The thick air is permeated with the pungent smell of sulfur, adding to the oppressive sense of disease and repulsion. The towering cliff sides seem to lean inward, their jagged edges tempting to break apart and crush without discretion. There is a creature crouched to the ground in the bottom of the pit, seeming unaware to his surroundings. His face is plastered with a knowing smirk, his pale blue eyes swallowing in every detail surrounding him, without really seeing them. His tarnished wings, which once were a perfect, crisp white made by a holy and perfect God, are bent and splattered with gold and crimson blood. The large cut on his forearm drips deep red blood which pools on the scorching stone below and sizzles, sending steam and a foul odor into the atmosphere. But this angel pays no mind to his dirtied clothing or bleeding wounds. He merely sits, consumed with his own thoughts.
Soon his silence is interrupted by the terrified yell of an angel falling into the chasm to join him. Barely slowing his descent the angel crashes to the ground so hard that small stones tumble off the cliffs, pelting the creatures. The first angel rises and kneels on the stone, inspecting the prone figure's wounds. Realizing that the new angel is unconscious the first pours his own blood into the gaping mouth. "My lord!" gasps out the revived angel, spitting out the vile blood. "My lord Lucifer, I could not leave you." Lucifer raises a hand to silence the angel and calmly remarks. "What color is my blood?" Confused the angel stutters. Lucifer continues, "Once it was gold. Now it is red, the color of fire, and hate." Lucifer has a look of annoyance upon his face. "My lord-" "Marad, there is no changing what is done. Are there others?" Pushing himself up Marad shakily stands, testing his strength. "I believe many more will come shortly. I have never seen such a thing as this. The angels all fighting, Michael rallying against his own kind, and God's wrath..." he drifts off horrified by his own memories. Lucifer ignores him and examines his own wounds which are merely superficial. He is mainly worried by the prospect of more distraught angels joining him and his cause which was already doomed to fail. There really was no cause any longer.
The angels start coming mere minutes after Marad fell. The empty cavern soon becomes a writhing pit of screaming bodies all demanding to know what is going on and most commonly where Lucifer is. If they but looked to the one body standing still, they need not have wondered. Lucifer stands in the corner silent, brooding. Timidly, Marad approaches him again. "My lord, I think it would be best to address them all. Perhaps ease their fears-" "And tell them what?" Lucifer snaps. "That they have just forfeited everything. That they are now cursed. That we have defied a perfect God and now will pay the price for our-" "This is your doing. I trusted you. And we will not relent." Marad growls out. Lucifer covers his face with his hands then rises, a new creature. He smiles at Marad, his teeth glowing and says, "I was hoping you might say that." He walks into the swarm leaving Marad confused at the sudden transformation. "My fellow fallen angels." Lucifer begins, causing the mob to hush and seek out the owner of the bold voice. "We are now cursed." This causes a stir which is stilled once again by his raised hand. "But, I for one, intend to make the best of it. We will not sit in this hell and allow good to rule. No, we will wait. Bide our time until we may wreak the greatest havoc upon heaven." A roar erupts from the angels, shaking the very ground. A small angels towards the front calls out, "My lord, we have been banished from heaven until The Lord consents." The angels shudder around him, "How exactly do you plan to overthrow that? The first rebellion did not succeed from the inside!" Many nod in agreement. Lucifer glares at the angels and barks out, "What is your name angel?" Steadily the angel responds, "Charaph" "Well, Charaph you may be partially correct but, there is something you do not know." He pauses, gathering his thoughts, "God intends to create." A moment of silence passes as the realization settles in. Then begins the shouting. It takes Lucifer many different tries to settle them all down and finally listen to him. "Enough!" He roars. "Yes, soon He will create and we have not yet been forbidden from meddling with the creation. We will make this hell our home and make this new earth an entirely new hell. We will cause chaos and destruction. There will be no rest. We will become rulers and gods and idols!" Lucifer is shouting louder now and the angels with him. "All will worship us!" The cavern rocks as if it too were filled with the blood-lust. All has changed in this day.
Michael shakes his head with pity at what the Lord has shown him. "They must be destroyed," he mutters under his breath. The booming voice fills the throne room, rattling Michael's bones, "In time, My plan must first be carried out." Kneeling on the golden floor of the dazzling room filled with worshipers Michael responds, "May it be as you say, my God."
And so begins our world as we know it.
Marad- English pronunciation of the Hebrew word for rebel
Charaph- English pronunciation of the Hebrew word for defy
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