The balance of things

“THERE IS NO WAY!”

The entire room, dark walls, emerald carpet and all, seemed to vibrate under the pressure of the Chief's mighty fist beating down on the ebony table, failing to command the chaos of too many voices that viciously spun in the air like a sand storm.

How did we reach this point, Sybil wondered, where the voices of our brothers and sisters are so eagerly drowned in the nothingness of self-proclamation.

With head tilted down, her eyes flitted to the left and to the right. They were all of them, wondrous creatures, with powerful minds and even more powerful wills, yet to Sybil, they lacked the greatest power of all—humility. This unfortunate impotence proved the odds of the council reaching an agreement, hopelessly unrealistic.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a fresh breeze, carrying the sweet smell of chamomile, invigorated the tired minds. A soft, white light entered and illuminated the faces of the council, as a few members rolled their eyes. For these were the familiar signs, indicating the arrival of the famed, beloved, and for some, infuriating Lucy. A natural glow radiated around him, as if his entire day was devoted to facials. His golden hair fell in the perfect way that hair only falls if it sits on a godlike statue. But his eyes were the most mesmerizing. Green and alive, they swayed and danced their way across the room, flickering as they read the countenance of each member present. He glided his way towards Sybil, hijacking her inner peace with every step taking him closer. As he came up behind her, he laid a firm hand gently on her shoulder, placing his fingers around her collar bone, leaning in, to whisper in her ear. It was all too much, and a calm disposition was a lost cause. He asked her how she was holding up, to which she could only muster a nod as an uncontrollable warmth seeped into her cheeks and her face blushed a soft pink. Her chest thumped delicately as a tingling overcame her entire body. She sat utterly still, waiting for it all to pass through her, exiting out her toes, as she returned to the chill of the present moment’s reality.

“My dear Mike!” Lucy exclaimed, having reached his seat next to the Chief. “I’m sorry to say, but from outside, it sounds like you’ve never ran one of these before, but that’s not true is it.”

“Lucy,” Mike, the head of the council sighed, “We have been at the subject of officializing roles and responsibilities. Is this truly a matter of so little importance to you? If so, you’ve made your point very clear by arriving so intolerably late.”

“My dear Mike, I would apologize, but I’ve been busy. I’ve responsibilities of my own that—”

“Your responsibilities are His Lordships responsibilities. You have none of your own.”

“Yes, well, every Lordship does need a Second.”

A gasp from the council was enough for Lucy to settle comfortably into his chair and give Mike a quick raise of the eyebrows and an irresistible smirk. Mike’s response of speechlessness could not have been more satisfying.

“Perhaps,” Sybil raised her head, sensing the tension, “Perhaps it better he was not here. I’m not sure this room could have borne the vocals of yet another.”

She was the only woman on the council and with a voice like a dove, she was seldom heard, despite her possessing, perhaps, the greatest power.

Lucy gave her an encouraging nod and a thumbs up and she tumbled into the whole of falling in love with him again, face flushing and everything.

“Lucy, why are we just now hearing of this? You! His Lordship’s Second! Congratulations my friend!”

“Thank you, Gabe, I was hoping to tell you all in a different manner, as I know it’s a bit uh…delicate. Let me remind you of what his Lordship told us on day one. Jealousy, if you allow it, will destroy you all. No intentions of goodwill can overcome the power of such a force. My friends, we must understand our own purposes before it’s too late and we attempt to absorb the purposes of others.”

Murmurs of agreement traveled around the table. Sybil looked on with beaming eyes of admiration.

“Lucy, you’ve given us a most…intriguing interruption, but we must continue. Who will be the Watchers? We must have two.” Mike’s tone had shifted from one of power and certainty to one that had been crushed.

“Two watchers?” Gabe moaned. “But there’s so few of them to watch. What need could there possibly be for four sets of eyes?”

“Indeed, they are few in number, but the humans need surveillance; with a will of their own to execute, they can be, at times, the most unpredictable creatures. Two watchers would be wise.” Lucy nodded to Mike to show his agreement.

“Thank you, Lucy. Now I nominate Gabe and Jerrod”

“We are in agreement,” The council mumbled in unison.

“Excellent. That was our final business. Meeting adjourned. Gabe, Jerrod, you can take your posts tomorrow, starting at dawn.”

The members shuffled out of the Council Pavilion, grunting and recovering from the most recent news. Sybil made her way down the white sanded walkway. All the walkways in the kingdom were white sand with everyone traveling barefoot. Flowers and foliage bloomed on all sides and the luscious green leaves brushed against her arm as she strolled.

“Sybil!”

A voice behind her called out and she whirled around.

“Hello Lucy. Congratulations on your new rank as Second to his Lordship. That is such an honor, one that you are truly deserving of.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind.”

He paused for a moment before continuing. “Sybil, I talked to the King about obtaining a certain license. A license of partnership that is.”

Her breath caught as he said this, both fearing and hoping for what he might say next.

“Sybil, I want you by my side. If you are willing, we have his Lordship’s blessing for partnership. So, I wanted to ask, are you willing?”

Sybil was momentarily without words. She glimpsed at their future. Together they’d be a strong force, working for the good of the kingdom, with his light and her abilities of foresight, theirs would be a partnership indeed. Moreover, her heart had long ago been won by Lucy’s presence and character.

“I am, well I’m truly humbled. Yes! Yes, I am willing!”

Their partnership was exceedingly celebrated throughout the kingdom. The two of them shared years of joy, each fulfilling their roles, Lucy as Second in command to his Lordship and Sybil as an oracle. Their lives were absent of imperfections, as was the Kingdom. Sybil often described her and Lucy’s union as an unblemished strawberry, sweet and extraordinary, rosy red with passion. True and authentic, with a million tiny seeds that promised new growth. I wish, more than you know dear reader, that the story ended here, with a happily ever after. Alas, wherever light shines most brightly, there is always the certainty of a shadow.

Because of Lucy’s natural light, an unfailing, soft glow emanated from their shared quarters, which was surrounded by luscious gardens. The two of them had spent years designing and cultivating their garden with flowers and fruit trees. They contemplated the location of each plant, considering the blending of scents, colors and textures. One evening, while walking and admiring their handiwork, Sybil noticed a furrow in Lucy’s brow, something she didn’t know his face was capable of making.

“My dear Lucy, what troubles you? For months, there’s been a melancholic glow about you.”

“I’ve just been thinking, how long will his Lordship remain? I mean, when will he give it up?”

“Give it up? I cannot imagine this place without his Lordship. I hope he never gives it up. What makes you ask such a thing?”

“Don’t be alarmed, I only sometimes question his relevancy. The other day he was designing a garden and he put a ridiculous tree in the center. Its flowers overpower all the other unique scents, but he insisted on its being there. The humans don’t notice, but nothing simple can ever again be enjoyed once compared to such a complex aroma.”

“So, you think you could plan a better garden than his Lordship? I’m sorry but that’s absurd. I suggest you trust his design. Perhaps there is greater purpose than we know. Remember, humility is not a defect, it is rather a weapon against many evil tricks of the mind.”

Lucy’s eyes flickered and Sybil sensed she would have to traverse a labyrinth to understand what he was implying, but decided to wait for another time.

The next day, when walking back to her quarters, she abruptly turned towards the Council Pavilion, in hopes of finding Mike still at work. Indeed, there he sat, deep in his books and pamphlets.

“Mike, I don’t mean to disturb you, but I need to ask you something.”

He looked up, “Of course Sybil, what troubles you?”

“It’s Lucy. I do not know what is wrong, but there is certainly something ailing his mind. He’s been absorbed in his thoughts, he cannot meet my eyes and he is working constantly, sometimes days at a time. I fear the parts of his mind I cannot see.”

Mike lowered his gaze, pausing before he answered. “Lucy has a lot on his plate indeed. But he works closely with His Lordship and I am certain no true harm could come to him, unless—well, let’s not allow the ‘what if’s’ to trouble our minds. For now, I will tell you that I’ve plans of releasing Lucy from his council duties. Hopefully he can find some relief from that.”

Sybil sighed, “Well, I’m glad to see you have not lost your talent for remaining ambiguous.”

Mike only nodded and returned to his books.

Weeks went by, but her mind remained torrid with stiff uneasiness. Deep within herself, she sensed an eerie abnormality as Lucy’s behavior continued to favor distance and solitude. One evening, as she returned home, she was struck by the emptiness around her. Not a single soul could be seen, leaving the walkways abandoned in the silent air. Her body was the first to feel the effects, beginning to prickle, while her neck became stiff and her hands lost all warmth, turning ice cold. Then, her arms went numb as an ache crawled up her legs. Fear was seizing her body.

Recently, the council had discussed increasing security, in case there was an attack or attempted takeover. What confused Sybil was against who they were protecting? The humans were far too incapable.

She stopped mid-stride, unable to breathe. A panic had settled in and gripped her.

What if they were protecting against themselves?

Suddenly, a pace quickened behind her, drawing closer, but Sybil remained paralyzed.

“Sybil!”

It was Gabe. His voice angry.

“Sybil, you must leave. You must return to your quarters. Immediately.”

“I can’t...” She gasped. “You must tell me.” Taking a deep breath, “You must tell me what’s happened.”

“I cannot. Go now, before anyone sees you. Before anyone suspects you.” He squeezed her arm earnestly.

“Where is Lucy?”

“I cannot say, but we are on the brink of disaster and you must go.”

Gabe pushed her in the direction of her quarters and then took off the other way. Sybil began walking quickly, her mind firing a million explanations. She recalled the furrow in Lucy’s brow. When she reached her quarters, the warm light was extinguished and everything had gone dark. Lucy was gone.

Her head began to ache as doubt rapped its fists against her skull. She felt her heart had been sliced open, spewing out and soaking her inner being with its deathly liquid. She half expected blood to flow out of her toes, fingers, ears and eyes. With her back against the wall and knees drawn into herself, she tried to align truth with her memories. She remembered the nights Lucy didn’t come home and days after, when he did, he was somber and dim. She had assumed his work with the King was merely draining. She remembered when he took leave of the council, she assumed it was because his responsibilities as Second had increased. But it was only after he left, that security and defense plans began. She thought about his furrowed brow, his concern with the Lordship’s longevity of rule, his fascination with humans. His study of their weaknesses and their strengths. She knew there were some who disliked Lucy, but what if it wasn’t out of jealousy, what if they saw something in him that she had failed to see. She thought about his words that had passed through her ears with ease, but now they raged with warning, ‘Deep within me, a destiny exists, to do more, be more, achieve more and I will not be contended until His Lordship sees it’. Sybil moaned at the pride that such a statement savored of, and yet, she had listened to him with admiration.

Two days later, Lucy was still missing. Sybil sought out Gabe, hoping for an explanation. As she walked through the sanded streets, no one dared look at her. A new feeling of shame crawled its way into her obstructed mind. Gabe was stationed on watch. Upon approaching him, she saw a deep sadness behind his eyes.

“Gabe, you must tell me what has happened. Where is Lucy?"

“Sybil, you startled me.” He then sighed and gave her a painful look. “I am so sorry, Sybil. It is what no one could have suspected. It’s too great a burden to tell you everything. I can only say that…” He bit his lip, “That he has done something unthinkable, he interfered with the humans. He has betrayed all of our trust and decided to follow a will of his own, in the worst possible way.”

Tears were all Sybil could offer as a response. Through sobs, she managed to ask, “What will become of him?”

Gabe gazed at the white sand beneath his feet, “Lucifer will become an outcast.”

Time stopped. It blew up actually, as if it was a time bomb all along, awaiting this moment to obliterate everything Sybil had known. How long had fate been leading to this impossible outcome? How long had she been guided by a façade? She turned slowly on her heels and started the journey home, trudging through the sand, battling the voice in her mind that screamed failure.

She reached her quarters where an unnatural light now glowed, possessing an unpleasant tinge of orange, like it was too warm.

“Lucifer?”

Sybil ducked her head inside and saw him standing with his hands behind his back. His eyes glowed green with an intensity she had never observed.

“Lucy, tell me everything. What have you done? I fear I already know, but I need to hear it from you. Tell me the truth. All of it."

Lucifer looked down, unable to meet her eyes. His hair was jumbled and unkept.

“I didn’t think it would go this far.” He said through pursed lips. “I really thought His Lordship would see reason.” His voice was even, but strained. “You know I’ve questioned him; it wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. But, as Second, is it not implied that one day I should rule!? Is that not the point?” His volume rose. “He refused to teach me his power, denied me from learning the ways of his light.”

“And what of the humans?” Sybil interrupted. “You went to them, didn’t you?”

He sighed. “Yes, I went to earth. They’re just so stupid, the humans. They needed, well I gave them guidance. If the King would not grant me authority here, then I needed to go elsewhere. Sybil, I’ve enlightened them. They are changed, forever, and I dare say it’s for the better.”

“If this is what you have done, then, I do not know you. You’ve disrupted the balance of all things. You’ve doomed the humans to an unimaginable fate, you’ve—”

“I have not doomed them. I’ve merely invited them. I’ve invited them to my kingdom. I’m being outcasted to earth, Sybil, where I will have my own rule and I will be a generous ruler. They will no longer have to worry about the demands of choice that come with free will. I will be an enlightenment, guiding them, discreetly bidding them to do my will, which can only bring them happiness. You know how much I’ve studied them. I know their desires.”

“And you think His Lordship is just going to allow this?”

Lucifer laughed, his teeth flashing portentously. “Well, he says there’s a plan of reconciliation for the humans, but with me as ruler, I don’t see that actually happening. He’s always underestimated me.”

Sybil nodded her head, slowly and in dumbfounded disbelief. But inside, she felt split in two, torn between her love and her knowledge of truth.

“Sybil, I am to leave tomorrow and I’ve come to do more than explain myself. I must ask you one final thing. Will you come with me? You’ve been by my side for so long, I could not endure your absence.”

“I would rather die!”

Lucifer allowed the air to swallow her words before flashing another smile. “So, you’ll come with me?”

Sybil understood then that the balance of all things was indeed shifting, and that joining him ensured a fate akin to dying. She nodded, meeting his eyes.

“Yes, I will come with you.”