The Return of the Watchers (Armageddon Rising Book 1) (21 page)

              “If the prophecy is correct, he will be freed. There can be no doubt he will unleash hell on Earth.”                                                                                    “Did you say Dudael? Where exactly is that?” Dorian asked.              “In truth, I do not know the exact location myself. Your mother did not tell me and I would not want to know. Some say it is below the great pyramids in Egypt; others say it is in the Nubian Desert at Nabta Playa. I suspect it is a place where the air is foul and there are no signs of life. Wherever he is entombed, it will not be his final resting place. As for the others, I am unaware of their whereabouts as well,” he said bleakly.              “It sounds like there's nothing we can do about it except prepare ourselves,” Dorian replied.                                                                                                  “That's exactly what you need to do, my son- prepare yourself. Yelnisha is somewhat experienced and can teach you how to hone your spirit energy. You will need to part ways with the woman who is traveling with you. She will not be of any use from this point forward and will only serve to become a liability.”                                                                                                  Dorian looked despondent. He knew Urieth was right, but could not bring himself to part from Yuki. Not after all they had been through.               “It's for the best. If you have any love for her, you know it is the right thing to do. In this matter I can speak with assurance; I've lost far too many loved ones over the millennia to lead you in the wrong direction.”              Dorian's life was spiraling out of control. What had begun as an escape to check up on his mother had lead to her death and a situation that was becoming a life-changing event. There was no doubt he had to take a leave of absence from the university and try to get a handle on things, but he knew in his heart that leaving the university meant he was leaving everything and there would be no going back.                                                         A few scant weeks prior none of this would have seemed possible- and yet here he was, facing otherworldly beings in an end of the world scenario. A part of him wanted to walk away and get back to his normal life, but something stirred inside him: a feeling of duty, responsibility; a sense of destiny that overpowered his personal desire for normalcy. This was the greatest cause he could undertake. Billions of humans in the world were all consumed with their individual lives, but this was about everything- his whole purpose and theirs. If this was his greater calling in life, then he would face it head on, with courage and determination. The world was rapidly changing, why should his life be any different?                            Urieth smiled at him. “I will join you and Yelnisha in Italy so we can begin your training. Finish up in Norway as quickly as you can. There is still much you have to learn. If you find yourself either out of control or under attack, simply speak my name and motion two fingers as I am doing and you will find me,” he said, demonstrating the maneuver. “You will need to use your spirit energy to accomplish this, so hopefully I won't be needed prior to Italy. It has truly been a blessing to finally meet you and for us to talk my son. I look forward to our next encounter. Take courage,” he said as he extended a hand to Dorian. They looked at each other a moment and their surroundings began to dissipate. Dorian was slowly fading into a dreamlike state, falling fast asleep.                                          

Eleven

              The next day he awoke with a fog in his head, feeling as if he could sleep for another week. That, along with the monumental weight of the tasks that lay ahead, made his body scream in protest at the notion of getting up. Forcing himself upright, he rubbed his eyes when it dawned upon him that he had forgotten to tell Urieth about the strange object he possessed in addition to the cryptic message that Mahin had given him.               It would have to wait. From behind the bedroom door he could hear the sound of dishes and pots clanging, along with the sound and aroma that accompany frying coming from the kitchen. Moving his mind to Yuki's thoughts, he saw that she was desperate to try and make this day go well for him. It was Christmas Eve and he needed to make some calls to his relatives on short notice. Her surface thoughts revealed nothing else to him, so he got dressed and made his way out into the kitchen where Yuki had breakfast waiting on the table.                                                                      “Please, sit,” she said, motioning with her hand. She had a worried smile on her face. The breakfast was a nice gesture that served as a brief respite to take his mind off of his mother's passing.                                                        “I looked up some of the Norwegian recipes              and hopefully this does not taste too bad,” she said, preparing him for potential disaster.              “Yuki, this could taste like dirt and I would be thankful. But it smells wonderful and looks every bit as Norwegian as my mother made it,” he said, peeking at her thoughts. He remembered when Yelnisha looked into his mind and decided it was best not to pry; Yuki's mind was her own private sanctuary.                                                                                                   “I also looked up several funeral homes in Bergen and spoke with them. I wrote down the details. You can call when we're finished.”                             They gave thanks for their meal and proceeded with the cleanup. Dorian began by placing phone calls to the funeral home that had held his father's service, to Iduna's church, and to all the relatives and friends of his mother and father. The service was going to be held in the evening as he did not want his relatives to have their Christmas day celebration, what little there would be given all that had happened, on the same day as a funeral.                                                                                                                                The church was very accommodating, given the short nature and timing of Iduna's passing; however, there were many other casualties as a result of the earthquake and their time was limited. White flowers and lilies adorned her casket and surrounded the asiles. She would be laid to rest next to her husband and their family in a centuries old cemetery that was not far from where they had first met. A picture of Iduna and Jorn together was brought in by her close friend Berjit, who, along with several of her other close friends, mourned her loss.                                                                       After many hugs and stories shared amongst Dorian and his relatives, they said their goodbyes. All the while Yuki stood by his side as a pillar of support. After everyone had left he had a moment alone with his mother. Saying a final farewell, he simply hoped she had achieved her purpose in the life she lived. When they reached the house in Starefossen, there were multiple cards, candles and gift packages left by her students and friends in the community, a gesture that helped raise his spirit a little. 

              The two ate their dinner and afterwards Dorian turned on the television in an effort to help take his mind off all that had happened, in addition to the future that lay before him. He had not yet told Yuki of the meeting he'd had with his father, nor had he decided on how to handle their inevitable parting. The journey to Italy would be made alone; the risk was too great and he couldn't bear the loss of another at his expense.

              Yuki looked at him with concern.She could tell something was on his mind, but she reconciled those thoughts with the understanding that Dorian had just lost his mother. “Is there anything you want to talk about?” she asked gently.

              “We can talk tomorrow, Yuki. I have a lot on my mind right now and I need to do a few things before I go to bed. You should get some sleep, you look exhausted,” he said, looking quite fatigued himself.               “Hai,” she replied, slightly bowing her head with glassy eyes. She was turning towards the hallway when he called out to her.                                          “Yuki.”                                                                                                                She turned and looked over at him with a sad expression on her face. Dorian could sense that she was hurt.                                                                      “Thank you so much for everything,” he said, rising from his chair. He walked over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her, then gently kissed her forehead. As he held her tight in his arms he could feel the love in her spirit grow.

              After she closed the door to her room he sat down for a moment to catch a glimpse of a breaking news story involving the US dollar. The newscaster announced it would no longer be accepted by almost all the oil producing nations. It seemed to overshadow the major earthquake and panic was setting in around the world as European and Asian
markets were tanking. Interest rates were skyrocketing, and it was apparent the United States was in big trouble. China had positioned itself well for such a situation; almost too well, and some pundits on television were stating their back room deals amounted to “acts of war”. The market would be closed Christmas day on Monday, but Tuesday was going be a global catastrophe, Dorian surmised.                                                                                     Taking a deep breath he opened his laptop and decided to book his flight to Italy for the day after Christmas, as all flights were booked to both major airports in Sicily. Now all that was left was to figure out a way to tell Yuki.                                                                                                                              

              Elsewhere at that same moment a hushed conversation was taking place at the Elmamoura Planet Garden, in the ancient city of Alexandria, in Egypt.              

              “I'm telling you the truth, Jizam, we all felt it. There is no doubt, this event was shown from the Picatrix.” Samir said.                                           “And the order?” Jizam asked.                                                                      “What of it?” he replied with a raised eyebrow.             

              “They're just going to let you call upon Malik?” Jizam asked incredulously.                                                                                                                               “The order is not sanctioning this action; there was quite a bit of concern which took a lot of convincing. They will not help me; however, they are not going to interfere. I have made several talismans to conceal my purpose from prying eyes. I do not intend to hold him for long, just”               “If- Samir, if you can even hold him at all. Most likely you'll die horribly or have your spirit removed from your body. This is a major affront and I do not believe this will end well for you. I beg you to reconsider the consequences of even attempting such action.”               “Jizam, my friend. I have known you all my life and I do not wish to die just yet. The conjuring will not be done alone, I have others who have agreed to assist, although they are not from the Rosae Crucis; mainly individuals who have an interest in shaping the future.”                                          “Who are these individuals? You need experts to have any hope of survival, not amateurs. This isn't something that should be under taken lightly. You could upset the balance. I would be very suspicious of anyone who wants to call upon Malik, and to be honest, I'm not convinced your motives are clear either. As far as the entombed fallen are concerned, let them rot where they are. If The Creator thought that they needed guards for their prison he would have appointed them. Perhaps there already is sufficient security in place. Knowing where they are isn't going to keep you or any of us safe,” Jizam said in a hurried voice.

              “Don't you think I am aware of that?” Samir snapped, his patience wearing thin.                                                                                                                               Jizam looked around cautiously. “Shh; keep your voice down.”              Samir observed his surroundings and lowered his voice.                             “You do realize what's been happening lately? Look around;  things are getting more tense by the minute. As I said before, we all felt it, the wakening of a mighty one; another prophecy concerning the end times is coming to pass. Several of the other watchers that were not imprisoned here are desperately looking for their brothers and rumor has it they've found a few of them already. Once they discover where they are at, it's over for us.”

              “They've been searching for thousands of years. What makes you so certain they're any closer now than before?” Jizam asked skeptically.

              “Have you heard nothing I've said? Why do you think I mentioned the awakening of the mighty one? My sources say he may be the key to unlocking their prisons. They are going to be coming for him or her or whomever they are. That knowledge is power. It's leverage. It's one of the few things that can save us. We're going to need all the leverage we can get. I don't want to upset the balance any more than you do; I simply want to be able to protect the ones I love and what I have.”                                          “And what makes you think your sources are the only ones who know about this? Perhaps the enemy is also aware as well and are searching for the awakened one. Do not cling so desperately to this world, Samir, for it will surely pass away and everything in it. You would be wise to stand on the sidelines and put your faith in in God.”                                          Samir took a deep breath, rubbed his face with both hands and sighed. “Who knows; perhaps all that will come of it is that I may cause Malik to smile.”                                                                                                                 “I very much doubt that my friend,” Jizam replied.