Angel of Death: Eden & the End

Eden

Tyrus looked down the path. The Metatron was speaking to the humans. Tyrus made himself invisible and stood closer to hear.

"This is the tree of life. It is a living extension of the one in heaven with our Father. You may eat of the fruit of this tree and any tree in the garden... Except for one. The tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eat the fruit of that, you will surely die."

Tyrus smiled. He'd never been so happy in the many years he'd been alive. "He's letting them choose to die! Influence always helps choice."

Azrael stood with Metatron, out of view of Tyrus, but he saw him. Obviously Tyrus was up to no good. Adom and Chava looked at Metatron and him so innocently. They especially loved staring at him. His hair resembled theirs, and they often wondered what the other angels were like.

"Every tree except the one over there?" Adom asked.

"Yes. Touch it and you will die. Eat it, you will die. This is a very serious matter. Consequences come with disobedience. But, I have a feeling you will do well in the eyes of the Creator." Metatron smiled warmly at them.

Chava smiled and ran to the lake. She definitely resembled a virtue, but wingless. "Adom, look at this fish! It's... Blue?"

Azrael smiled. They knew almost next to nothing being on earth for such a little time. He looked about their age, but he was at least a millennia sharper in education. They knew nothing of the war in heaven, and nothing of Tyrus, the one who caused it all.

Metatron said adieu to the humans and went to speak to Azrael before he left. "Watch out for Tyrus. He's capable of shape shifting and manipulation. You'll do well." He smiled majestically and took flight.

Tyrus smiled as Metatron left Gaia. He leaned against the tree of knowledge. He chuckled as Chava bent over and kissed Adom as he sat under a fruit tree. She really did resemble a virtue. Ari'el actually. Or even Zipporah...

Tyrus saw a serpent crawl past his feet. It was beautiful. Sparkly. Blue. Perfect. Tyrus assumed the position, burying the now dead serpent beneath the tree. He crawled through the branches. The leaves had thorns, scratching but not injuring his newfound scales.

Days passed. Months passed. Tyrus crawled through the tree's branches remorseful. They didn't even notice the fucking tree they passed every single day. It was in the middle of the garden. They had to have thought of it at least once...

Adom went for a walk. Without Chava. She was still sleeping beneath their favourite tree. Adom walked slowly and steadily, away from Chava and towards the tree of knowledge. When he came to stand beneath it, he stared at it. He seemed to take in every detail and flaw of its very being. Then he smiled, looking straight into Tyrus' eyes. He scoffed and turned, walking back to where Chava was sleeping. He lay next to her, stroking her long curly hair. She awoke and looked up at him smiling. He spoke something inaudible and she looked towards the tree. She spotted Tyrus among the thorny leaves.

Azrael stood near the gate of the garden. Adom and Chava seemed to be doing well without him. They hadn't encountered Tyrus as of yet, so his worries were minuscule. He began to think of heaven, the Creator, his birth mother and father, the other archangels and Sophia. He hadn't seen her in what felt like forever. He missed her so often; it conflicted with his watching of Tyrus. Today would haunt him for the rest of his servitude on Gaia.

Adom was searching for a new kind of vegetable to try for a meal that day. Chava mingled with the animals and picked flowers she thought were pretty. She came across a line of lavender-like flowers that seemed to be creating a path. She traveled along it, petting a little

hedgehog as she passed. The path ended and she was looking straight at the tree of knowledge. She gasped and turned to run.

"Wait!" Tyrus called. "Wait!"

Chava turned and looked at the serpent. "Who are you?"

"Cobra." He crawled down a branch and slithered his tongue out and in. "You're the famous Eve."

"Chava. My name is Chava." She combed her waist length in front of her, covering her breasts and private parts. "What are you?"

"A serpent." He smiled gingerly.

"What are you doing on the tree?" She asked quietly.

"I live on it," he replied quickly. "You don't

die

from the fruit. It's called fear. He instils it in every creature He creates. You're no different. No higher, no lower. But technically, you know nothing. This is why He'll threaten to punish you if you eat the fruit of this

tree. It's called a scare-tactic. If I say you'll die if you eat something, you will avoid it. Who knows, it could be the thing that saves your life."

"He wouldn't do that," Chava said smiling sneakily. "You think you know

everything

. It's a trick."

"Ah, you must be the smart one," Tyrus hissed. "What's something you've always wanted?"

"Nothing. I've never needed--"

"Not need. Want. It's something that you can do. 'Ask and it shall be given', no?" Tyrus began heading closer to the trunk of the tree. Chava looked around and carefully stepped beneath the tree, avoiding the many thorns.

"He actually

wants

you to know. You have the choice to know." Tyrus engulfed a fruit in his serpent-like mouth. He devoured it with ease. "The more you eat, the more you'll know. And the more you'll

want

to know." The fruit resembled the large grapes that were located near the waterfall. "Try one. Just one. What is something that you want?"

She pulled a fruit from the tree and quickly ate it. It was sweet. Too sweet. "I want other people to love. Like I love Adom, but more. Like him."

Tyrus smiled. "Go. Tell him about it. He may be able to help you." Chava smiled and left the tree. Azrael stood ten feet away from the tree as Chava walked away from it. Her lips were stained by the red juices of the fruit. He saw a serpent crawling on the branches. It quickly morphed into Tyrus. He smiled gleefully at Azrael as he walked away.

"The end has begun," he said triumphantly.

The sky turned grey. One soul had been lost. Chava hadn't found Adom, so she headed back towards the tree of knowledge. Azrael was standing in front of it. He looked defeated.

"Azrael," Chava said walking up to him. "Azrael, what's wrong?"

Azrael looked into her eyes. They had turned black. Chava reached out and touched his arm. He welcomed the touch. He knew one day he'd have to take her life. Someday.

She flipped her hair behind her, exposing her breasts and vagina. Her nipples were perky like that of a virtue when a young angel was being fed. Azrael's mouth watered thinking of his lips on her nipples...

"May I?" she asked as she pressed her body against his. Her breasts pressed into his chest and he felt the need to touch her in return. Then it clicked.

"No," Azrael answered. He stepped back and saw the loss in her eyes. "You have Adom."

"He's not enough," she said greedily.

"Yes, he is," Azrael grinded out. "Go back to him before you destroy your paradise." She stepped towards him again, cautiously. "Go!"

She turned and ran, looking back at Azrael once before continuing on.

Adom sat at the waterfall at midday. Chava approached him from behind, scaring him in the process.

"What are you doing?" He asked. He looked into her eyes and frowned. "What have you been doing?"

Chava smiled and kissed Adom on his lips. She kissed him so passionately that Adom lost his train of thought.

"I've been thinking of Azrael," she confessed. "He seems sad. I tried comforting him. But he had lust in his eyes, so he told me to come to you."

"Lust?" Adom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Chava said quietly. She was no longer looking Adom in his eyes. "Like when I lay with you and you touch me with your fingers, about to have sex with me, you have immense desire in your eyes."

"He wanted to do that with you?" Adom asked. He felt like something had been taken away from him. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing, but he looked at me the way you do, until he snapped and said for me to leave." Chava sat beside Adom and entwined her fingers with his.

"Leave from where?"

"The tree of knowledge," Chava said lamely. "You know, it won't make you die. You just know more. The serpent, Cobra, told me that. He ate a fruit and nothing happened to him. So, I ate one--"

"What?!" Adom yelled. "What?!"

"I ate a fruit," she responded coolly. "What's the matter?"

"Chava, you will die!" Adom became hysterical.

"No I won't," she argued back. "I'm not dead, am I?"

"You will, though," Adom whimpered.

So much for leaving her alone...

"Why did you do that?"

"The serpent said I could have anything I want," she said. There was no remorse in her voice. "I wanted more humans, like you, to love."

"Like me?" Adom looked up at her. "Like me?"

"Yes," Chava replied. "I like the way you touch me. I want more—

a different man

to touch me that way. To make me feel good."

Adom became jealous. "I'm not enough?"

"No." Her response was cold. He stood and left her by the water fall.

The Beginning of the End

Azrael watched. There was nothing he could do. Adom loved Chava. He warned him against eating the fruit but it was getting hard to convince the human that all hope was not lost.

"I'll lose her," he complained. It had been days and she wasn't dead yet. If anything, she got smarter by the minute.

"You may lose her, but you have many more ribs," Azrael said with a smile. "But, in all seriousness, you'll both be out of here. Your paradise will be gone. Do you really want that?"

"But I love her," Adom protested.

Chava sat near the tree of knowledge. She felt naked all the time. Yes, she was in fact naked all the time, but now she felt shame. She sat weaving vine and fig leaves into something she could barely understand. Clothing? It was similar to what Azrael wore, but more feminine...

What was feminine anyway? The more she understood, the scarier it got. The serpent appeared from time to time, not really comforting her, just assuring her that today was not the day she perished. Adom barely spoke to her and he began to talk to Azrael more than he did her. Well, he couldn't be in love with Azrael. They weren't made for each

other, they were just friends.

She now knew what she wanted from Azrael. She knew Adom couldn't give it to her. He was too... Stupid. If he would just eat the fruit, he would know as much as her.

"Chava," Azrael said walking up behind her. He was accompanied by someone. She turned around. It wasn't Adom. It was another angel who sported a wicked smile and eyes as red as the serpent. "This is Tyrus. Or the Devil in your case. He is the serpent. He is 'Cobra'."

Tyrus was being held by a slew of hot red chains bound together by a mighty lock and a leash that Azrael was holding.

The sky crackled with light and thunder began to sound. Tyrus began to laugh. "He'll do it," he whispered continuously.

"Stop," Azrael commanded.

Tyrus was getting on his nerves the last couple of days. He was being sneaky by possessing the lions to make them eat birds, and talking to Adom as he passed by the tree. Tyrus turned into a serpent again and slipped from the chains. Azrael was swift and summoned a flaming sword, pinning the serpent through its back.

"No!" Chava screamed. Azrael looked up at her. Tyrus was still squirming in his serpent form, but Chava's reaction was shocking.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Azrael yelled back at her.

"Tyrus, you have tormented my children long enough!" The Creator spoke through the clouds. "May your legs be gone and you will crawl the earth on your belly. Azrael, Adom has eaten the fruit. You may send them out of the garden."

Azrael became angry. He screamed and cut off the legs of the serpent and swung it a few times sending it far out of the garden. He turned to where Chava was sitting and he realized she'd left.

Where could they be?

he thought to himself. He made a blood curdling war cry that sent animals scurrying away. He ascended, his wings carrying him high into the sky. He looked below him and watched as the animals ran like wild creatures with no sense. Then he spotted red hair running through them towards the water fall. They were headed for

the tree of life.

Azrael swooped, speeding up as he headed towards earth. They cut behind a tree and turned abruptly, but Azrael was still ahead of them. He landed right in front of the tree and began to hover, his black wings creating small tornadoes of fallen leaves and flowers. He had a frustrated look on his face. It was a cross between a sad smile and an angry frown.

They speeded around a corner and almost fatally collided with Azrael's carbon-like wings.

"Halt!" Azrael screamed. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He drew a massive weapon of fire. It had jagged blades and was almost half his size. "You've sinned Chava, and you dragged Adom down with you. You both are now banished from the Garden of Eden. You will cover your body in shame because you disobeyed the Creator, even under the

tutelage of me and Metatron. Leave! Now!"

Chava broke down crying. Adom stared at Azrael as if he was ready to murder him. Azrael returned the deadly stare, knowing he'd win. Very easily. Adom picked Chava up and led her away from the tree of life and towards the gate.

"Please, Azrael," Chava begged. "Let us stay, please! Let 'him' stay!"

Azrael paid no attention to her. He killed a camel and quickly fashioned the best clothing he could and threw the garments at them. As they reached the gate, Tyrus stood to the side, he was covered in blood and laughing hysterically.

"He did it!" he exclaimed. "Azrael, did you see that? I was right. I told you, it couldn't be helped."

Azrael slashed Tyrus across the chest, shutting him up for a while. He pushed the humans through the gate and the five Grigori showed up, one by one wondering why Azrael had summoned them.

"What happened?" Penemue asked. He looked at the sky and back at the humans. "Oh."

"Grigori," Azrael said firmly. "You will keep the humans out of the garden. You will teach them to till the land and use the earth. Metatron will speak with you shortly of what can and cannot be taught to humans. You may go."

Azrael turned and flew back into the garden. The leaves were dying and the animals were cascading through the gate, running from each other. Azrael stood by the tree of life and stared into the heavens.

"I'm sorry, father," he whispered mostly to himself. "I'm so sorry..."

"You did nothing."

Azrael swung around saw the now injured Tyrus limping towards him, his blood red wings spanned to keep his balance. "No, I wasn't guarding them."

"You

must

be mad," Tyrus chuckled quietly. "You do realize that you only slowed their failing the ultimate test, right? You gave them all the answers and they

still

failed. Ironic, isn't it?"

Azrael stood staring at the evil one. He was about to speak when Tyrus cut him off.

"No, no, no. No need to answer, really." Tyrus frowned now. "You're lucky. Blessed, in fact. You can do no wrong. You can't sin wilfully. It's in your fucking black blood to destroy and to judge those who have sinned."

"What?" Azrael moved towards Tyrus. "No. I can choose. I have choice."

"Yes, exactly. A choice. Sin." Tyrus lit his finger on fire and seared the slash he received from Azrael's sword and continued. "If I was born with sin instilled in me, the way it is in you, I could do whatever the fuck I want."

"No, you couldn't. The Creator still wouldn't allow it." Azrael stood tall. His muscles had defined over the course of a year since he'd been on Gaia.

"Yes, he wouldn't allow it, Azrael. But he wouldn't kick me out of home and rename me as something so low and despicable. King of Lies. Devil. Satan."

"You were the Lucifer, Tyrus. You threw it away at your own will." Azrael saw the maddening look in Tyrus' eyes.

"No! He refused me freedom. He refused you too! You just don't know it." Azrael didn't even bother contemplating it. Tyrus was the greatest sinner of all time. He was good at convincing others. He always was. Ignorance was the best way to waste his energy. Tyrus stepped close to Azrael. He was eye to eye, the same height and as easily intimidating. "I can tell you that my love for the Father hasn't changed. It's His word I hate. You; I really admire you. You justify anger and hate. You hate me, but little do you know, ever since you were born I loved you."

Azrael looked at the demonic angel. He'd lost his sanity, home and even his name. He was not even worthy of calling himself Lucifer. He was filled with every sin thought to heaven-kind and they've almost seen it all. Azrael was not the kind anymore to notice the good in anyone, but looking at Tyrus, he saw the reminiscent beauty showing up on his skin and in his jet black hair.

"I was the highest Seraphim and he used an army and one of my own to take me down. He hit me where it hurts," he almost said in a whimper. "But it's over now. I can't do anything much more than torment that which he loves most."