It was lush; where the forest and the waters ran into infinity. The winds hummed through the wheat grass and the tall conifers sung their most secret of songs. The temperature always felt perfect and the salted earth always felt sound and solid. Harmony, so it’s been called. The flora and fauna harmonized with the changing seasons and the circle of life was in balance. Every living life force connected in some spiritual way. The sky would change color based on the temperament and emotion of the living creatures. We embraced and celebrated the perfect unions that involved the weather and growth of our Eden. Change was something that had never crossed our minds, as the the days came and went exactly as planned. We became accustomed to the normalcy which was our life without complication; when we were hungry we ate, when tired we slept. We would hunt and gather and prune the most fruitful of trees. It was a very predictable and content society, and everything was as it should be...or so we thought.
Yet for all of the perfection and contentment our world had, the center of our Eden held a secret place. A forbidden place. We would occasionally walk too close to the barriers and be reminded from the other Fallen, or ‘Guardians’ not to enter. Although they had no forceful ambitions they could not utilize nor enforce the law, because as humans we had something they did not. Free will. We never tempted them or spoke harshly and had a mutual respect for them. They were quite beautiful, as you would say in your tongue. They were imperfect perfections. When asked why we must avoid this area, they would recall the story:
At the center of this knowledge was a scorned Guardian called Lucifer who fought with the one named as the Creator. Their argument was riddled in passion and anger for one another, with the Guardian begrudgingly adhering the the laws of the Creator without fail, but not always in agreeance. This dispute lasted eons until the final clash ended with the Guardian falling from the Heavens onto Earth. To better survive this new land the he discovered that although he held not omniscience or free will, he had discovered and honed his power to mimic the likeness of any creature he saw. His story is one of the first regretful fallen victim. That he did not accept his fate and would often try to do things that would gain favor with his prior life as the Creator’s assistant. To this day he is remised and uncompromising to the events that would lead up to our current being. He was but a pawn in life's game of chess and his rage is expected.
My story begins here with the birth of one of the most beautiful creatures ever created; Eve. A mixture of unmitigated sass and organized chaos, she was the original muse and the reason change had to happen. Her faint scent could be felt in the deepest of infatuations and in the most cherished of love affairs. Eve’s essence radiated in the hearts of those true in the ways love. She is the mother of every hopeless romantic. She was the life force of change, the Venus of our time and the fuel that set the heart aflame. This was our Eve. Created from the Earth and our blood, with ethereal beauty as well as an inquisitive mind, she encompassed the best of both worlds. You see, the common misconception is that she was created the same as Adam when in truth she was not. She had the Earth and its ever changing conditions built with the blood of the truest and most loved of species. In her own right, she was stronger and more adaptable.
To Eve, life was too simple. In the beginning she was content but after decades of nothingness and years of questioning, she found herself yearning for more. For that spark or for that new love affair with something. ‘Rebellious’, your kind would say. ‘Defiant!’. To her this was life. Often Eve would sit next to the bubbling brook in the meadows and put flowers in her long blond hair and feel the cool water with her hand and wonder. ‘Why live content’, she would muse, ‘when you can be happy?’ Adam would always watch Eve while she lay next to the brook for hours until she grew bored and wandered away. He would try to understand her desires, her wants, her needs for more knowledge, but he would always get frustrated and think about something else.
Eve was woman, and woman was new to this engagement, this covenant. What was she trying to expel? What was she looking for? Why create something that cannot taste satisfaction? Ever changing as she was, unpredictable she became. She would be gone for long periods of time, and suddenly show up and want everything to be as it once was, but what once was...was what? Routine was fast something she could not comprehend. For long periods of time she would try, to little effect, to change the color of the sky, the temperature of the water, the height of the trees. She was, to some, peculiar. But there would be one that would fancy her. One that would understand her. Her need to advance in the circle of life. Her cravings were not worldly, they were, in her mind, just. To Eve, living one’s life in the same way forever was not happiness, it was a death sentence. To be with one person, to only know one man’s touch was not a fairy tale, but a nightmare.
Where was the rest of her species -surely there should more than just the two of them- and how come she was so unfazed by eternal life in a garden of complete solitude? Her want would anger the Creator, forcing him to question why it was that Eve's unsteady heartbeat did not beat in the harmony of her surroundings. As her mind strengthened and she decided to tempt fate and break through the barriers of the forbidden place, the Guardians could do nothing but watch with curiosity. As she approached the forbidden place, whispers could be heard of the other Fallen who had abandoned their post.
Eve was unchanged when she came upon them. She was not startled, scared, or complacent. ‘I am Eve, and the Mother of all things new and inspired’, she would remind herself. And she was right, for the Fallen would beckon to her charm, and warm to her beauty. Her ability to enchant those around there led them to crown her as their muse; from this, what your kind know now as Music was created. This Music was made to celebrate her allure, her countless perfections, her balanced body and lips that tasted of rain off freshly-picked junipers. She stayed in the forbidden land for a long period of time and was in no rush to leave, for their stories told of a different tale of creation; of a dark time where control and hard labor was their off days while their work days were painful and scarring. The immense and labor-intensive acts of moving planets, suns and destroy and rebuild was expected and done without question. Floods, fire, death and harsh wastelands full of primitive less-powerful Gods that did not have the armies of the one Creator were concurred, dismantled, and killed. At this point in the Fallen’s story, Lucifer made his presence known and he greeted her with delight wrapped in curtness.
She asked of him to indulge, to tell her his story. “What happened? Tell me the reason for all this.” One of the Fallen, Beelzebub, stood and glared at her as if she said something off color. He naturally held a striking pose, armed with his well-used and worn spear, he looked at Lucifer for the command he had heard many times before. Lucifer looked upon this new creature with curiosity and remarked to Beezlebub to stay at ease. “She inquires, dearest Beezlebub, let me recount our story. One of love, glory and loss”. There was a sense of innocence in his eyes. He was well toned and beautiful he was scarred from head to toe. His hair was dark and wild, his eyes both daunting and sad. His perfect bone structure led to his perfect voice pitch. Lucifer was a musician and muse. He was the favored one, the first angel, the Creators first love. Lucifer got comfortable, and as night fell and the air became cooler he started a fire. “Look, child.” he said, pointing to the fire and as she watched the flames dance, she noticed that the embers created out of thin air a flashback.
It all started peaceful, and then there was light. I was alive. We were borne from stars; our ancestors from a time before time. With guidance from the Creator, we created new stars from our bloodlines. We created solar systems. Planets were named after their creators, and each was assigned an a ideology and a life force. For a time is was harmonious, it was what life was scripted to be. We drifted, we let life play out according to their standards. We gave them powers, as well as to create new ones...
Eve interrupted, "Powers, what kind of powers?" “The power to create life, Eve.” “Create Life? You speak of becoming a God?” “Yes, Eve. A God in their own right. Shall I continue?” Eve nodded, eyes wide with amazement.
Lucifer’s hands moved swiftly, his eyes sharpened and grew bigger and smaller based on the stories he told. The room was elated, for they had not seen such life from him in a long, long time.
The stories of the planets grew, and life flourished. Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Venus, Pluto, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury. It was grand, all of us in this room creating the most beautiful beings and humanoids. There was never violence or death. There was only acceptance and peaceful cultures. They built, fished, hunted and became truly Enlightened beings. The sun was our main life force and everything was governed by its likeness. It was a strategically placed and balanced life. I and the Creator...” "You mean Destroyer!" Azriel shouted from across the fire.
The crowd turned to meet his angered gaze. Azriel's eyes burned with fury and tears of blood ran down his cheeks. There was an overwhelming sense of loss amongst the group. It was as if the air had been sucked out of them. As if their hope diminished.
The silence of the next thirty seconds was suffocating. The blaze of the fire crackled, and Azriel looked out at the crowd. "Why repeat these stories of defeat and darkness? Must we relive our sad fate over and over? We carry this burden and our failed attempts of saving our creations has been fruitless. We were mauled- crucified!- and their lives and souls depended on us to protect them and WE FAILED! Their stories weren't written, their lives are but distant, faded memories and we, we banished, will never be what we once were. We have unique talents, yes, and we have each other, but tell me brothers, do you not look upon me as a failed God, as a Fallen Guardian? What once held truth is now riddled in lies. We used to be favored and have a voice that was heard and that voice had meaning. Look at us now. What are we to become? They took my life!” Then silence.
Azriel, visibly spent, retreated to his seat amongst the Fallen. "Enough tonight. Eve, walk with me," Lucifer said gently.
Lucifer extended his hand and reached out for Eve's. She grabbed hold and was lifted gracefully to her feet. They walked into the darkness together, their silhouettes captured by the roar of the now-dying fire. As they walked their forms faded till nothing remained but the tips of the wafting flames. The Fallen that stood around the fire left one by one. Azriel was the last to leave. He glared at the fire and heard the cries of agony that played like background music in his head. He stood up, and in disgust his large framed body kicked the earth and all at once, a wave of turf came over the fire and smothered it at once. Then there was silence. Nothing could be seen, but the subtle sound of feet shuffling about could be heard and the whispers began again.
Eve and Lucifer walked through a pasture land where they were greeted by massive Clydesdale horses. One called Aramis slowly moved to Lucifer’s open hand to receive hay that appeared in his hand. Eve looked at Lucifer as a new confidant, a new device to release her urges and fits of discomfort. He sensed this, smiled gravely behind his eyes and offered the bait. "And what is your story, Eve? What made you breech the rules to discover these forbidden quarters of Eden?" Lucifer asked. Watching Aramis munching on the meal, she became pensive. “It seems too perfect, this garden,” she decided. “Where one can do no wrong,” she stated regretfully. And so it was that Lucifer the storyteller had now become the listener. Eve rambled about how she didn't feel at ease. That she didn't feel her life was deigned to remain a daywalker and a nightdreamer. Lucifer quietly listened and took notice when she told him there were parts of her that regret her life, and he saw there was a distinct mean streak in her veins. There was a sense of coldness and depth that she could feel in her soul. It was like the cry of a million souls were screaming though her. And he himself had felt that before...
Lucifer's demeanor changed, he walked a couple paces further into the pasture lands. The sun was setting, and the sky was a mixture of what he called periwinkle and rhodamine red. Eve followed, and with apprehension she inquired. "Did I say something to offend?" There was no immediate reply. He realized this was the moment he was waiting for, and what he was expected to do. After a long pause he walked back to Eve and stood to face her. He grabbed her arm gently and asked to draw blood. Without hesitation she nodded, tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Lucifer took in the sweet ambrosia of her skin and licked her neck. Deciding he could not resist such temptation he pierced her skin with his large canines and tasted the blood of woman. With a look of disbelief his eyes grew wide and he fell to his knees in agony, wiping the poison from his lips with his hand. ‘It's true...’ He muttered under his breath. Eve took notice of this and asked with a newfound caution, "What's true?" "Everything... everything is true." Eve fell to her knees to meet his eyes, and asked him to continue the story of creation. She demanded to know her place. ‘Yes, it’s time,’ he thought. Lucifer stood and beckoned her to climb atop of Aramis’ back and reached for Eve. Not knowing what lie ahead of her but not scared- after all, she was Eve- she was soon gripping his waist as he rode into the darkness
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