Rapture Falls (23 page)

             
“Do you need a hand my
child;
you look as though you could do with
it”.

             
Baine stood silently in the solid darkness of the Clock Tower, he closed his eyes and scanned the room for alien noises, once he was sure that he was alone he moved toward the
descending
staircase whatever he was here for it was lying at the bottom of the building where the new foundations sat atop the disguarded ruins of the 1
^st
Century Roman constructions.
He passed
into
the Winter Smoking Room, the ceiling was high and the room was decorated opulently, even in the gloom the green and gold wealth adorned the walls, an impressive and expansive fireplace dominated the space with a massive golden flue festooned with crafted figurines.
The wooden floors creaked under
his weight as the aged timber groaned
loudly into the empty room, Baine moved to the centre and sat, he did not know why but merely that he must, his instincts had been on full alert since he had obtained the book, he was being led on his path and followed willingly.
He closed his eyes and the room closed in around him, he was swallowed by time and fell through
it
, the hard floor beneath him gave way as he was removed from
the present
, the artificially created floor dissolved into the damp earth, the world turned back its clock, faster and faster until he had to squeeze his eyelids tightly against the whirling shift of sands. There was blackness and
then
there was life, he opened his eyes slowly, he was sat upon
the grass surrounded by stone walls, he could hear the clanking of metal and the
odour
of smelting, heavy
organised
footsteps marched in a military fashion, he looked around and could see the early foundations on which Cardiff Castle would someday lie. The Roman fort covered roughly the same area as the modern castle, the gates on both sides were flanked by guard towers and deep holes had been dug to hold vicious looking sharpened wooden stakes, there were many internal storage buildings and troops and what looked like civilian workers were busy in their day. Baine stood and walked toward the largest of the internal buildings, he moved through the fort un-noticed by those around him, he did not know if he were the ghost or if they were but he passed silently. He could hear their loud and boisterous
Latin
conversations, soldiers were drilled and castigated by domineering superiors, the soldiers wore heavy looking metal jackets of
armour
over rough wool tunics, the men wore sturdy looking leather
sandals
, he could not believe the
organisation
and
ingenuity baring in mind that this was the first century, it was easy to understand just how this country had ruled over large parts of the globe. Baine moved toward the large central building, he felt the draw of his own kind, a large voice called out from inside,

             
“Come in brother, I’ve been expecting you”.

             
Baine entered the stone domain, on a large wooden cot sat a man of considerable height and breadth, he wore a long sleeveless woolen tunic, his shoulders were broad and his chest powerful, his arms were thick and muscular, his features were dark and his hair was short and his face clean shaven.

             
“Marcus” Baine greeted his brother cautiously.

             
“
We have not long
” Marcus spoke in his own language but Baine understood nevertheless.

“If you
come
to me now
,
then you have possession of the book once again” Marcus overrode Baine’s puzzled look and pressed on in explanation, “This is a time of then and of now, I know
only of you in the future as our link is stronger than the passing time
, we are linked as brothers and
as descendants of Enoch, we were
created with purpose by a father with a secret. The book holds us and knowledge of our paths and of our father’s deeds, it was never meant for the eyes of anyone outside of us and ours
, the book has updated itself through time to tell of the deeds of the world and of the warring angels
”

             
“
If it’s s
o
important then how did you lose it
?” Baine asked succinctly

             
Marcus looked as though he struggled to swallow his anger after all they were brothers and alike in many ways, “I do not know of the exact limitations of our physical interaction within our dimensions here, perhaps if you wish to insult me again we can find out” he raised his head and looked at Baine squarely.

             
Baine nodded in respect and smiled one of the few genuine smiles in his life, for the first time he actually felt the tug that may have been
loneliness, here sat his blood, one
who would truly deserve to stand at his shoulder.

“So then what have you for me, a plan, a path?
A
map would be handy, or even a few truthful explanations”

             
“
I know
w
hat
is restricted, our father spoke through the book of the terrible battle that raged across the heavens, of Gods anger at the Archangels betrayal and their subsequent banishment, the only thing certain is that y
ou must trust no-one. The Grigori and the 11
^th
Order
seek the Cube with the same fervor and passion, they will lie, cheat, deceive and slaughter anyone and everyone to get its power back in their hands. Lucifer and Gabriel both held it for only the briefest second of time but it has completely consumed th
eir entire universe ever since and they will do anything to get it back
using you as their tool
”
.

             
“I know all this Marcus, I’ve been running my game now for a few days, I have taken the book from de Payens and kept it from them, I have already broken free of their hold, nobody controls me anymore, nobody” Baine spoke with
an angry
confidence
.

             
“YOU ARROGANT FOOL” Marcus raged,” You understand nothing, you are not a free man, every move, every decision, every turn, every choice has already been determined for you by one side or the other” Marcus softened his tone, “When you took the life of
the one called
Sinclair it was at the will of
the Priest
, when
Gabriel revealed the secrets of your existence it was at the will of Lucifer, the death of Beck
’
s daughter, the involvement of the detective McCullum, the suicide deaths of
all
three men
, your taking the Book of Enoch, everything,
of this was written in the stars and in the hearts of angels since time began brother, don’t you understand
, they have had eons to plan for this
.
God has long since abandoned this world in disgust at our appetite for self destruction, we are alone here with only
the power of the Archangels to influence and shape our destinies, God had washed his hands of mankind on earth and now shapes new worlds elsewhere.
This here, is the very last fumes of our fathers legacy, the only chance created in a single solitary rip of time designed to intersect you at this moment, you were brought here to this location for an entirely different purpose and when our conversation is over you will slip right back into their precise plan again. Only from now forward you will be armed with the most powerful weapon our father could hand you, a free will”

             
“You know all of this
theorising
is great, really entertain
ing but it gets me nowhere Marcus
, I need facts grounded in real life man” Baine implored,
“
Let’s
start with how I can kill those fucking angels”

             
“The Seraphim cannot be killed by any traditional weapon, but they must at all times inhabit a human host, if you can isolate them and destroy the host then they
would be vanquished to Purgatory as heaven is no longer open to them since their betrayal”

“
Well that’s just brilliant,
I need to know where this Cube is and just what the hell to do with it. I could not give two shits about the
Grigori
or the 11
^th
Order and their squabbles, all I want is to walk away from this bullshit and leave the lot of them far behind, I want my life to be my own,
to
do with as I please,
NO MORE FUCKING PUPPET STRINGS
”

Baine sat down heavily on the cot beside his brother, suddenly he felt so very tired, he was
empty
inside, his life had never been his own
despite his thoughts to the contrary and this fact crashed down upon his weary shoulders, everywhere he turned stood someone else in his path shaping his life and choosing his life for him. He had sat pathetically upon his high priced throne, driving ridiculous cars believing himself superior amongst the surrounding sheep whilst all the while he was a pawn to be moved around an earthly board at another’s will, it was all so laughable now, he was merely a hollow shell of man, a lifeless clay sculpture.
His macho
strutting
and pride in the superficial had allowed his eyes to be clouded to his own reality, all of which now pained him as an intelligence awoke from a long slumber accompanied by an iron will, he had no idea just what a full existence would contain, but for the very thought of one day of living as a free man he would die a thousand deaths.

             
Marcus watched the dawn of his brother, the birth of a warrior with a
destiny;
he held his tongue and waited as Baine processed his own thoughts for truly the first time.
The building around them had already begun to fade, the walls started to dissolve and his brother grew weak and distant,