Chaos Rising: Dawn of the Hybrid

III - Rejecting Light Part 2

My eyes almost popped out of my skull. I was pretty sure I was frothing at the mouth, too. All my brain cells burst simultaneously that I thought my head was going to explode. "Me?" I asked, blown away. And not the good kind of blown away. My body moved on its own and I found myself standing. "The Soul Minister? Is this some kind of sick joke? You cannot be serious, Minister Addersworth."

"I know," responded the man that looked like the older version of Carlisle sitting in front of me. "This could be overwhelming for anyone. However, it is the truth, Kaylene. I'm afraid I cannot tell you that I am not playing around." His eyes darted to something behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I realized the Minister was looking at Malachi who had just shut the door behind him. "Malachi," said Minister Samuel.

The broad-shouldered Soul Dealer bowed his head a little, and without another word, he walked toward one of the bookshelves lining the left side of the Minister's office. With his heavy fingers, Malachi pulled a thick, leather-bound book from the stacked collection. He turned around and made a face as he blew the dust off the book he plucked. A cloud of verdigris floated in the air for a few seconds. He walked mechanically toward the Soul Minister and handed the dignified man the thick leather-back.

Minister Samuel laid the book on top of his table with a dull thud. "This is Volume One of the Soul Ministry's Ordinance," he pointed out as Malachi retreated back to the door. "Herein contained is the first part of all the traditions, laws and protocols of the Soul Ministry." He flipped the book open. With his deft fingers, Minister Addersworth searched the pages. After turning a few leaves of the book, his eyes lit up and his mouth spread into a small curve. "Here, have a look, Kaylene."

I peered, not helping my curiosity. A crinkle appeared across my forehead as I saw texts written in a foreign script. They looked almost heiroglyphic to me. "It's in Hebrew," I remarked, recognizing the shapes of the letters. I was sure of it as I remembered one of my foster moms used to write using the same language. "I can't read it."

"It's Aramaic," corrected the Minister. "My apologies, I seem to have forgotten that you weren't trained in the Ministry's old tongue. In that vein, let my nephew Carlisle here do the reading and translating for you."

Carlisle's face tightened. His whole body looked tense as he heard his uncle's order. We locked gazes for a second and I thought that Goldilocks looked hesitant, almost nervous. He broke eye contact after a few moments and cleared his throat. Taking a step closer to the table he stared into the open page and read out loud. "As declared by the Seraphim himself, Angel Seraphiel set out in stone: 'Let the lineage of the Chazaklevs lead thine Heavenly army. For it is a Chazaklev who led the path to victory against an Ancient Evil. It is unto their shoulders that I lay this great burden. From this generation and all generations that come after, A Chazaklev will lead thine forces. This is a duty that shall forever be observed.' "

I was more confused than ever. "I didn't hear my name in there. So, I don't know what that has got to do with me," I announced, to which I was met with silence. However, a slight sense of uneasy familiarity ran through me. I thought I knew the word, I just couldn't quite place my fingers on it. Turning my head to shake my daze away, I glanced at Michael, but for some reason, he avoided my eyes. I looked at Jason, but he just shrugged as he was as clueless as I was.

"Do you know what your great ancestor's name means? Do you know what Samuel Strongheart's name stands for?"

I shook my head. The pounding of my heart was so loud, I was sure that even the New York Soul Dealers could hear it.

"'God has heard the strong of heart,' " declared the Minister, a certain thoughtfulness lining his voice. It was as though he was reliving a fond memory. "Before he was called Samuel Strongheart, he was addressed as Sh'muel Chazaklev."

I was not THAT stupid so I realized what the Minister meant. "So you mean, I am a Chazaklev?"

"Precisely, my child," the Minister forced a smile. "It is codified into the Ordinance

that only someone from the Chazaklev - the Strongheart - lineage will lead the force of the Angelic warriors."

It was then that I realized I have heard the name Chazaklev before. At one point, Michael had told me about it. I guess I hadn't paid much attention back then.

"But, you're not a Strongheart, yet you are the Minister," I observed.

"Yes," admitted Carlisle's uncle. "However, I only came to power as the last of the Strongheart lineage ended with the death of your father, Jonathan. I was his second-in-command and there was no one left of his family, so I assumed the position following his demise." He took a deep breath, and for a moment I thought I saw a shadow cross his expression. I blinked, but when I looked again, it was gone. "And then came you. A new line of the Original Ashrei Blood. It is only rightful that you take the position. After all, it was the Angel himself who decreed this law."

Hearing my father's name sent a shudder to my bones. Everything was happening too fast. First, my creepy stalker. Second, the demon invasion and the possibility of the Gate to Hell cracking open. Now this. What's worse was that we hadn't even addressed the first two. "No," I muttered, mostly to myself. However, I was sure everyone heard me. I looked down and stared at my feet. My shoes need cleaning. Or replacing. Whatever. They're worn out of shape for Heaven's sake. My thoughts were crumbling in on themselves. Numerous shivers ran freely up and down my arms, legs, and my back. If I still had the lycanthropy, I would have wolfed out and stormed away from the situation. Lifting my head back up, I locked gazes with the Minister's bright blue eyes. "I don't want it. I don't want to be the Soul Minister," my voice was cracking. A hot swelling was bubbling behind my eyes, I tried hard to push it down. "I never asked for this life. What do I know about leading people? The only thing I led people to was destruction, and I'm not doing that again."

Minister Addersworth's chest heaved as he sighed. The forced smile on his face disappeared and his lips stretched into a thin line. "Kaylene," he began. "Listen to me, child. You are a Strongheart. Whether you like it or not, the Original Blood runs through your veins. You cannot run away from your duty. Leading the Soul Ministry is your Heavenly fore ordinance."

It was hard to keep the burning gaze of the Soul Minister. Something in his voice made me want to break away from his stares. However, I stood my ground. If I was going to be stubborn, I was going to be stubborn. Before I knew it, I was shaking my head at the Minister. "I'm sorry, Minister, but this burden is too heavy to bear. This is too much."

The air felt electric. Everyone was still, not just silent, but completely and utterly still. Not even Michael across me nor Carlisle beside his uncle moved.

Several moments followed and the Minister finally stood up. "It is difficult as it is, don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Kaylene. I will help you. I will be with you every step of the way. I can even--"

The Minister's words died out as an insistent and forceful knocking came from the door. Everyone, myself included, turned to see what the commotion was about. Malachi made a quick glance to the Minister and then proceeded to open the door.

A breathless brown-haired Soul Dealer stood on the other side. His face was as pale as death. A tuft of his hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat. "Pardon my intrusion, Minister," he bellowed. Panic and fear were written all over his face and his knees were shaking. Whatever news he bear, I already knew it wasn't good.

"Speak, soldier." A tinge of irritation lined the voice of Carlisle's uncle.

"I-I did not want to intrude, b-but what I bring is of utter importance."

The burly Malachi scoffed, impatient. "Tell it already, Ibrahim. What news do you bring?"

The Soul Dealer's bulging Adam's Apple moved as he swallowed. His eyes darted back and forth from Malachi to the rest of us. "T-there has been an a-attack," he managed to say, voice breaking here and there. "The unit we sent to investigate the disturbances near the coast did not return."

"What do you mean 'did not return?'" Minister Samuel's voice thundered across the room.

The poor Soul Dealer's mouth shook so hard, I could hear his teeth chattering. "They're all dead, Minister. Sylvie found their bodies on the shores on her way here. They were all covered in foul-smelling blood. They had huge gaping wounds all over their bodies as though they were ripped with massive claws."

At that, Michael stood up. "Do you have any leads on who might have done it?"

Ibrahim shook his head. "Not who... What," he corrected. His shoulders heaved as he paused to take a breath. "We found shards of glass embedded in the wounds of our fallen Brothers and Sisters. When we've had a closer look at the glass shards, we found out that they were teeth. That confirmed our suspicion," he explained. "The unit was attacked by a den of Nahash demons."