The Descent of the Gods

Prophecy

In a small field outside the village, Enoch bent over to grasp another fistful of wheat and sliced the stems with his flint knife. Around him, his comrades stood up from their work all staring at the forest line. Stretching his aching back muscles, Enoch stood up straight to see what had caught their attention.

Twenty bearded men emerged from the forest. They were dressed in dark clothing unlike any worn in the region around Nod. They were led by one man who walked towards Enoch with a firm stride. The villagers backed away warily, but Enoch waited.

"Who are you?" Enoch challenged. "And what do you want?" The man stopped and looked at Enoch steadily as he answered.
"My name is Caleb," he replied. "We have come from Eden, seeking to find one called Seth. I was told he lived in this valley." Enoch nodded, unsure how to respond. Men from Eden? Here?

Later that evening, Caleb's companions shared in the village's meager dinner, waiting for Seth and Caleb to reemerge from the hut they had entered several hours earlier. Enoch distributed bread loaves and roasted corn among them. They were mostly silent, only occasionally speaking to each other in low tones. None of the villagers dared speak to them.
"The Cainites force you to pay tribute, don't they?" Jehuda asked, a young man around Enoch's age. Enoch nodded.
"They take whatever they want, whenever they want it," he replied. "I guess that in Eden you fear no one?"
"There are always things to fear," Jehuda replied. "Even in Eden." Just then, Seth threw back the door of the hut and emerged, followed by Caleb. The villagers gathered closer, hoping to know why these visitors were among them. Caleb stepped forward, Seth standing close behind him.

"We mean to bring you no cause for alarm with our presence," Caleb began. "We have traveled almost a month from Eden. Our father Adam sends his peace and greetings." The Sethites murmured at this. Enoch smiled - Adam lives!

"Our father has had a vision," Caleb continued. "A vision of the future, and it is why we have come. We will see his vision fulfilled." Enoch drew in a breath, and the Sethites leaned forward involuntarily to hear what Caleb would say next.
"There will soon come an end of our age of doubt," Caleb said. "For centuries mankind has had to rely only on the stories handed down from the beginning. But the generation that saw those things will soon be with us no more. God means to speak to mankind again. In his vision, Adam saw that a messenger is coming, who will speak the words of God to man. And..." Caleb stopped, as the Sethites began discussing this news among themselves. He raised his arms, and eventually regained their attention.
"And that messenger will be found in Nod," Caleb said finally and was met by dead silence. Finally, someone spoke.
"How can anything good come out of Nod?" Enoch spoke bitterly.