Fragment (Noun)
1. a piece broken off or detached
2. an incomplete piece or portion
3. a scrap, morsel, bit
I’m looking to reorganise my blog and start focusing more on the quality of writing hosted here. With this in mind, I’ve come up with some new ideas that I will try and maintain going forward. The concept of a “Fragment” in this case will refer to an incomplete idea or scene that will come to form a larger work, such as a short story or novel. Today’s instance will be the concept for a story I’ve had for awhile, and involves the fallen angel Lucifer explaining the reasoning behind the symbolism of Heaven and Hell and what the real purpose of Hell is.
***
The duo stood before the hooded man, his golden hair flowing from the ashen hood cloaking his face in darkness. Unsure whether to be afraid, or relieved, Alex cleared his throat as he stared at the faint glow from the man’s long, ivory sword. “Th-Thank you…” He stuttered as he glance down at the savage dog-like demon at the man’s feet.
Drawing back his hood, the man revealed a face fairer than fair, not a mark nor speck of dirt to be seen. His golden hair framed his face as it trailed down his shoulders. “Alexander… it is I, Lucifer.” He shifted uncomfortably as he looked to Alex for any sign his memory may spark back to light. “Do you not recognize your old brother at arms?”
Alex blinked a few moments before shaking his head. He looked to his girlfriend who was in awe of the man before her. Brave, handsome, well put together… He turned from her back to Lucifer. “I don’t know who you are… am I supposed to?”
A sadness washed over Lucifer’s face as he glanced to the ground. “I was hoping… well, you reminded me of an old friend. We fought together to beat back the demons as Heaven burned around us-“
“Heaven? As in the Heaven?” Alex interrupted.
“There is no other.” Lucifer stated bluntly. “If you are he, I require your aid.”
Alex glanced uncomfortably at the surrounding alley. “What if I was… he? What would you say?”
“I’d tell him the black gates of Hell have fallen.” Lucifer began. “I’d tell him we require his power to beat the demons back from this world, before they reach Heaven again. Before it’s too late.”
With a sigh, Alex shrugged to Lucifer. “I wish I was him. I wish I could help you… but I’m just a guy. A guy who couldn’t protect himself and his girlfriend from some rabid dog-“
“Hell hound.” Lucifer corrected.
“-hell hound… But I’m worthless.” Alex looked down to his feet as he admitted his defeat. Suddenly, Lucifer was standing before him, and his sword had seemingly vanished into thin air. He embraced Alex’s shoulders, one in each hand, and stared him in the eye.
“You are worth more than you could ever understand. Even if you aren’t the man I once knew.” Lucifer smiled warmly, a strangely reassuring moment for Alex. “I believe in you. The Gods believe in you. Only you need to believe in you.”
Suddenly a torrent of memories and images came flooding back into Alex’s mind as if that phrase were a key. Scenes of dead angels, scenes of hell hounds ripping at flesh, scenes of demons being chased through a large obsidian gate and finally, Alex being gifted by the Arch Angels with a mortal life again.
Alex wrestled from Lucifer’s grasp and leaned against a nearby wall as he felt weak. His knees wobbled and his mind felt light. A retch or two later evacuated his stomach of its contents, and he wiped at his mouth with his sleeve. “So many gaps, so many questions…”
“I may fill you in.” Lucifer smiled broadly, happy to see his friend back from beyond his reach. “The story is as such. Many millennia ago, there was only the Lord and his three guardians. Myself, Gabriel and Dullahan. The Lord had finally finished his greatest masterpiece in creation, Heaven, and required us all to perform tasks in its function. I was the protector, Gabriel was the watcher and Dullahan was the guide.”
“What do you mean protector, watcher and guide? People here believe you’re evil!” Alex interrupted.
“In a sense, I am. I fell victim to temptation.” Lucifer swallowed the feelings and pushed on for his friend’s sake. “I fell in love with a newcomer to Heaven, despite having sworn an oath to The Lord. He replaced me with Gabriel and replaced him with Raguel. I walked in shame through Heaven for sometime, as The Lord knew not what to do to punish me, me being one of his chosen.”
“After many years, demons began to flood from this world. Evil had risen and a darkness had taken shape while we became consumed with the beauty of Heaven. They came from the depths to sack the Heavens and I lead the charge against them, uniting angels new and old alike. You were one of my recruits then, an angel terrified of himself and what was to come. I told you then to believe in yourself, as I did now, and you rallied with me and lead your own group into battle. Together, you and I beat the demons back from Heaven, back to Earth where war, plague and famine were ravaging the angels of the future. As we pushed them deep into the canyon they had emerged from, we passed through the obsidian gateway into Hell and together you and I helped to close it.”
“Then why does everyone think you’re evil, and when they’re bad you go to Hell?” Alex asked innocently enough.
“Because you do. Every soul becomes an angel, but if you’ve given into the temptations of the darkness then you are sent to Hell as a guardian. Just as I was. We are the defenders of the world against the demons below. I chose to be considered evil so that others could enjoy the beauty of Heaven.” Lucifer stood tall and proud, as Alex straightened himself back into a standing position.
Alex furrowed his brow. “Then why are you here? Isn’t there some Hell to be guarding?”
“You’re why I’m here.” Lucifer clarified. “The obsidian gates have fallen, my army overwhelmed. I have failed.”
“You need me? But I can barely remember who I am!” Alex proclaimed. “I have a life, a partner!”
“Who has left you in the dark alley with a strange man.” Lucifer stated as he pointed in the direction the young lady disappeared into. “I can see her devotion.”
“How am I supposed to help?” Alex threw his hands into the air in frustration. “I’m a mortal, this is supposed to be my reward!”
“We must find Dullahan. He is why my army fell so fast. Supposedly the great equalizer, and he failed to recruit me more guardians.” Lucifer unfolded a piece of parchment from his pocket. “I have an idea of where he may be hiding.”
“I can’t remember anything about Dullahan, who is he exactly?” Alex asked.
Lucifer turned from his parchment as he folded it back up and placed it into his pocket. “He’s the Archangel of Death.” As he spread his expansive, black feathered wings, he extended a hand to Alex. “And he’s ignored his duties for far too long.”
***
I’d love any comments or suggestions about the writing above and the ideas and concepts I’ve introduced! Anyway back to my other story writing and working on the “outline” behind Jefferson & The Eternal Mana (Book 2 of the Circle of Magic Trilogy). Also, what books or events have inspired you folk out there into writing? I’d love to hear about it!
I’ve never seen this particular take on Hell or demons before – I like it! I’ve read a couple of series – paranormal romance – featuring demons. Much more interesting and versatile than vampires.
I’d love to think it is a new and original idea, especially with the hunt for Death himself and the mass recruiting of The Wingless, Angels among the humans who Gabriel himself has been watching. Demons can be all sorts of things and sadly, Vampires have been over done at this point. Thanks for reading!
I am also exploring heaven and hell in my own book as part of the larger world building. its a tough one. I originally believed their was universal understanding for hell but it seems there is much to be interpreted isn’t there 🙂
Heaven and Hell aren’t as black and white as they may seem. That was why I was drawn to the idea that perhaps Lucifer isn’t actually the evil, but a representative of what that evil can do to us, conquering angels and humans alike if we let it. I really love the concept of Heaven and Hell, and there are many other ways I could have gone as in the Yin-Yang where there will always be a balance, and I suppose using death I have in a sense created that as well. At the end of the day, I just love to see these things in a different light! What’s your take on Heaven and Hell?
Sorry for taking so long! I’m getting lost in social media atm! Well I knew I wanted to write about demons and angels. I thought that hell, even in the bible, was how I have read it in urban fantasy etc. Demon lords, ugly, deformed beasts etc, evil human souls etc. But then I found from researching angels, that hell is more where fallen angels were sent after they defied God etc. So when I went down this path, I found this was more in line with my mythology. So I’m sticking to demons being the spirits of nephilim, and roam the earth along with fallen angels. etc. I guess heaven I’v kept in the “traditional” sense. I don’t know..I’m not sold yet. But I did find fallen angels more captivating than the demon side of things.
No need to apologise, my posts and replies are seemingly drifting further away from each other as I try and find time to do anything that I want to do.
I say in regards to the Angels and Demons thing, why not have both? That’s where my story idea came from. That Lucifer is actually just an angel that defied God and was sent to guard the gates to Hell. Bad people still are sent there, but as the militia to defend against the demons that stand beyond the gate. I’ve also thought that Guardian Angels don’t watch over everyone (some people put themselves on a path to Hell). So when the demons break through, the Guardian Angels help the still living ascend to living angels, or the Wingless, as the second wave of defence against the demons before they march onto Heaven.
Too many ideas, not enough time to write them all.
Great stuff. Definitely drew me in. I want to know what happened to the Angel of Death.
Thanks for reading! If I went the initial way I thought of the story, I contemplated having the angel Abaddon from the Abyss (or Limbo) play an integral part into the story. I wanted to have him kidnap Dullahan and lock him away, forcing the demons to overrun the Angels of Hell and sack both the mortal realm and Heaven itself. As Gabriel watched over a select few humans as a guardian angel, these sleeper angels become The Wingless, warriors against the demons in the mortal realm. The rest of the humans either fight along side of them, OR begin to give in to the feeling of being forsaken and left by the gods to die. This causes them to end up in Limbo, to which Abaddon gathers his army against Heaven and tries to take the throne of Eden for himself. Hope that fills you in! One of the key moments I wanted was to have Dullahan be freed by The Wingless and go on a rampage through the evil people of the world to balance out the army only to find out that those beings in Limbo are untouchable to him. This brings him face to face with Abaddon who fights Dullahan in an epic duel at the Pearly Gates.
Sounds very well thought out. I love the concept of the Wingless. Get the first draft complete and see what you can do. I’m a published author and it sounds like a book I’d want to buy. 🙂
I have four ideas I have been constantly developing since I started writing, this being one of them. I’ve currently finished my first novel (working on editing and getting published now) in another story line, so hopefully I will be able to start on this one very soon.