Chapter 4

Cain walked over and sat down next to the remnants of what was a fire back in the real world, leaving Jed to regather his wits on the ground. Jed decided to give himself a minute to do just that.

‘So, I’m dead, and there’s likely no coming back from that.’ He thought to himself so as not to ramble and look like a fool. At least no more than he already has. ‘Cain took on my form? Is that what I heard? What am I supposed to do now? Go and meet my maker?’ He could feel the anger seeping back in. His mom always said he had a short temper.

“We don’t have as much time as would be convenient for long discourse Mr. Thompson. If you could ruminate on your circumstances later, I will lay out some details about how this all came to be. At least, in regards to myself and you.”

Jed sighed and began to sit up and Asbeel chose to pass over, inches from his face. They chuckled to themselves in their weird two tone manor and made their way to Cain to hover about his shoulders. Jed cursed under his breath, got to his feet, and slowly made his way over to sit on his pack. Or, what would be his pack, back in the living world.

“Alright, ‘Cain,’ how is this going to work? Do I get to ask questions, or do you just lay it all out for me?” Jed felt mentally exhausted, his body felt great however which was really confusing and only further tiring to his mind. He wanted to sleep while feeling like he could run for miles.

“Asbeel,” Cain glanced over to the demon hovering just above his shoulders like an obscene boa. “Would you be so kind as to grant us some privacy? I think you may be making our new friend here uncomfortable.” Cain made a sympathetic face for effect which just made Jed feel ridiculous.

“Cain, the man just died and he was killed by the first murderer. From a book his people consider holy… And you think I am making him uncomfortable?” Asbeel’s color shifted to a putrid green and their size grew until they could wrap around the perimeter of the clearing, which must be around twenty feet across. They may be a demon, but they made a good point. Asbeel wasn’t the issue, they were just a part of a bigger, outrageous situation.

“You make a valid point. However, I think he and I can have a slightly more grounded conversation without a giant, flying, devil snake hanging around.” Cain gave Asbeel a solemn look as a means to punctuate his request. “No offense meant.”

Asbeel slowly undulated in place while staring at their companion. In that moment, they looked just as any snake would, if they could fly and change color. And had horns and wings. No emotion could be gleaned from their face or manor. It was unnerving.

“Fine.” Asbeel put on a display of haughtiness and floated slowly toward the edge of the camp. “I’ll go play with Nero. He’s always a good time.” They slowly faded away into the surrounding forest.

“Nero?” Jed was a little perplexed. “Like a different demon or something?”

“No. Very much human and very much dead.” Cain shifted a bit to get more comfortable on the stump he chose as a seat. “An ancient Roman emperor who found his way into the darker parts of the afterlife.”

“So, Hell.”

“If that’s what you wish to call it.” Cain waved a dismissive hand. “Its proper name can’t be spoken by mortal tongues. I’ve only heard Asbeel say it once and asked them to never say it aloud again. I cried for days.”

“What?”

“A story for another time.” Cain paused to get his thoughts in order before continuing. “The religions of this world get some things right, but the majority is only part right. Some are completely wrong. The common issue with our creator’s so-called prophets and Earthly speakers is that they are human. Of course, it could not have been any other way, but free will and the desire to exert control have led to a thousand different interpretations of his word.”

“Well, yeah? These stories have been passed down for thousands of years. If you wanted to include all of the spiritual interpretations of our world, some are even older.” Jed shifted on his pack. Where was this going?

“To put it plainly, all of humanity has gotten it wrong for so long, there is no way to fix it. There are too many of you, and every person interprets it in their own way. To make it fit their world view.” Cain’s face took on a look of sadness. “What I am trying to say is, there is a God and they created our world and everything on it.”

Jed just stared at Cain for a few seconds. ‘Yeah, of course. Just having this conversation is proof of that.’

“Maybe I’m not picking up on the significance. Obviously God exists. I’ve met Asbeel after all. Where are you going with this? Help me out here.”

“The significance is this.” Cain looked towards Jed, but his eyes saw past him, through him. He’s talking to Jed but Cain is somewhere else, in some other time. “Our God, our higher being, has grown weary of us. Evil people who would use the words of God, in all of its different iterations, to exploit and control those who would take their teachings at face value, have run rampant. Over these last three millenia it has been my task to… remove these people from the world.”

Jed was dumbfounded. 

“God made you his assassin?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Cain’s face showed a moment of internal struggle before he continued. “Having grown up a good ‘Christian’ man, I’m sure you are familiar with my story. Hm?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“There are few things the story got right. I did kill my brother, Abel. I went into exile, and God made me immortal. What’s missing from the scripture is mostly the how’s and why’s. At least the real how’s and why’s.”

Jed waited in silence for a few moments. When Cain continued to stare into the distance, looking to be lost in thought, Jed spoke up.

“So, how did it all happen? I mean, I can’t imagine killing a sibling, no matter what the reason.”

“Nor could I. Until I did.” Sadness crept into Cain’s expression and looked to stay. “I believed at the time it was the lesser of two evils. In hindsight, maybe I should have done nothing.”

“How do you mean?”

“Let me share my story with you. Maybe you will see what I mean.”

Cain’s Story

Cain woke up with a start. Another vision of violence had startled him out of his slumber. He didn’t know who the people were in his dreams, he just knew they were bad. He could feel the darkness in their minds as clear as day. The evil of them didn’t scare him so much as the coldness he felt as he took their lives. It was an empty pit he felt in his soul, no regard for the lives he took. He woke up crying more often than not. 

He tried to speak about the visions with his father, but he only saw it as a test from the Lord upon a restless mind. Mother was no better, offering up the recommendation of prayer. He didn’t bother talking to Abel about it.

Abel would say much the same as mother, while offering to pray along with him. Cain would simply say his thanks and work out his frustrations in the fields. His only solace being that the dreams didn’t happen every night. If they only knew how often he prayed to their Lord, asking for relief from this ‘test of faith’.

At least his family meant well.

There was a hint of light visible on the horizon as he looked out through the small window of their home. Might as well get up and get ready for the day.

After getting dressed and rinsing his face with water from a basin, he made his way into the closest field. The sun had begun to peak over the horizon and light was spreading across the sky and land. His visions had started to fade into hazy memories.

The air was humid and cool with a light breeze. The lack of clouds had Cain thinking it was going to be a hot day, so he took some time to appreciate the cool morning as he inspected the crops. Clearing away leaves that looked deficient and scaring away fests that still lingered. It was a good way to clear the mind as it was a task that didn’t require great focus.

As the day progressed, the heat had certainly made its appearance. Midday meant it was time for a break and Cain made his way to a large oak tree on the outskirts of his family’s lands. He had packed some simple provisions such as dried meats, some nuts, and cheese made from his family’s goat’s milk. Some watered down wine in a bladder that hung from a tong on his waist would wash it all down.

Under the tree’s shade it was much cooler and the breeze wasn’t simply pushing the heat around. As Cain rested in the shade, the combination of food, drink, and restless night had him drifting off for some much needed sleep.Insects buzzed and chirped, birds sang, the breeze sighed, and Cain slept. A deep, restful sleep he hadn’t had for some time.

Not long after Cain fell into his slumber, a figure approached his resting spot. They came from the direction of the wildlands. A long stretch of forests and hills where only animals roamed. It was a dangerous trek for anyone daring enough to try it. Not for one such as them however. Besides, they hadn’t travelled the wilds. They simply chose to walk from their direction to avoid unwanted eyes.

As Cain slept the stranger approached and stood over him. If Cain had awoken he would have seen a being of impossible beauty. Not quite man, not quite woman. They looked human enough to not cause fear, but their otherworldly aspects could only be toned down so much.

“Hello, little brother.” The being spoke in the faintest whisper, to not wake Cain. “Not long from now, you will experience horror upon horror, and it will be my fault.” The visitor paused to take in the surrounding lands where the first humans chose to settle. “Father blessed you with all of this bounty, and in a few short millenia, it will be squandered.”

Tears fell from the stranger’s eyes. Their face however, showed only rage as their human mask began to slip. Cain grew restless in his sleep, as if the nightmares were upon him.

“Peace…” The being regained their composure and Cain settled. “Father and I have a plan. To teach you all some… humility perhaps. You and your brother are central to this little endeavor, though it must be said that it was my idea.” Their gaze lingered on Cain. “I won’t apologize. Such a thing is beneath me. I just wanted to witness you last bit of peace. So it may be remembered.”
The stranger lingered a few moments more. There were no more tears to be shed and their face showed them at peace. A light breeze stirred the leaves of the great tree they founds themselves under.

“See you soon, little brother.” The visitor vanished in a gust of wind, the sound of great wings following them. Cain awoke with a start, he felt lost for a moment and looked around to get his bearings. He felt like he hadn’t been alone, but as the gust died down the feeling faded. So, he got up, dusted himself off, and made his way back to work. Chores wait for no one.

* * *

Someone was screaming.

Cain jumped up out of bed and ran to the doorway before he realized what he was doing. By the time he made it to the pen, his fears had abated. Instead of fear for his family, he merely hoped they hadn’t lost another goat.

The moon was high in the sky and nearly full, which gave the illusion of a blue-gray daylight. The shadows were much deeper, and so was the potential for danger. Cain kept an eye out for wolves or the occasional large cat. They had taken goats before.

The goats continued to scream and as Cain looked over the pen he could see no injured animals, no blood, or signs of predation. There was no obvious reason for their fear at all. All of the goats were huddled together on one side of the pen. Screaming. The noise was immense and Cain wondered for the first time why no one else had awoken.

He lifted the loop of rope that held the gate shut and as the gate swung open the goats grew louder in their wailing. A feat Cain would have thought impossible. He covered his ears and took a step into the pen and as he did so, the goats went silent. All at once, like snuffing out a candle. The shock of the sudden silence left Cain disoriented, if had more time, he would have noticed there were no night sounds at all. Then the patriarch of the herd spoke to him.

“Your brother awaits you.” The voice was deep and sonorant, it rang out clear and echoed in Cain’s mind. He felt his reality start to slip but he grasped at his one connection to the world to keep from being lost.

“Where is my brother? Where is Abel?” He began to feel nauseous and his head was pounding along with his heart.

“He waits, where your connection is strongest. Find him, for he will meet his doom.” The buck stared at Cain with an unwavering gaze. The other goats stood as if rooted into the spots. The only movements came from their breathing.

“What do you mean, meet his doom? Is my brother in danger?” Cain’s eyes began to water as the pain in his head grew. He was going to be sick.

“Doom.” The voice rang out a final time and the spell was broken. The goats flinched and shook themselves out of their trance. A few bleats and snorts could be heard as they milled about their pen as if nothing happened. Cain’s head stopped pounding along with his heart and the nausea settled to a mild burning. His thoughts cleared and as they did a deep dread grabbed ahold of his chest. He had to find his brother.

Cain closed the goat pen gate and began running for the large tree. Memories of their youth together flashed through his mind. So many of them centered around the old oak. Their parents said it was old when they first arrived in this valley so many years ago. Games of seeing who could get to the tree fastest, who could climb highest before getting scared or simply wasting time under the shade together. Cain could feel himself pushing harder. He wouldn’t let any harm come to his family, especially his little brother.

A brief thought of getting his parents, at least his father, flashed through his mind. It was pushed aside as the urgency within him grew the closer he got to the tree.

After a few minutes of hard running, Cain was only about thirty cubits from the tree. He could just make out the shape of his brother in the darkness below the branches. He looked like he was talking to someone, though Cain couldn’t see anyone else. He started to slow, even as a boy he wasn’t a great runner, when a beam of blood red light erupted from the ground surrounding the great oak, and shot into the heavens. There was no sound, only a great wind that arose nearly pushing him off of his feet, and the sound that followed it.

As Cain shielded his eyes from the flying debris kicked up by the wind, the world bathed in a sanguine glow, he saw his brother lifted from the ground by an unseen force. Abel’s body was rigid and shaking as if he struggled against whatever had him in its grasp.

“Abel!” Cain shouted into the wind, but even he could barely hear his cries. His voice was snatched away like a leaf in the wind.

Cain pushed violently into the wind as his brother shook in his struggles. The fields on either side of the path toward the tree were flattened or uprooted. Cain was pushing against what felt like a wind to end the world. A rage was beginning to build in him that fed upon his impotent attempt to get to his brother. It seemed the harder he pushed against this force keeping him at bay, the more the wind became a solid wall.

The rage built within him, like a rising tide. As it drowned out all other emotions, it left him throwing himself against an impossibility. As he pushed harder to reach his brother, his screams ripped away leaving him voiceless, all of his struggles were left meaningless by whatever horrible thing was keeping him at bay.

Then it stopped.

Cain fell forward in the dirt, silence enveloping him as he gasped against the pain in his raw throat. Red light still shone from the beam into the sky, but the wind had ceased its howling. Cain pushed to his feet and saw his brother, still suspended in the air but no longer struggling. A sharp, icy dread washed over the rage that had threatened to consume him. The image of his brother floating, limp and seemingly lifeless, etched itself in Cain’s mind, never to be forgotten.

“Abel!” His yell came out as a croak and he could taste blood. He didn’t care. He ran to his brother and stumbled to a crawl the last few cubits.

In the strange, red light it was difficult to see how much harm had come to his brother. He stood to get a closer look but Abel was high enough that his feet dangled above Cain’s head. Cain reached up to grab his brother’s ankle but when he touched him something he couldn’t see struck him to the ground. Something large and powerful. Cain lay on the ground regaining his breath when a dark and menacing laugh rang out and shattered the silence like a thunderclap.

Cain’s head began pounding once again and he rolled onto his side to retch. The nausea he felt earlier washed over him ten fold and he curled into himself, willing it to pass as best he could. He felt like he was dying.

“You aren’t dying, ignorant whelp, your body is simply overwhelmed.” A… being appeared. Beautiful and terrible, it gave the appearance of a man, or woman, Cain couldn’t tell, but the scale was all wrong. They were too tall, too thin, and too muscular. They must be twice as tall as Abel and he is half a cubit taller than Cain.

“I have a message for you Cain, son of Adam.” The being waved its hand and the light shifted from the horrible blood red to a light like a summer day’s sun. Cain squinted against the sudden change. The being was standing next to Abel who remained suspended among the tree branches. Cain watched in disbelief as the branches moved to accommodate the creature’s presence. They creaked and moaned against the unnatural movement.

“You will take your brother’s life this night.” The being rested their hand on Abel’s head as it said this and Abel seemed to smile. Cain was so shocked by this statement he barely registered the black talons on the ends of their fingers.

“I WOULD NEV-,” Cain began to yell.

“Silence.” A mere flick of a finger and Cain went rigid, unable to move or respond.

“I am not here for discourse. You will take your brother’s life tonight and it will be of your own accord.” The being sat on thin air. They looked bored. “A wager has been made and you siblings are central to it.”

Cain, being unable to move, simply took this all in. The being sat with one leg crossed over the other lounging back in an invisible seat. Their skin was a pearlescent white except at their extremities, where they dulled to a dark gray. Their hair was long, lustrous, and black as pitch. It seemed to flow independent of any wind, as if it had a mind of its own. All of their features were too precise, too sharp, and too symmetrical. Both feminine and masculine features seemed to flow across their face, changing with their expression. Only one thing remained constant, their deep red eyes, the same color of the light that shone earlier.

“Brother made a wager with Father in order to prove you… creatures, are the mongrels we know you to be. Base, violent, ignorant, greedy, willful little insects that should be exterminated. Not coddled as you are.”

Cain could only listen as this hateful creature spouted their vitriol. Unable to do more than blink and breather, his only response to his debasement was tears. Tears of anger, fear, and pain. This creature was insane, for as long as Cain has been alive the only people he has seen are his family. How could they make these sweeping declarations about his people?

“I do not make declarations. I make observations. In your ignorance, which is no fault of your own, you know nothing about MY people. I have existed long before your world came to be and will continue to exist long after it is gone. Time is meaningless to ones such as us.” The being talked to Cain in a tone one would take with a child. Slow and deliberate, making sure every word was clear.

“I have seen what your people become. If it were up to me, I would simply let your species self-destruct. Move on to the next thing and forget you ever existed. Samael would not have it. He wants to give you all a chance, though I can’t understand why.”

The look of contempt this creature leveled at Cain made him wish he could disappear.

“My name is Azazel, so please stop thinking of me as ‘creature’ or ‘being’. You’re making it very difficult for me not to be done with you here and now.” Azazel stood up to their full height and strode to where Cain remained bound. “You will dispatch your brother this night. You will choose to do so of your own volition. You will do this task and once it is done, your path will be set out before you.”

Azazel waved their hand and Cain was released from whatever force Azazel had used to bind him. He fell forward into the dirt once again, seeing for the first time that he was covered in small wounds. The debris from the wind must have cut him all over, blood oozed from many of the larger ones. He didn’t feel any of it.

“The message has been delivered. I leave you to your fate, such as it is. Goodbye Cain, son of Adam, may we never meet again.”

Azazel vanished in a gust of wind and the sound of great wings. As they left, the light that had washed the area faded away, leaving only the light of the moon. Night sounds came back, like they had never stopped and a light breeze washed over Cain, cooling the seat that had been dripping from his head.

Following the chaos of everything that he had just experienced, it took a minute or two for Cain to realize his brother was lying on the ground just to his left. His gaze lingered on Abel for a moment, contemplating what Azazel had said. As his brother slept, looking not at all like he had just experienced impossible trauma, Cain felt an overwhelming love come upon him. He couldn’t possibly take his brother’s life and he can’t believe there would be any situation that would warrant such an act.

He wept, the tears falling heavy from his eyes. The wounds that dotted his skin began to ache and he felt so very tired. So, he sat and waited for his emotions to calm enough to carry his brother back home. During this, Able awoke to see Cain bloodied and weeping. He sprung up to aid him in any way that he could.

“Cain! What happened? Why are you covered in cuts?” Abel embraced his brother in a fierce hug, not seeing the shock on Cain’s face. All at once Cain’t tears turned to laughter and he hugged his sibling. He knew he could never hurt his brother.

As the moment of contact drew to an end, Abel spoke and Cain felt his blood run cold.

“Cain, an angel spoke to me.” Cain could hear awe in his voice. An awe that had no business being there.

“No, Abel, that wasn’t an angel. I’m not sure what that was, but it was no angel.” Cain could feel himself beginning to shake. His blood was up facing that fiend that called itself Azazel. He had come down from that and was now facing the aftershock.

“You saw them too?” Abel’s eyes glowed with joy. “So, you ARE worthy of God’s love. You can help.” Abel made to leave, but Cain held him. Abel looked confused and much younger than Cain remembered his brother looking. “What’s wrong Cain?”

“I don’t know what you think happened here tonight, but that was not an angel.” Cain felt tired and weak. He needed rest. “You must listen to me. Whatever that creature said to you, you must not believe them.”

Abel’s face took on a ferocity Cain had never seen before. It frightened him more than everything else that happened this insane night. He didn’t know this person.

“Your envy clouds your mind. You were not worthy of the angel’s council and wish to drive me away from God’s task!” Abel’s eyes had grown wild and his expression more frantic. He pushed Cain away, with more strength than Cain knew he was capable of.

Cain went sprawling and pain shot into his ribs as he fell on a large rock. He let out a cry and doubled over, catching his breath as best he could.

“God has set forth a test of faith. You would not have me deny our Lord, would you?” He stood on the path leading back to their home. “I pray that you will join me. Even if you are not worthy, you are still my brother. You deserve to say goodbye to our parents, one last time.” With those parting words he turned and began walking back towards their home.

Cain remained on the ground, gasping for breath. His lungs were on fire, his ribs were throbbing, and his mind was racing. His brother means to kill their parents. A strange anger erupted in his mind, at his weakness, at Azazel, at his brother’s naivety. His ears were pounding and strength surged into his limbs. The pain in his ribs faded into the back of his mind and he pushed himself back onto his feet. He had to stop his brother, and despite what Azazel had said, he wouldn’t harm him.

He made to head down the path when his foot brushed the rock he had fallen on. His eyes were drawn to it and he was struck with a realization. His brother is devout to the point of zealousness. He may not stop unless he is stopped. He wouldn’t have to kill him, just convince him to stop. It was terrible reasoning, but it made sense to him after the trauma of this night.

He stooped down and lifted the rock from the ground. It felt good in his hand, a perfect weight and shape. It frightened him how natural it was to wield this simple stone as a possible weapon. He shook his head to clear it of these thoughts and hurried after Abel.

It wasn’t but a few minutes when he saw him, striding down the path, with singular purpose. A shiver went down Cain’s spine, he didn’t recognize his brother in that moment. He moved like a stranger.

“Abel! Stop! We need to talk about what happened tonight. ABEL!” His throat raw, the yell didn’t amount to much, but he saw Abel slow and pause. “Thank you brother. Mother and fa-”

Abel whipped around and threw himself on Cain, growling like an animal and wrapping his hands around his neck. Cain was heavier than his brother but the shock and events of the night sent them both into the dirt. When they hit, the rock Cain had been carrying fell and went rolling out of reach.

“Abel… what… are you… doing?” Cain struggled under his brother’s grasp, but he wasn’t afraid. Even now, at his strongest, Abel wasn’t a mortal threat to him.

“I won’t let you keep me from my heavenly duty!” Abel’s eyes were crazed, and he was baring his teeth like a wild dog. Spittle fell from his mouth. Sweat sprung up on his brow and tears were streaming down his face. “The angel said mother and father must be sacrificed. You were to be spared. Why are you making me do this?!”

“I’m not… mak… ing you… do any… thing.” Cain’s vision began to darken around the edges. It was time to let Abel know he wasn’t a threat to him.

Cain grabbed his brother’s wrists and pulled his hands off his throat. To his surprise Abel continued to fight, not realizing how outmatched he was in strength.

“Abel, why would God ask you to sacrifice our parents? It’s absurd!” Cain threw Abel off of himself and climbed to his feet. The stone he had carried from the tree was near enough he could bend down and grab it. ‘Only if I need it,’ he told himself.

“Who are you to question God’s will?!” Abel clambered to his feet, kicking up dust and snarling. “Everything in this world owes its existence to our creator. We live and die by His grace alone!” He was practically spitting with rage. Cain was in awe. He had never exhibited so much as a spiteful word in his life.

“Can you not hear how absurd that is?” Cain was near exhaustion, he just wanted to sleep.

“You dare to make light of the word of God?” Abel leapt at Cain, suddenly brandishing a blade used to bleed the goats before slaughter. 

Before he was aware of what he was doing, Cain had the rock in his hand. In the span of a single breath, Abel swung the blade and Cain smashed the rock into his head. There was a horrible crunch and give when the stone struck true.

Abel fell solidly on the ground, there was no sign of movement. Cain fell violently ill and vomited off of the path, a few paced from the body. That is what his brother was now. Cain knew it the moment the stone hit him.

It had felt so light in his hand. He had only wanted to scare him. He looked back where his brother’s body now lay and got sick once again.

He should take him home, tell their parents what happened. There needs to be a burial.

He wiped the sick from his mouth, stood up, and walked away from his home. He never say his family again.