Free Unholy Empire: Chronicles of the Host, Vol 2: Chronicles of the Host, Book 2 by D. Brian Shafer Page A

Gabriel. He stood there silently.
    “Ah Gabriel, come in” said Crispin. “We were just discussing which of Eve’s children might be the vanquisher of Lucifer.”
    “Abel seems a distinct possibility,” said Michael. “At least he seems to have a true devotion to the Lord.” He looked hopefully at Gabriel. “Don’t you think Abel might be the one foretold?”
    “I’m afraid not, my brother,” said Gabriel sullenly. “Abel has been murdered.”

    Kara and some of his angels stood around Abel’s cold body lying face down in the field. The back of Abel’s head was encrusted with dirt, blood, brown straws of grass, and grains of wheat, evidence of the brutal attack he had suffered at the hands of Cain. Berenius congratulated Kara on the subtlety and success of the effort. Kara acknowledge the praise and remarked that with Abel out of the way, Cain should prove no hindrance to them.
    “I would even say that the prophecy has been reduced to a shadow,” Kara said smugly. “If the Seed must come through humans such as this, we have already won!”
    More and more wicked angels gathered around the carnage. A few holy angels scouted out the situation, but they remained largely away from the area, sorrowful at man’s ability to kill one of his own so readily. As the demons chattered among themselves, feeling better and better about their prospects now that Abel had been killed, Lucifer arrived with Pellecus to survey the scene.
    “Well done, Cain,” Lucifer finally said. “I knew that your brutal side could be exploited. It was only a matter of time.”
    “My lord,” interrupted Kara. “I would like to add that Berenius and even I had a part to play in this victory. We were constantly speaking into Cain’s mind thoughts of murder.”
    “Ah Kara,” said Lucifer. “Ever desirous of glory. Yes, you and Berenius played a role in this matter. But it was Cain who chose. Remember that! If there is one thing we have learned in this war thus far, it is that humans ultimately will choose of their own free will. We can provide encouragement; we can inflame passions; but the choice to act is their own. We only have them when they surrender their complete will.”
    “The Lord made that quite clear when he tossed Berenius at Cain’s feet like a pitiful newborn calf,” said Pellecus, smirking. Berenius looked at Kara, who could manage only a scowl.
    “Sin was indeed crouching at Cain’s door…but the sin mastered him,” Lucifer said, as everyone laughed aloud. He looked at Abel’s remains. “And now Abel is dead.”
    Lucifer knelt down and touched Abel’s cold face. He sat in this position for a moment and then looked up at the bewildered expressions around him. Finally he said, “You really should feel death. As I felt it in Eden when the serpent died. Death, brothers, is our ultimate weapon in this war. Death is what we are waging for. By defeating the Lord’s plan at Eden we have become the caretakers of death. Each of you must learn of death…how it feels…how it comes. Whatever carnality we can evoke in men, it means nothing if it does not ultimately result in death.”
    He looked at one angel in particular. “Pellecus?” said Lucifer.
    “Yes, lord,” answered Pellecus, lulled out of an almost trance-like fixation on the body of Abel. “What is it?”
    “You are always one to learn something new,” continued Lucifer. “If you are going to administer the academy here on earth, you must acquaint yourself with death.” He looked hard at Pellecus. “For I assure you this is only the first of many crimes among men, and we must have a fellowship with death if we are to exploit it.”
    Pellecus hesitated for a bit, then walked over to Abel and bent down close to the body. After looking it over he knew what Lucifer wanted, and he suddenly entered into the corpse. Kara and the others stood back as if they were expecting something frightening to happen, but were unsure exactly what it might be. In a