Red Twilight: A Dawning Of Power

Book 1 A Dawning of Power

Part 1 Voices

Chapter 1 God of Hunger

Chapter 2 Prelude to the All Metal Angel

Chapter 3 the von Richton Watcher's Society

Chapter 4 Awakening

Chapter 5 Moses

Chapter 6 Heroes

Chapter 7 The Slayer Part 1

Part 2 Echoes

Chapter 8 Struggle and Aftermath

Chapter 9 Stone-faced Ghost

Chapter 10 Coleuses of the Blight

Chapter 11 Death of a Cleric

Chapter 12 A Call to Arms

Chapter 13 A Broken Union

Chapter 14 Surrogate Mother

Chapter 15 Medal of Honor

Chapter 16 Pure Souls

Chapter 17 Silent world and White Coat Fever

Chapter 18 Final Combat

Chapter 19 A Place to Rest

Chapter 20 Hunter's Sonata

Chapter 21 Indignation

Chapter 22 Dread of Night

Chapter 23 Light of Day

Chapter 24 The Slayer part 2

Book 1 A Dawning of Power

Act 1 Voices

Chapter 1 God of Hunger

Magdalen St. Frances walks through he halls of the catacombs under the church of Jesuit deep in the heart of the Italian country side. it is an old church, maybe one of the oldest, some of the parts of the church having been here since the Theodora empire. Magdalen walks with her head down, she rubs her eyes, a piece of paper clenched in on fist. The words on the page echoing in her thoughts.

***

To: The House of Cardinals

I, Lances Jacob, have served the church as a knight of the Jesuit for forty years now. I woke up this morning in the grip of fear. A fear I could not turn my back on. You have asked me to lie for you, and I have lied. I have been from one side of the world to the other, I have been to all the most beautiful churches around the world. I have seen all the most amazing artifacts we have unearthed. But now I have awoken, I have seen that all the things I have done, all the things I have seen it has never been more then fear.

I have studied hard. I have help proliferate a society of fear. But I can no longer. I am no longer impressed by pascal's wager, I can no longer be impressed by illusion.

I have talked already to the bishop, I will be taking $250 for food and gas, the rest of my pension I should like to donate. I am sure you know who need the money most. I will be returning to Maine, I wish to track down my younger sister, see if the life I left behind is still there.

From: Father Lances Jacob

***

Magdalen finds a dead-end room, she pulls a bar across the door to lock I then she reaches up onto the wall and pulls down a flail. She takes a hard breath. "I cannot allow myself to question such things. My truth is the only truth." One hand unties her cloak and habit Magdalen drops her clothes on the ground making herself nude in preparation for her penance She swings the flail down then goes to swing it behind herself, slashing herself with the whip.

In the empty room with Magdalen a hand appears, gripping her arm to stop her from flagellating. Magdalen looks up, a murder of crows have appeared in the room a man stands before her. He is dressed in a ruffled shirt straight out of the 17th century, a black velvet coat over it, oily black hair, flower white skin, violet gemstone eyes. He has fangs peeking over his lips, and sharp ears. "there is no need for that, I have other work for you." He speaks in a low soothing voice.

"who forth are thou?" the old women asks

"Eil, Ala, Yahweh, Joshua, Jehovah, the Christ." He explains "are a few names of mine you may know. "Mammon, Crow, Cravixs." He smiles "I can go on. But names mean so little next to actions."

Magdalen drops the whip and walks backwards a few steps "God?" she whispers.

"A god." Mammon whispers "the word god is a descriptive term. It describes a magical anthropomorphic immortal. But I suspect that you knew that already. I for one am the youngest of four sibling gods."

Magdalen falls to her knees looking up at the holy being "how may I serve you my lord?"

Mammon walks around her looking her up and down "I did not order you to kneel." Cravixs takes a deep breath turning his eyes to the sky "that may be the most frustrating part of your race. I don't think you could understand this but you could be co-equal to me. Tall, powerful, beautiful. If only you hunt for wisdom without fear." He waves his hand and she f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y stands, lifted to her feet by a mystical wind. He then snaps and a scroll falls to the ground at her feet. "read aloud the words written on that page."

Magdalen swoops down to pick up the paper "what is this?"

Cravixs explains "an incantation. Nothing more. Three words. Easy as can be."

She looks up "why?"

Crow because aggravated, he howls like a monster and as a shadow grips her by the c.h.e.s.t and walks her into the wall, bestially he leans forward getting nose to nose, his fangs grow over his lips, his eyes bleed fire. "do as you are told women. I can be kind or a can be cruel. Your choice. Read the words or I will find someone else to do it."

Cravixs can crush St. Francis. He holds her to the wall, slowly he applies pressure to her. She knows that any second now he will slay her, quickly, thoughtlessly just like a god would. "forgive me." Magdalen growls weakly as she is struggling to push off the wall.

The hungry god smiles, his mood lightens as quickly as it has soured, he sets her down. "granted." He takes a few steps away "I am a god of mercy. Therefor I will suspend justices." He folds his hands into the shape of a diamond "read the scroll and I will rain blessings onto you."

Magdalen picks up the scroll and whispers the words on it "Ut det vobis." She thinks "this scroll is written in Enock." She translates it in her head "I grant you."

Crow smiles as he hears the words spoken aloud. "thank you." He spins to face the cardinal " you will never again feel pain, once you step out of his room you will be 30 years younger. You will be stronger then you have ever been, more beautiful. But your cousin Joseph will not notice what you have done."

"What did I do?" she doesn't understand the power of the words she has spoken

"you have unlocked a door. One I could not open for myself. Soon, everyone will slip into dreams. I will baptize the world with fire. Once I have found the rest of 'the key bearers'." Crow and the flock of birds with him vanish as quickly as they came. Leaving behind nothing but a hand full of feathers flouting to the ground to show they had even been there.

Magdalen looks down at her hands as she grows young "key bearers?"

"let me tell you about the future you have possible. I'm the coming days 2996 will die when I mighty church burns to the ground. A second sun will appear in the sky over New York in the dead of night. Four towers will fade into another world. A bug like no other will appear only days after that, beast will talk, the stars will vanish from the sky. You Magdalen St. Francis have helped me change the shape of the cosmos."