“After this I looked, and Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lord, begging for His deliverance…”
–Father Abraham, “The Holy Word”. 12 Years After.
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Fuck this job.
Zeke hobbled through the woods, the blood twisting his long brown duster into a darker black through his many open wounds. Though he’d managed to Hunt his share of this Enclave to keep his Rez intact, for every one that dropped, another two were there to replace. How the fuck were there so many of them still out here?
He took stock of his gear. Only a handful of .357s for his revolver and half a mag left in the AK. At least his bastard sword still held strong. Ichor dripped from its edge, reminding him just how many hollows he’d killed to reach this point.
Zeke grimaced. How had he let himself get trapped this way? This was supposed to be an easy job. Find a suitable location to build an outpost as close to the Black Zone as possible. Go all the way beyond the Mississippi River if necessary. With the conventional armies of humanity defeated, they had nothing more to fear.
And yet, here he was, a Hunter on the run.
The water splashed nearby. Whispers followed. Zeke spat out a glob of blood and hobbled further, his bastard sword resting over one shoulder while his revolver sat in his other hand.
Here they come again. The Beholders. A seemingly small group of religious nuts set up in a bayou in Louisiana. Zeke had even offered to bring them back to Pandemonium after his crew ran into them. They were harmless enough, and he needed a place to hide out until a nearby herd of hollows migrated away.
But then his people started disappearing, one after the next. No choice but to turn hostile then, but Zeke was too late. What had started as a crew of eight dwindled to four before he discovered their game, and now he was the last man standing.
Just keep going, and you’re out. He could handle the hollows well enough. Get close, hold breath, blend in, and shamble off to safety before these Beholders caught him. Once he reached the herd, he’d be in the clear.
Then he’d go back home, let Hades know how many of these fuckers were out here, and bomb them back into the stone age where they belonged.
He grinned, knowing how satisfying that would be.
Zeke paused. There was something in the air… A sense that he couldn’t quite place. The kind of instinct that always protected him before now.
With a roar, Zeke spun around and thrust his sword. It cleaved through the thrown net just in time. He rushed through the torn fibers before they could envelop him.
Only for another to launch from the other side. Before he could swing again, the mesh wrapped around, stones weighing it together. Zeke squirmed, but his limbs gained no traction.
The Beholders rushed forth, their widened, frenzied eyes bearing into his own. Zeke scrambled for his revolver, but his arms were now trapped in this tangle of hemp. His enemies pressed their advantage and dove in.
Even tied up and wounded, Zeke did not allow himself to go down easy. Like a cornered bull, he bounded back and forth, using his sheer size to cripple whoever drew too close. More than one Beholder grunted as bones got crushed.
But it was futile in the end. There were too many of them, and they soon had him forced into the ground.
“Heavens, what a fuss,” that familiar voice crept in.
Zeke coughed. “That you out there, Abraham? Quit being a bitch and step into the open.”
He complied with a tsk. “Such vile language. We invite you into our home, we give you food and shelter, and we even offer the Word of the Lord to help you understand our faith. And yet, you still spit at us for all we’ve offered.”
“You hollowed half my crew and killed the rest, you fucking asshole.”
“I will concede that I overestimated their spirits. There is a balance to be made when performing a baptism. Those who are strong become reborn, while those too weak wither under the weight of their many Sins. It was not I who failed them. The Lord simply did not select them for a higher purpose.”
“You’re insane.”
Abraham smirked. “Tell me, Zeke. How do you see your own soul fairing under the eyes of God? Will you be strong enough to see His light, or will you succumb to Sin too?”
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He grit his teeth. “Neither. I’ll never submit to your bullshit.”
“Oh, but you will, one way or the other.” He raised his nose to stare into the sun, the light reflecting off his vigorous, lilac eyes. “No one is above the power of the Lord, my son. You will soon see.”
Abraham took another step forth. “You will experience the power of divinity for yourself.”
* * *
What an insurmountable force!
Brother Ezekiel watched the ocean of sinners below, unsure on how to proceed. So many had come to block the path forth. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions. All marching around the ruins of Los Angeles as though this were their home. The Unholy City sat at its center. Revelations had truly come!
“Don’t see a way through there, mate,” Liam said. “Might be that we take this slow, haul up somewhere safe, and find a way for you to sneak in there when the coast is clear.”
His daughter moaned in agreement.
“It is safe,” Ezekiel said.
Liam squinted at the spot where his congregation was supposed to be, now buried under the earth from what appeared to be a landslide. “You sure about that?”
He wasn’t. “The Lord guided us this far, Liam. Now is not the time to doubt His blessings. The Father set several rendezvous points in case anything happened to our camp, and they will come when the time is right. Of this, I am certain.”
“Are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure that you can guarantee my daughter’s safety in their hands? Can you truly make that claim? Don’t forget why we’ve come this far.”
He sighed. “I was broken, beaten, and tormented by Sin before God brought me to my Brothers and Sisters. Though we can be crude and fearful against those who do not understand us, they would do nothing to put you or the Chos– or Leah in harm’s way.” He considered the words carefully. “The Lord wants your family reunited, and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. No matter who gets in our way.”
Liam patted his shoulder, looking into his eyes. “Then I’ll trust you on this, Brother.”
Ezekiel smiled in spite of his discipline. Hearing Liam call him his “Brother” so naturally sent a more potent rush than he could ever know. That title was a mere formality in their camp. A reminder that all Beholders were Brothers and Sisters under God. Meanwhile, Liam was a heretical atheist, yet he chose to adopt the same mantle.
It warmed his heart.
The two made their way to the meeting site. From their position in the hills overlooking the valley, they could plot a secure course without drawing the ire of the sinners’ main horde. Those lost souls preferred to cling to lower terrain, as if to be as close to the Devil’s domain as possible.
Buildings were few and far between. Though these structures must have once been sprawling manors during their peak, God’s power had eroded them into hollow shells over the years. The windows had all shattered after so much time, and vines choked the walls wherever they could form. Even the marble fountains and swimming pools became transformed into verdant sheets. Algae clung to the surface, and flowers bloomed on top.
From what Ezekiel understood, these hills had once been home to the most wealthy and decadent of mankind. No doubt they considered themselves greater than the Lord to erect such palaces in their name, and must have bathed in the luxury they gained through it. How insignificant their castles had become. What happened to their owners now?
Sinners shambled down the street ahead, and Ezekiel had his answer. Their empty, soulless eyes sensed plenty but beheld nothing, and their teeth clattered without thought. When they did notice the three drawing near, they raised their hands mindlessly with a hiss.
Brother Ezekiel reached for his bo staff and sighed, remembering it had been lost many weeks before. The crowbar he’d uncovered would have to do instead. He gave it a spin and moved for their enemies.
The sinners did not survive long. After so much time to recover, Ezekiel’s body was perhaps more powerful than it had ever been, and could bash through their skulls with ease. Liam kept his distance, rocking Leah about while the path was cleared.
“Not too bad,” he said. “Looks like you’re back to your A-game.”
“That is one way to describe it, I suppose.”
In truth, Ezekiel could not escape the lingering sense of shame. After years without consuming flesh, he had grown accustomed to ignoring the Hunger before it dominated his actions, but now that he had forced himself to defy the Beholder creed to fulfill this mission, he could no longer contain this desire. Sin flourished in the depths of his heart as a result, and he craved more with each meal.
His skin had also rotted out after so much time away from home. Without the preservatives to keep his flesh smooth and clear, it had dried out in most places, leaving fissures that cracked and oozed. Ezekiel dared not stare too deeply at his reflection. He suspected that his appearance was little different than any sinner.
It will all be worth it in the end, Ezekiel reminded himself. So long as he pushed through this final hurdle, all the Sin he’d committed would have been in service to the Lord. Oh, how badly he wanted to find an open field to repent in peace and embrace the taste of Holy Communion with his family once more…
They reached the base of the hills. Though sinners roamed in the distance, the Lord blessed their path, for not another one troubled them on this final stretch.
Ezekiel’s chest tightened. Two sets of stairs rose from the cracked street, with a trio of worn, acacia doors fused shut through decay. The white plaster walls might have broken after years of neglect, and many of the red tiles on the roof had long since fallen off, but a pair of belfries stood tall on either side before being capped by domes made of gold. A cross still remained on one of these domes, projecting the Lord’s power outward, even as the rest of the world continued to erode to dust.
Ezekiel almost couldn’t believe this miracle. After so many months of fighting through the wastelands of a dead world, they were here.
They were home.