adam. They were both fantastic creatures, but as time passed, Adam got hungry for power and wanted Lilith to obey him – unwilling to allow her the same power. But obeying him was something she had no intention to do. So, she ran away. I had already seen how Azus had looked at Lilith whilst she had been with Adam, but I had yet never realised the hold she had on him. He disappeared when I told him to look for her to return and it took time before I saw them again, this time his hair had become black and she had been made a demon and carried a child. Our Father had forbidden Azus to share his powers to anyone, but he was alone and in love, unlike Lilith. They were banished to Hell where Lilith hooked her claws deeper into him. She was blinded by jealousy as our Father made Eve and used her new powers to tempt Adam and Eve into disobeying Father. After years of manipulation and anger, Azus finally saw that Lilith did not love him and he disappeared into the shadows and stayed in the background as she created millions of demons and tempted men into destruction, until we stopped her. Azus could not let us kill her, but he did lock her up in one of the many dimensions of Hell. It took a couple of hundred years before we got it under control, however the mixture of demon, human and angel blood had already spread and created all kinds of new beings. Warlocks for instance. But your father always stayed in the dark, staying away from everyone around him. Punishing himself for his crimes. Until he met your mother. I have never seen a person so happy as when he was with her, but I think he became afraid when he learnt that she was pregnant with you. Afraid of what Father might do, if she would survive and who you may become. Presumably terrified of that history would repeat itself once again. Fortunately, your mother was a very strong woman – a trate you most certainly have inherited. But after all these years lost from our attention, a certain evil has returned and this is something beond our capacity since its powers has grown into something truly unique and foremost dangerous."

As the visions disappeared, a glimpse of Michael went through the air before I did not feel his presents any longer. I looked around, but could not see anyone able to answer the question roaming through my mind.

What happened to Lilith's child, my half-sister?