When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Twenty Eight

The sound of footsteps was amplified in the great, cavernous hall, filling the eerie silence of the cathedral. Indistinct benches took up a great length of the hall, above which spanned an intricate mural of a Biblical recount. The magnificently painted work was dulled by the gloom, the characters, although very eye-catching in the morning, appeared strangely grotesque in the dark, their eyes following the lone man– if he could be called that– as he glided across the hall below.

Earlier, when the man had entered, the hall had not been so deserted. A man knelt at the front, engrossed in prayer. The stranger had walked forward soundlessly and touched him tenderly on the top of his head. At once the man had gotten up and left the hall as though sleep walking, a strange contented smile plastered on his face.

In this cesspool of sin and decay, one finds holy, devoted men. The man mused, stretching his magnificent wings; the snowy white feathers giving off a soft glow.

Soon however, good and righteousness will prevail.

While he stood gazing at the stained windows, there were successive flashes of light, the soft rustle of cloth and feather lasting for only a few seconds. The man did not turn and one of the newcomers stepped forward. Unlike the rest of his companions, this man did not have wings. Instead, his skin was engraved with scars, clothed in garments that were darker and drab compared to the extravagant white robes of his companions. Even the man's face, although very young and handsome, bore lines that indicated hardship and great loss, eyes dull but watchful.

"You summoned me?" He asked the first man, a hint of impatience lacing his tone.

"Lucifer." The man said pleasantly, as though greeting a friend. "How did that recent skirmish with the demons go? I heard quiet of few of them were killed. That's only  going to fuel Satan's anger against you."

"You know well enough that I do not care what the Devil thinks." Lucifer said icily, his dislike for the other man evident. "My allegiance lies with Heaven, despite my earlier...disputes."

"A wise choice." The man murmured. "Because you know that if you betray us now, I will clip more than just your wings."

Lucifer stiffened, his face becoming taut and pale. He knew that the man's threats were nothing to take lightly. Around him, the other men exchanged knowing glances, some of them shooting Lucifer judgmental glares.

"Why did you summon me?" Lucifer demanded, ignoring the looks he was receiving. "Surely you did not ask for me just to engage in idle chatter?"

The man chuckled. "No, I had other reasons for calling you here. I wanted to assign you a new task, one that concerns our two subjects."

The men shifted at these words, an uneasy silence settling in the hall. The man waved at his companions, who all vanished in a brilliant burst of light. Lucifer was the only one left standing with the man now.

"We should not speak here." Lucifer started with a frown. "The enemy could be eavesdropping on us. We ought to–"

"I have angels on patrol." The man cut across. "No scum of hell will be able to come within a mile radius of this place. Of course, no demon in their right mind would ever set foot in a church."

"Very well then, what is my next task?"

The man turned around,  towering over him. He stretched out his hand  and strange ribbons of white and blue light swirled in a circular manner above his palm, neither liquid nor gas. They merged together, giving form to a pulsating orb in which figures moved and images flashed. The face of a young, blonde girl appeared for a split second before dissolving away, replaced with the moving image of a dark haired man stepping out of a fire. Then appeared the form of a white haired woman, a dark aura manifesting around her, her eyes flashing evilly. These images and scenes played and replayed, switching and dissolving, each showing the same three people.

"The Godling has found her Guide." The man stated, while Lucifer followed the images closely. "We all know the Devil had a hand in this reunion. From what your spies tell us, Satan played a great game, the end result being that, sooner or later, the Guide would be his to control."

"I know. We have already lost." Lucifer murmured. "She cannot locate The Sanctuary now, and that is the only place where the Godling can destroy Hell. What are we to do now?"

"The Guide aims to regain her soul and free herself from the Devil."

"Impossible." Lucifer said at once. "It's a lost cause. She's insane if she thinks she can accomplish such a task."

The man chuckled. "No doubt, she would fail. But why shouldn't we take advantage of the situation? We want her on our side, after all..."

Lucifer arched an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting? We ask her to join us?"

"Yes."

"How can we be sure she won't decline?"

The man smirked knowingly. "We have much to offer her. We can provide her assistance in retrieving her soul. We can tempt her with a place in Heaven. We can offer her the destruction of Hell. There's nothing we aren't able to provide her, how can she refuse?"

"That is true." Lucifer nodded. "But you just agreed that is impossible for her to recover her soul from the Devil. How are we to assist her in such a suicidal endeavor?"

"Retrieving her soul fraction from Satan is not the only way for her to regain her Guide powers." The man asserted calmly. "You know we have other means."

Lucifer took a step back, eyes widening in disbelieve. "You don't mean– a human could never survive it. It is only meant for celestial beings. Forceful Purification has never been performed on a mortal before."

The man chuckled again, the sound sending a chill down Lucifer's spine. "I see you and I are on the same page. Yes, it is not meant for mortals, but the Guide is not exactly a normal human, now is she? Her strength and abilities surpass that of the rest of her kind. I don't suppose you have any other means of removing Satan's control over her?"

This question was met with silence and the man took Lucifer's lack of argument as a sign of agreement. "Well, there you have it,that is your task. You are to contact the Guide and request her to join us. If she does not comply, use other means. If all else fails, then use force. Whatever happens, we need her on our side with the Godling under our control. That is how we shall ensure Heaven's triumph."

"Is your task understood?"

"Yes."

The man turned away from Lucifer, the orb of floating images disappearing. "Then go. May the Heaven's favor be with you."

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Hi all, I'm back to posting again. I know,i delayed it and should have done it sooner,but as i might have mentioned,i am very busy. That being said, my updates will be slower now. It may take me two weeks to post one chapter because i need to give more time to my studies.

This story is still undergoing editing,but i won't be making any big changes just yet. I will inform you all of any minor changes. Please bear with me and please point out any plot holes or mistakes I've made,because i know i'm overlooking many things.

Anyway,thanks for reading and voting. Happy reading!