The Gathering

XI: Be Not Afraid

Jonah began to regain his senses after a few moments passed, he couldn't see clearly yet but he felt the cool cradle of powdery snow beneath him. He could hear the occasional rev of a car engine and the chirping of crickets. As helped Jonah to his feet as his vision unblurred.

He scanned his environment, he was in another parking lot, this time of a small wooden building, it was modest and simple, and the cross on its roof gave it away to Jonah as a Christian church. He could see some humans dressed in warm winter coats and scarves begin to file inside, the warmth of the sunrise shining through the prismatic stained-glass window that hung above the double doors. Around the church was almost nothing manmade, it appeared to be at the edge of a pine forest, their needles resilient against the weighty snow pushing down their branches. A single main road was the only way in or out of the parking lot, and it looked to stretch for miles before any other signs of civilization could be spotted.

"What is this place?" As asked to no one in particular. Compared to the dreary hospital they had last visited, this seemed like an alien world, a joyful painting, not reality.

"It's a church." Jonah said, his voice shaky like his body. Jonah had learned about churches, mosques, synagogues, and various other places of worship during his studies with Samael and Metatron. Humans seemed to have an innate desire to worship a higher power, yet they always got it wrong. They prayed for forgiveness for their sins and prosperity and peace in their lives but angels could not provide that, at least not anymore. Angels hadn't been able to regularly interact with humanity for two thousand years, not since God's death. When he died, he sealed the firmament forever, closing the access angels had enjoyed previously. Now they were relegated to one hour, the ninth hour, to intervene. Another issue was that of power, in death, God had taken with him his well of infinite divine energy. Angels now had to rely on their own self-generated energy, which was much more limited and slower to regain. The mere lightning bolt that transported Sera, As, and Jonah to earth had cost a great amount of Sera's power.

"That is why angels must gather," he remembered one of Samael's first lessons, "every human soul contains God's divine energy, and with enough of it, we believe we can revive his corporeal being." Souls – exclusively human souls contained the most valuable resource to angels deprived of God's resources: divine energy. The souls were taken from humans, gathered by God's emissaries, and taken back to Beulah. Once there, their energy could be siphoned into the Cistern, a vast well of reserve power that kept the very city itself in orbit. If they could accumulate enough energy, they could bring God back – at least that was their theory.

Jonah had often wondered what role gathering had played before the desperate need for souls took over, this was probably "reaping", but Metatron was very tight-lipped about that subject. 'Until His Return', Jonah remembered the bronze lettering above the gate to the Military District.

"Why a church?" Jonah asked Sera.

"Because I want to prove something to you, cadet." Her voice was determined, almost spiteful. "I am going to show you the futility of your affection for humans." Jonah and As began to walk towards the church, but Sera held out her arm as a signal to stop. "Patience, cadets. We will wait until their service has begun. It is Christmas morning after all..." Metatron's scrolls had explained this holiday to Jonah as well, once again, very incorrect.

They watched as the last of the flock entered, closing the heavy wooden doors behind them. "Now," Sera began "For this demonstration, I will uncloak myself to the congregation." Jonah was shocked.

"I thought we were never to reveal ourselves?" As asked, just as surprised as Jonah was, "That it would endanger all of us!"

"If it's a Lion, yes." Sera began to approach the church, "But this is a Lamb." Jonah and As looked at each other, clearly confused. "Take note of their fealty, their joy as I gather their souls. They have no agency, we are the superiors, they exist to benefit us." Slowly and with trepidation, the cadets followed behind their Lieutenant. "Stay behind me, do not reveal yourselves. Simply observe."