46. Witness | Beyond the Firmament: Tales From the Cosmos

Beyond The Firmament

Tales From The Cosmos

46. Witness

- Written by Gift C Enyadike Jr

Onárstil, Duuskor, Moyon, Sevaasi. Many names, but one purpose. One that he chose, no matter what he or anyone else tries to claim. That is to be the enemy of all creation and the Creator Himself.

And yet, Diohlatas, the arbiter of justice, the champion of righteous causes, had asked him to give testimony; to share what he had witnessed while they had been confined to the Chiliad front for a thousand years.

Sevaasi laughed, which served to enrage the Titaness further. She raised her vast, colossal fists to strike, but again the arbiter blocked.

"Hold, I told you!"

"YOU would protect HIM?!"

"Calm yourself and wait! How many times must you doom us with your Fury?"

She fell silent at once.

Sevaasi continued to laugh, "Yes, beast! Do as your master commands."

"Speak, I said!"

"Where would I begin?"

"Tell me why the Son was on Earth. Why did He take human form?"

"He was born."

"Elaborate."

"Do you remember the one called David? I recall the Father deemed him a man after His own heart."

"I remember his lust. I remember the ruinous blasphemy and idol-worship of his offspring."

"It is through that same line that the Son was made flesh."

"For what reason?"

"To live amongst them. To speak to them in their language. To be their shining light, their example of service and humility. To be their saviour."

"Then what happened?"

Sevaasi laughed again, louder this time.

"THEY CALLED HIM THE DEVIL!"

Diohlatas' many eyes burned as did Fari's entire being. Moyon continued his account.

"True to His divine nature, He performed many signs and wonders, all of which had been written and passed down by their ancestors. They knew He was coming and yet, they did not recognise Him. No, they refused to! They attributed all of His works... to me."

He laughed again.

"YOU LIE!" roared the Titaness.

"Did you not witness the result? Shall I tell you what I witnessed?"

"We will hear no more-"

Diohlatas cut her off, "Quiet!" and then commanded Sevaasi, "What did you witness?"

"His disciples, His closest confidants, His... friends, betrayed and deserted Him. They even denied ever knowing Him. His people, whom He came to save, were given a choice between the living image of the Father and a common murderer, and they chose the murderer. And at no point did the Son defend Himself or use His power to subjugate them or escape. He just... accepted it, for it was the Father's will."

With every word spoken, a shadow slowly cast itself upon the many remaining silver wings of Diohlatas, one by one.

"He did not want to do this, I dare say. The night He was taken, the night He was betrayed, He looked up at the Father and asked Him, begged Him to 'take this cup away,' but the Father would not have it. Instead, He just sent your brethren to comfort Him and then pulled them away. He was left completely alone and at the mercy of men. And they had none."

"Because of you!" Fari stated, "You set them upon him!"

"I tried to help Him! I tried to make Him show them who He was, but He rejected me every time!"

"Because YOU are the source of all Evil!"

"I am Evil, yet THEY are made in His image? I am Evil, yet the Son was MURDERED and removed from His place at the Father's side, while a thief, a criminal, was allowed entrance into Heaven? You saw him, did you not?"

"I... did."

"And do you know why? Because he asked. He who was hanging for his crimes saw He who was hanging blameless and asked Him to be granted entry, and the Son gave it. He now lives among the righteous souls, among your brethren, by invitation."

The Titaness once again fell silent. Her white flame began to die out. The next words came from the arbiter.

"Where is He?"

"Come now, old friend. You know the answer."

"How, if he was blameless?"

"Do you remember Death, now the Eater, who sank deeper into Hell than any before due to the weight of sin he devoured? You judged him yourself, did you not?"

"I did."

"I tell you, the Son gained a far greater weight."

The shadow had now fully cast itself over Diohlatas' wings. Only his eyes retained their silver.

"The humans now have free passage into your gates, so that they can be with the Father. But now the Earth is mine, as I swore it would always be."

"So it WAS you?"

"I am but a mere beneficiary. That is all I have seen on Earth and beyond. You have seen it. The worlds of the Princes are no different. Did they not consume the essence of Fire Water? Did they not seek to pierce the Veil? Did they not defy the Executioner's balance? Or corrupt themselves to challenge the Golden Mind? Or abandon the Relaxed One? Or overindulge on Clarity? They are ALL the same and ALL your efforts have been WASTED by the WILL OF THE FATHER!"

Fari's fire was gone, leaving only the traces of the black hole from which she was born. Once again, she prepared to lunge at Duuskor, but some of the arbiter's eyes held her in place. Many more looked at the various Jarwan worlds, some of which were new, having been started while they were on the Chiliad front.

The last of his eyes gazed upon Teyra, locking in on a single location, a grave which held Da Suun's human body. The body that had been broken and bled for them.

He pulled them all away. He would not look upon this rock again. Not until it was wiped clean.

"If the Earth is yours, like your other world, it will be. Then, for you, I will come."

"If the Father does not will it, you will not."

"I will."

The arbiter left, but the Titaness remained. Now, she was finally alone with the Enemy. There was nowhere for him to flee. Her white flame slowly returned.

"Well then, beast, what will YOU do?" He asked.

Here's what she did. She turned away and followed her guardian.

Sevaasi let out yet another victorious laugh. But a new sound cut him off. The sound of a rolling stone that pierced the Heavens. He looked down upon Teyra and saw that the grave had been opened.

And a Man clothed in white stepped out of the grave. He was Da Suun, who served Da Vaada. Da Suun who IS Da Vaada.

And He was alive.

Sevaasi roared with bewildered rage as the universe brightened around him like never before and the hosts sang once again.

This was good. But Diohlatas did not and would not see any of it.