To be titled: Chapter 3

It had been some time since Cain had been to the other side. As he had no reason to visit over these last few thousand years. When all you do with your time is hunt horrible people, you send them on their way and know that they are receiving the judgment that their deeds on Earth deserve. This situation however, this is novel.

The experience of crossing to the other side is terrifying for most. Even for Cain, the forest time was an experience that will never be forgotten. It forever changed his relationship with death and its necessity for the experience of life. Having lost the right to die, his appreciation of his own existence is limited to the task that has been placed before him. A task that he would not wish upon anyone. No one should be so well acquainted with the ending of life.

“In any case, getting there shouldn’t be too hard. Getting back was the tricky part last time.” Having to explain to Death, a fundamental aspect of the universe, that his creator took his right to eternal rest is not something that he would like to repeat. 

“Maybe they will be a little more flexible than last time. I have been providing a lot of work for them over the years.” The thought of having to face Death again, even after all of this time, filled Cain with dread.

“No use getting hung up on the possibility of what’s to come. Just have to face the inevitable.” As much as he tried, the anxiety wouldn’t leave him. “Just get it over with.”

For most creatures in the kingdom of life, getting to the other side is simple enough. One simply has to die. Though, for most, there is nothing simple about the prospect of death. For someone like Cain, death is as familiar as breathing.

The preparations are deceptively simple. Get seated with his back against a tree, so that when he leaves his new body won’t slump to the ground. Relax the mind and body while slowing breathing, entering a state of stillness bordering on comatose. All of which is pretty straightforward. The hard part is what comes next.

How does a person who can’t die cross over to the other side? Place the mind in a state of death. For a normal human being this could be a long, drawn out process, and potentially quite painful. Cain had the unfortunate experience of passing into the realm after this one, now he only had to remember the path his soul took. The shock of having his conscious mind ripped free of his body thousands of years ago is not easily forgotten.

Humans have been philosophizing on the existence of the soul for as long as Cain has wandered the world. Passing and coming back has only left Cain with more questions. He remembers everything that occurred during his trip to the other side. Is the soul a part of the mind, or the other way around? Are the soul and mind as one, no separation at all? Do all creatures that pass experience the afterlife the same way? The questions are endless.

There is a path one takes when passing to the other side. Finding your way there when not having passed on presents something of a challenge. Some have travelled that path in their dreams, though they didn’t know it. According to Death at least. This is what Cain must do in order to speak with the marshall, once he can silence his mind.

Facing the marshall directly was not something Cain thought he would ever have to do, but if Asbeel was concerned enough to make it Cain’s problem, then he must.

Barring Death making an appearance, it should be a pretty straightforward trip. Though his physical form wouldn’t move an inch, his spirit/soul/self… what have you, will have gone further than any living being. Time on the physical plane slows to a crawl once the soul parts from the body, but since it doesn’t stop completely Cain will have to stay aware of how much time he spends parted from his body.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road, as they say.” Cain’s breathing slowed and became shallow, to the point of being imperceptible. The next, and almost certainly the most difficult part, is convincing the mind to let go of the body. Empty the mind, disconnect from all physical sensation, and release the hold of the body over the mind. This process can take some time, depending on the one who is attempting it. For Cain, it only took a few moments.

There is a moment, once the soul/mind disconnects from the body, where the tether holds firm and the mind is free to wander. The body will continue as it would if the mind were still present and time will move as it should as well. Cain had heard during his travels that there are monks and other religious practitioners that take on this wandering to see the world at large. There is a step past this one that has been experienced by a select few that most would say had driven them mad. Talks of beings not of this universe and vast landscapes of alien geometries and life. Cain was briefly tempted to pursue this course, but present obligations brought him back to the task at hand.

The severing of the tether binding one’s soul to their Earthly being is not a simple task for the uninitiated. It’s also not to be taken lightly. To visit the afterlife with a possibility to never return is to dance on the edge of a razor. Luckily Cain has been dancing on and wielding this razor for almost as long as there have been people on this Earth. Still, the risk is great and Cain can still run afoul of Death.

In the material world, Cain’s new body slept against a tree. His spirit no gazed upon this new visage he now embodied. He was surprised at the lack of feeling he felt toward this new vessel, a once good man, now burdened with a task it was not given. He allowed himself a moment of contemplation before making the final leap in a realm he didn’t yet belong.

The tether that binds one to their physical form appears as a bright, glowing ribbon emanating out of the chest, generally from the area around the heart. It may be moved while in spiritual form which is convenient, as its implication can be distracting for travelers new to this realm. Snapping back into your physical form without warning can be a bit of a shock. The further one moves from their physical form the dimmer the tether gets, only really being visible where it meets the spiritual self.

Cain takes a moment to gaze upon the connection binding him to the physical realm. Though brighter and thicker than most tethers for mortal beings, it is also riddled with small gaps. He suspects it has something to do with his nature as a stealer of forms. Each life he takes and assumes might be notching his original tether and over the long millennia it has become hazy with them. Thankfully it hasn’t grown weaker, only easier to break should he choose to do so.

Cain held his breath, though he didn’t need to breathe in this form, and slid the edge of his hand down and through his tether. He noted absently that his hand looked like it did before this all began. A distant pang of grief and longing is pushed aside as time stopped and stretched. And stretched… and streeeeeeeeeeeeetched. There is a sudden SNAP which is both heard and felt through Cain’s very being, and he clenched his eyes shut through the pain.

The echoes of the breaking of time slowly dissipated and Cain opened his eyes to madness. With the breaking of time comes the loss of meaning and understanding of the present, past, and future. Cain could feel his mind being unmoored from the now and his exceedingly long existence threatened to overwhelm his still human psyche. Each and every moment of his life was being presented as if it was the present without any way for him to control it. Glimpses of his family from long ago were mixed in with moments from his long life wandering and hunting the worst of mankind.

Just when he felt his mind could take no more without breaking, it stopped. He found himself on a long path that seemed to go on into the horizon. Along the path Cain could see every flower he had ever seen and even more that he had not. The path itself looked to be of loose, soft, golden sand but it felt firm under his feet. The air was a comfortable temperature with a gentle breeze and a pleasant scent that he could not identify.The whole atmosphere was welcoming and seemingly designed to affect calm on all who find themselves here. Cain simply felt tired.

“How long do I have to wander this time?” The last time he was here it seemed like the path would never end. It only ended when he appeared before Death in a blank white void. In the span of a blink from the path to a meeting with the universal aspect of mortality. He didn’t want a repeat. As he began his trek he briefly thought about what the marshall could hope to gain from all of the fuss.

He found himself in front of an archway. No warning or transition just like last time. He was mid-stride when found himself in front of a portal bordered by an arch that looked quite out of place. It stood alone along the path he thought he would be traveling for hours. Beyond its singular existence there were other reasons it evoked a sense of strangeness. 

Although it stood alone it appeared to be ripped from a larger structure. The outer edges of the arch looked to be cut from a building made of great stone slabs. Though not any kind of stone he had ever seen. It glowed from an inner light that slowly pulsed to some unknown rhythm. As it brightened the shadows on its surface vanished, leaving only the glowing stone surface. It may have been a creamy marble that had flowing veins of gold if not for the glowing.

Carved into the surface of the strange stone were reliefs of impossible complexity. They varied in subject from figures that were recognizable as human, to creatures that defied all possible description. All of the figures looked to be engaged in the mundane tasks of daily life, drawing water from wells, cooking meals, ploughing fields, etc… Seeing the human figures going about these tasks along with the impossible beings: too many limbs, too many eyes, too many shapes! Made Cain’s head hurt. The shifting shadows caused by the pulsing light of the stone didn’t help. The figures appeared to move.

With effort he pulled his eyes away from the arch and looked through the portal. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised when he saw the clearing where he assumed the marshall’s form. The scene was warped and waving as if seen through rippled glass or a heat mirage. Asbeel could be seen winding their way around the clearing giving off an aura of mild annoyance. The marshall simply sat, trying to convey indifference and failing. He looked like a viper waiting to strike, his muscles taught with anticipation for what was to come.

“Okay,” Cain readied himself for a fight, more out of respect than any sort of fear. Even on his best day the marshall couldn’t put up much of an offensive against one such as Cain. Though he knew it made no difference he took a deep relaxing breath before stepping through the arch. “Let’s talk.”

* * *

There was no way to know how long Jed had been waiting for his killer. The light never seemed to move or change in this place. That was unsettling enough, but the damned serpent kept waving and weaving through the air and voicing its frustration with him. Sometimes out loud, sometimes only in his mind. That in itself was irritating, but it would switch between so many languages that he would often only catch a word or two every few minutes. He was far beyond his limits of patience but there was nothing he could do in his situation. So he sat, and stewed.

In the middle of one of Asbeel’s tirades, which was in a language that has never been spoken by humans, they stopped and snapped to attention. Jed sighed with relief for the welcome silence. He followed the serpent’s gaze and was startled to see a man appear out of thin air. No preamble or warning, just suddenly there. The man was short, powerfully built, and wearing clothes of a fashion that looked ancient. Animal skins and simple hempen textiles that looked like they would last your entire life if properly maintained.

“Cain!” Asbeel blurted out the stranger’s name giving Jed a moment of shock. 

“So, the thing that took my life is the first murderer?” Jed was able to keep these thoughts to himself, but the shock was plain on his face. “He’s just a man.”

During Jed’s brief shock Asbeel floated over and around the small statured man. Cain had not yet moved from where he suddenly appeared, outside Jed’s former camp. He seemed to be appraising the situation, which gave Jed time to do the same.

Can may have a small stature but he had more than enough muscle to make up for that. He had all the hallmarks of someone who worked the land for a living. His hands seemed noticeably larger than they should have been for someone of his size. His skin was a deep tan color and his hair was a light brown from sun bleaching. He appeared to be from somewhere around what would now be called the middle east.

His eyes were wrong. By all accounts they should have been some shade of brown given the rest of his appearance. Instead they were an impossible shade of dark blue or even purple. Jed could feel the weight of their gaze upon him. He felt like running again.

“Asbeel says you wished to speak with me.” Cain didn’t look to move closer from his place about ten feet outside the camp. He simply adjusted his weight and crossed his arms. He looked bored and a little annoyed.

Jed hesitated a moment before answering. So much has happened in so little time.

“If you really are the one who killed me, then yes. I think getting SOME THINGS STRAIGHT ABOUT ALLOFTHISWOULDBENICE!” He had started yelling by the time he was done speaking. He didn’t even realize it.

“I took your life, yes.” Cain’s voice was even and calm. “Any questions you might have can be addressed to Asbeel. They would be happy to help you.”

“I told him that, but he wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t even look at me!” Asbeel’s plaintive voice was all wrong. Its dual tone nature just added confusion. “I could have gone into his mind and gotten everything you needed if you had let me.” Asbeel’s head whipped toward Jed and their eyes glowed a fiery red. Fresh fear grabbed at his throat.

Cain closed his eyes and sighed deeply. This could go on forever if he let it.

“Asbeel, would you say that Jed here was a good man throughout his life?” When Cain opened his eyes they fell on Jed but lacked the animosity that Asbeel’s eyes had.

“Yes?” Asbeel broke their staredown of Jed to look at Cain. They tilted their head almost like a dog would when hearing something they weren’t sure of. It might have been cute if not for them being a demon that has existed since before time was time.

“How many good men have I taken from this world?” The man standing before Jed never broke his gaze from him. He simply stood, stock still and unwavering. It made Jed feel uneasy, but the sense of calm that “Cain” radiated washed its way into Jed’s mind. Maybe there was a way to get what Jed wanted after all.

“In all of the time we have travelled together I can’t remember you ever taking the life of a so-called “good man.” Or woman for that matter.” Asbeel’s gaze drifted back to Jed. “We don’t discriminate. Bad people are bad people.” Jed watched in horror as the serpent’s face appeared to grin. 

“Stop tormenting the man. He’s just had the worst day of his life, and his last.” Cain took a beat to let those last words sink in. “Since your memory is much more reliable than my own, it would seem that Jed here would be the first good man that I have killed. As such, he qualifies for better treatment than the other riff-raff that came before him. Would you agree?”

Asbeel had been floating around Cain like a strange serpentine hoop. When they heard the question Cain posed they froze and bands of white light pulsed along their length from nose to tail. Slowly at first, but as the seconds ticked by the picked up speed and became a blur. Asbeel never moved while this was happening. They could have been a statue, pulsing and glowing a few feet above the ground. Jed watched all of this with growing concern.

The pulsing stopped as quickly as it began. Asbeel’s color shifted to a slate grey, adding to the illusion of statuary. With a crack of thunder, Jed’s eyes were filled with the vision of Asbeel’s face. Rage radiated off of them like heat. If Jed were still alive he felt he would have died of fear.

“NO.” The feeling of hate and fury coming off of Asbeel was suffocating. Jed wanted to scream, to run, but he couldn’t even breathe.

Then it was gone.

“Is what I would like to say.” Asbeel turned and drifted away as their color shifted again to an iridescent blue the color of sky. It was overwhelming.

“The rules that Father and Brother set forth are clear. I am not to interfere unless the situation requires or your request to do so doesn’t violate the other rules set forth.” 

The feeling of confusion that washed over Jed obliterated what was left of his fear and drove him straight into fury.

“WHAT?!” Jed found himself standing and striding directly at Cain before he was aware of what he was doing. “What the FUCK is going on?”

He grabbed at Cain, then found himself looking at tree limbs, from the ground.

“It was my understanding that you wished to talk.” Cain stood over Jed looking as calm as a man watching a sunset. “Is that not the case? I can leave you here to figure things out on your own, at least until Death comes calling.”

“No, no… Let’s talk.”

End Chapter 3