There was a hard at the door.
'Come in.'
Vere trotted inside, looking worried. 'Marmoo wants to see you.'
'Why?'
'He wants to kil.. I mean erhh..educate you on some matters. I'd better let him tell you himself.'
Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.
For days, I'd been half expecting a random bolt of lightning to vaporise me into nothing.
Now that I was declared a True blood son of one of the Celestials who were forbidden from having children, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.
I was sure all the forces of th universe were itching to revoke my right to exist, and Marmoo wouldn't pass up the chance to end me himself.
Vere excorted me Marmoos pavilion in the center ilse. The ugly dwarf sat on his couch, yelling prfane words at a soccer match. Marmoo was a big fan of the team cllaed chelsea, the same team that was down three nil.
In other words I was catching him while his bloodlust was especially heavy.
Mr Kamau sat on a desk across the couch in in his himan form. He seemed to be hrading some papers, I had no idea why.
'Well, well,' Marmoo snorted. 'Our little celestial.'
I waited quitely.
'For Zeta sake, would you relax, if I wanted to kill you I wouldnt have waited this londg,' Marmoo said. 'Though i definitely was tempted.'
'Yes, I lf had my way..,' Marmoo sigjed like he was indulging in a beautiful fantasy, 'I would send one of my bugs into your ear and go to work in the brain of yours. A nice swarm would clean up the body. But Acacius here just had to be a spoilsport and dissuade me.'
'Yes, because that would be murder my lord,' Acacius commented.
'You mean efficient,' Marmoo said. 'And the boy wouldn't feel a thing.
But know thanks to you he no longer has the option of painless desth.' Marmoo snapped.
'So listen to Acacius, boy. Hear his plan. But you will probably wish we had done the bug themed exit when you do.' Marmoo rose on his stubby feat, and the cheeto dust on his face disappeared as he donned elegant robes thay made even he look less repulsive'
'My presence on titan has been requested, tell the boy your plan. If he is here when I return i will assume he wants a painless death.
Oh and Abel Hayes, if you're at all smart,
you'll see that's a much better option than the foolishness Acacius wants you to attmept.'
Marmoo waved.
The air sizzled and his form became diaphonous, there was a brisk wind, then he was gone— thank God for that.
Mr Kamau smiled at me, but he looked so tired, like he had watched this cycle repeat itself over and ober. 'Sit, Able, please. And Vere, join us.'
We did.
Acacius laid his elbows on the table and brought his palms together in gesture of anxiety.
'Tell me, Abel,' he said. 'What did you make of the horrors of our world: the monster youve encountered so far. Be it the the Yowie or the Burronjor?'
Just hearing their names made me break into a clod sweat.
Perhaps Acacius wisjed for me to say :Those insects? Heck they werent enough to fill the gap in my teeth.
But I didn't want to lie. 'They terrified me,' I said. 'When faxing them I thought I'd be dead.'
'You'll live see far more horror, Abel. Some will etch a permanent mark into your psyche. But this must take place for you to finish.'
'Finish… with what?'
'Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?'
His words reminded me of the dream i had last night. I fought back a shiver.
'Um, sir,' I said, 'you haven't told me what it is yet.'
Acacius grimaced. 'Well, that's the scary part, the details.'
Thunder rumbled in the skies above as if to illustrate his point.
'The quest is a retrieval,' I said. 'Something important is missing?'
Mr Kamau and Vere exchanged looks.
Mr Kamau sat forward in his wheelchair. 'How did you know this?'
I didnt want to, but I told Mr Kamau about my dream while leaving out the detail about my mother and the threat I had recieved.
'I knew it,' Vere said.
'Hush, boy,' Me Kamau cautioned.
'But it is obviously his destiny!' Vere's eyes burned with an intensity I had not seen before. 'It must be!'
'We must be careful. We must consult our oracles first.' Mr Kamau said a he stroked his chin.
'Nevertheless, Abel you have made the right geuss. Something important has gone missing, upsetting the balance of the world. And the Celestials are eager to reclaim it. To be precise: the torch.'
I laughed nervously. 'The what?'
'Do not take this lightly,' Mr Kamau warned. 'The torch contains the essence of destruction and holds enough power to level this universe. It also contaons the essence od every demon to be born.
Wjen it was sealed away, the demons could be culled and controlled. But now that its missing abd so we have a potentially infinite number of bloodthirsty monster who refuse to be slain.'
'Oh.'
'The Samhedi totch,' Mr Kamau said, getting worked up now.
'Forged with the death of Magog. The artifact of Annihilation.'
'And it's missing?'
'Yes,' Mr Kamau replied.
'How?'
'Your father.' Mr Kamau just dropped a random bomb.
My mouth fell open.
Mr Kamau held up a hand – 'Eons ago, after the dreamtime was forged. Your father Orion and Zeta argued about the remnant torch. Zeta wanted to study it, find a way to use irs power safely but Orion demanded it be destroyed.
He feared that one day Magog would re-emerge and that he would reclaim his power through the torch.
His opinion was unpopular however as all tye Celestials sided with Zeta, all but one.
Then one day Orion disappeared, along with the torch.
Needless to say, the Celestials were furious and Orion was branded a traitor immediately. This happened exactly a decade ago'
'But I did he really –'
'Patience child,' Mr Kamau said. 'Zeta's suspicion was notnwithout reason.
The torch had gone missing once before.
Almost at the same time, Orion had briefly gone missing, Zeta believed thay Orion had tried to harness the torches power and use it to overthrow him.
Now that it has happened a second time... he has confirmed his suspicions. And you having Zeta's bloodline has made him believe you to be an accoplice to your fathers crime. '
'He is insane!' I growled. 'I have nothing to do with this.
Mr Kamau and Vere both looked at the skies in fight. A storm seemed to be forming igjf avove us. Sealing away all sunlight.
'Watch your tongue boy' Mr Kamau warned. 'The Celestials are not as forgiving as you think.'
'Perhaps Zeta is indeed paranoid,' Mr Kamau ammended. 'After all he was once dethroned in favor of your father. I believe this is a story I shared with yoir class at Vida…' He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember the exact instance.
I was still trying to wrap my head around being an accomplice to a capital crime as I wracked my brain?
'Something about a vote?' I guessed. 'Daramulum, Marmaragan, Manuriki and the other gods… they, like, tried to impeach Altjira and make Biame king?'
'Exellent,' Acacius Praised. 'And Zeta has never trusted Orion since, even though Orion denies any involvement.
Zeta lost alot of his bearing when he failed to control himself and fathered a a hafl Celestial. Something forbidden by law. He was chastised greatly by the other Celestials. His daughters fate was considered deserved.
Now his rival has broken the same law and his son is alive and well with the demonic forces not attacking him the way they did his daughter.
He believes your father somehow used the torch to protect you. And that you know of his whereabouts.'
'But I-'
'Abel,' Vere cut in, 'Zeta is not really wrong in this. Orion was in the wrong for taking the torch and now that you've arrived..'
'But you don't know that – my dad – from what Ive heard from my mom wasnt a thief.'
Chiron sighed. 'And most of the Celestials agree with you. They believe there must be some explanation for all this. Probably why Zeta hasn't killed you yet.
He is probably still convincing the Celestial host to act against you and your your father.
It likely that he will lose his patience and simply incinerate you.
That is, unless....'
'Find the torch myself,' I said. 'And return it to the Celestials. I mean..thats what the quest is about right? What the Celestials want me to do. Why Hel appeared in my dream'
'Indeed,' Acacius said, 'I know its unfair, but you must earn your right to live this way?'
'Do we have any idea where it is?'
'I believe I might have some clue.' Acacius admitted. 'From several sources I cosilted during my time on the other side… But before I tell yo, you must accept the mission.
You must consult one of our oracles.'
'Why are you keeping the details from me?'
'Because if I did, you would never accept the quest. Not if you were sane.'
I swallowed. 'Good reason.'
'You accept it then?'
I looked at Vere, who nodded strongly.
Easy for him. I was the one universally wanted dead.
'All right,' I said. 'It's cant be worse than dying to bugs.'
'Then it's time found you an oracle,' Acacius said. 'Only one Nephilim in recent times has been gifted with the power of foresight. With a mind powerful enough to breach the future.'
'Geuss who?' Vere laughed mischievously.