The Veil of Treason

 

In The Cosmos

The creator of all things sat in his throne room, eyes closed. A deep rumbling noise resonated from his nostrils as he breathed, contemplating the things that he had created in the world. With the level of development and progress in the human world, one would think the creator would be satisfied by the advancement of his creation; but no, the creator was worried. He had been noticing abnormalities in his work, but he had never given them a second thought—the universe is vast, and he can never focus on just one thing. He sat there in his grand throne room, eyes closed, one index finger tapping the chair arm with a great noise while the other hand stroked his chin.

The creator is not remarkable; he has milky skin, blue eyes, and shoulder-length blond hair. What makes him stand out is his height. He is tall and imposing; even when he sits, everyone must crane their neck to look at him.

He had noticed some creatures were not part of those he had created. He closed his eyes, calling on the beginning of time and checking his work, and then he saw where the abnormality started. He opened his eyes, and those in the throne room took a step back; they could feel his eyes blazing and the air became impossible to breathe.

"Treason!" His voice boomed in the room, and everyone shuddered as it rattled their bones. He looked around and commanded, "Bagnus, show yourself!"

The Confrontation

The Angel Bagnus appeared, bowing. "Great One, you summoned me."

"You betrayed me, Bagnus!"

"I did not mean to, Great One, I was tricked."

"You gave my brother the blueprint to my creation, and he created his own creatures that have now been interbreeding with my creation to form a new species. Those species have been harming the people I created."

"I’m sorry, Great One, please forgive me."

"There will be no forgiveness for your actions. You have unbalanced the foundation of the world; you have made a shift in what was, what may have been, and what will be, by exposing my secret."

Angel Bagnus prostrated on the ground with his forehead touching the floor, begging. He had thought he was doing the right thing when he stole the blueprint; he thought the Great One would be proud of him.

"You have been dear to me as my most trusted servant," the Creator’s voice boomed. "Hear me and hear my judgment. I will be lenient with you for your past service, but you will be banished from my great hall and cast down to the world to experience the creation of those hybrids." The Creator then banished Angel Bagnus to Earth from the God Realm.

New Life On Earth

Bagnus was stripped of every power he had and was sent as a mortal to Earth. He moved to a far corner of the earth and created a dwelling place within the land bordering the spirit world. His land was separated by a thin transparent veil, and in stormy weather, you could see the spirits roaming about as they wailed and waited for unsuspecting mortals to possess.

Years went by and soon the land became populated with all manner of people. It became a destination for so many because they wanted to see the spirits of their loved ones who had died; they wanted to find closure, and some just wanted to keep looking and never let go. On some days, you would see crowds of people standing on the mortal side, looking at the spirit world for hours, hoping to get a glimpse of those they had lost. The worst were those who lost their lovers; you could see how they were haunted, and you could hear them talking to themselves as they waited and waited, hoping to see their heartthrobs.

Bagnus had lived for half a century and had never shown any hint of aging. One thing the Great One never bargained for was his brother giving Bagnus an extended lifespan for his service in stealing the blueprint. He had been a faithful servant, and the Great One had loved him dearly and simply didn't want to let go—but seeing this was a shock he never expected. He had hoped one day Bagnus would be recalled and restored to his rightful place, but when the Creator got a glimpse of Bagnus's heart and thoughts, he had a rethink.

Bagnus harbored a hatred for him for casting him out, and he had aligned with the brother. This hurt the Great One so much that he began to fear for the worst, trying his best to prepare for the day he believed was not far in coming.

The Visit of Osaka

Bagnus sat in his house with a snarl curling his lips. He is a handsome man with dark hair, brown eyes, and shoulders packed with muscle; he has a firm jaw and a glint in his eyes that speaks of experience. He sat there thinking of what he had lost and how he had suffered when he first came to the land. He remembered how those hybrid creatures had given him so much pain—the hunger, the prayer for death. Oh, how he had begged and begged for the Great One to kill him instead of what he had been facing, and the Great One had ignored him. He snarled as he beat his chest. "Me? Bagnus?"

"Bagnus!" He heard his name whispered, and he whipped his head about.

"Who is there?" he barked, shifting his hand to the dagger he had secreted on his person. He had come to understand that you can never go unharmed where the hybrids are concerned. They should be thanking him and not trying to kill him—his loyalty created them.

"Are we so touchy now, Bagnus?" the voice came again.

"Who is there?" he said, standing up and moving into a defensive position.

The air shimmered and a thin thread of white smoke could be seen coming from his fireplace. As the smoke touched the ground, it became black like the darkest night and a figure materialized. Bagnus was shocked; he prostrated on the ground with his body visibly trembling. "Great One!"

The figure laughed a haunted laugh that made Bagnus bleed from his nose. "Ha! Bagnus, I am not that fool who cast you out. But then, what can I say? He is my brother."

Bagnus raised his head in shock. This was the powerful being who had looked out for him; this was the one who had made it easy for him to survive on this blasted land. This was the first time he was appearing to him, and as Bagnus looked at him again, one would think he was looking at the Great One. The only difference was their mode of dressing; where the Great One was all grey, this one was all black, and you could see the smoke drifting from his shoulders.

"My apologies, mighty Osaka. I am honored to be in your presence."

"You have done well, Bagnus, but more still needs to be done."

"I am at your service, mighty one."

"Good. We need to bring down the veil and let the spirits roam the land."

"How are we going to do that? I have heard that veil is the greatest creation of the Great One."

"Don't let words deceive you, Bagnus. I will work on it, and you will implement my plans."

"Yes, mighty one."

"For your reward, I have given you the power to perform magic. Just let your thoughts do the work; anything you need, just put it in your thoughts and visualize it, and you will get it."

"I am loyal, mighty one," Bagnus said, bowing lower.

"I know, Bagnus! Wait for my signal and keep forming a military. The time to rule the earth will be here soon, and you will be the instrument of freedom and justice."

"I will be ready, mighty one."

"As you can see, my power is for sharing, and I give without asking. While my brother only looks after himself, I look after my minions."

"Yes, mighty one."

"Stay sharp." And with that, he vanished.

The Creator’s Counter-Move

The Creator was worried as he sat on his throne. He could feel his brother's magic, and he knew his brother was doing something dangerous. His restlessness grew deep when he couldn't feel Bagnus again; something was masking him from the Creator.

"This can't be happening," he thought. "My brother must have gotten to Bagnus." He realized he should have intervened, seeing how Bagnus had been living young and healthy for half a century. He knew it was time to act fast or all would be lost.

He sought out a woman who had been rejected by her lover after getting her pregnant. He manipulated the son in her womb and gave him the power of the Creator—a power none other could match. He watched as his work took hold in her and, if he were being honest, realized this was the only human he had ever given power. While his brother had been spreading power about, the Creator had been careful—and that had cost him. He hoped this would be enough to stop his brother from destroying the world he had created.

A New Personality

Bagnus raised his head as the mighty Osaka left. He flexed his muscles and was glad to feel them pop. He could feel a new seed in his heart growing; he could feel the air and hear from a far distance. He grinned as he thought of what Osaka had said. He closed his eyes and envisioned a sword forming in his hand.

He wanted the pommel of the sword to be as dark as Osaka; he thought he should honor him, as Osaka had given him a gift that no one else could boast of. He wanted the sword to have a trace of red along the blade to symbolize his nose bleeding; he wanted to remember that day, knowing the power of Osaka was not to be trifled with.

He opened his eyes, and there it was—lying in his palm was the sword he had envisioned. "Time to quench your thirst and honor Osaka with blood," he thought. He formed a scabbard made from solid smoke, as black as midnight. He went out, vowing to start his army en masse. For what Osaka had in mind, he knew not—but he would never let him down.

The Pregnant Woman

She wept as she recalled the harsh words her lover had said to her when she told him she was carrying his child. He had frozen at first, and she knew it was a bad sign when he snarled and accused her of trying to trap him. He had told her he wasn't ready and that she was just a stake he had bet on with his buddies, after she had played "hard to get" with them. He told her he could do nothing for her and that she shouldn't trouble him again, or he would make her disappear.

She had cried, but no one would help her because she came from a poor home with a sick father and a mother who eked out a living from selling baskets in the marketplace. She had gone home crying, and her mother had joined her in her tears. She had thought Bali would marry her; he came from a good family and had professed so much love.

She sat there thinking of what she would do. She looked at her sick father and tears fell freely again. He couldn't move from his sickbed; only his eyes moved to show he was alive, along with the faint beating of his heart. She was just about to give up when a knock came. She got up and opened the door, and there stood a total stranger. He was old but stood like a man in his twenties. He had golden hair, and his eyes were golden with a friendly smile on his lips. He had a well-formed jaw and a sharp chin.

"Good morning," he said, as she stood there looking at him blankly.

"Good morning. Who are you?" she asked him.

"I’m sorry to intrude. If you will not mind, I would like to come in. It is very important," he said.

She stood there, not sure how to reply. She didn't know him and couldn't let a total stranger into their home with a sick father and her own defenseless state. The man could see the conflict in her eyes, and he smiled a winning smile to reassure her that he meant no harm.

"I mean you no harm. My name is Golden Light. I was sent to change your situation."

The Demonstration

"My situation?" she asked him.

"Let us go in, and all will be revealed," he said.

She reluctantly stepped aside to let him in. He stood in the center of the house, eyes closed and hands spread apart, his breathing coming in and out slowly.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked.

He raised a hand to silence her as he dragged in a deep breath. She was getting angry and wondering who this Golden Light was, and if she had made a mistake in letting him in, when he finally spoke.

"First, before I say anything, I will have to demonstrate something to you. And I want him to be part of the talk, anyway," he said, nodding at her father, who lay on his sickbed not moving, but with eyes watchful.

Without waiting for her reply, he went to her father and laid his index finger on his forehead. "Your suffering is over. You are healed as of now."

He blew a golden breeze into her father’s chest and his body spasmed. He shook for a bit with his teeth rattling, and when he finally stopped, she could see all the traces of his sickness disappearing slowly—the wrinkles on his face even clearing.

"How?" she asked, amazed at his transformation.

"All will be revealed. Just let him have a few minutes."

To be continued....