8 Ezekiel [M/M]

In a mossy cave with a single beam of daily light, Ezekiel had a happy childhood.

He grew up with fireflies and glowing mushrooms, bioluminescent plankton in the saltwater lake, the clean scent of wet moss, chirping crickets, croaking frogs, a bubbling stream, and a network of caves that seemed to branch out forever.

Not that his parents ever let him explore beyond their territory.

Too dangerous, they said.

But he never wanted to leave anyway. Their home cave was grand, with bright mossy lichen, towering crystal columns, and manifold biodiversity.

Mama and Papa taught Zeke how to hunt and forage. He grew up on a diet of cave goats, fish, mushrooms, blind birds, eggs, crickets, berries, honey, and foraged greens. Sometimes a pale bear would wander into their territory, and then Zeke’s parents would show off with a feat of power and skill, and everyone would eat bear meat for days.

In almost all things, Mama and Papa were total opposites.

Mama was passionate and knowledgeable and summoned fire.

Papa was quiet and absurd and summoned shadows.

Mama was a kitsune with jade green eyes, copper red hair, claws, and a bushy red tail. Mama was lovely.

Papa had burn scars on half his body and head. His face was mostly spared, but one ear and most of his jet-black hair had melted off. His left arm was entirely burned, as was his backside.

Papa’s legs were severed at the knees. He conjured shadows to move around. Simple legs, usually, but on occasion wheels, or a column to reach high places.

Papa wouldn’t talk about his injuries, but sometimes Papa would look off in the distance wearing an angry, vengeful expression. When Papa noticed Zeke watching, he’d put on a smile and say, “I love you. Let’s play a game.”

They had many board games and an entire library of books. Their home was grand, splendid, and carved into solid stone.

Aunt Gwen was their only visitor. Twice a year, she would bring supplies and usually something special for Zeke.

But they were never alone. They had each other.

For as long as Zeke could remember, at first light beam, Papa would make breakfast, and then Mama would take Zeke for a day of training.

Mama knew everything. Encouraging yet demanding, Mama taught Zeke how to read, write, dance, fish, and properly swing a sword.

Zeke adored his parents and wanted nothing more than to make them proud. All his life, he studied diligently to make Mama happy, practicing swordplay every day, until he finally, finally won in a practice duel against Mama. Zeke felt his victory wasn’t legitimate, since he tricked Mama with a joke and struck while she was distracted and laughing. But Mama said the win counted because it showed ingenuity and resourcefulness. When Papa heard about Zeke’s victory, he killed a goat, cooked a feast, and threw a celebration, proclaiming Ezekiel a man at last.

That’s when things changed.

As Zeke finished his dessert of honeycake and berries, Papa stood and reached into his shadow pocket to draw a sword. The sword was unique, made entirely of translucent white ivory, with an etching of a winged serpent coiling around the hilt. Zeke had never seen the sword before, yet the sight of it evoked a bottomless dread like nothing he’d felt in his life. He couldn’t explain why but that sword terrified him.

Papa passed the sword ceremoniously to Zeke, who took it reluctantly and with trembling hands.

Mama said, “You’re old enough now. It’s time you learn why we’ve been training you. This Ivory Blade is yours. It belongs to you, alone. And it’s time you learn to wield it.”

Zeke tore his eyes away from the dreadful sword and asked with panic in his voice, “You’re going to teach me to use this?”

“No,” Mama answered.

Papa spoke. “Starting tomorrow, Mama and I will swap roles. Mama will make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will be your new instructor. And in our lessons, you will use this sword.“

“No!” Zeke shouted impulsively.

Mama and Papa both looked surprised and concerned.

“What’s wrong, Zeke?” Mama soothed.

Tears filled Zeke’s eyes. He shook his head in confusion. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. His throat closed shut. “I don’t know why I’m... I… I can’t breathe.”

Zeke dropped the dreadful sword on the floor and then stumbled outside for fresh air, but outside their home, the air tasted stale.

The light beam had gone out. Mushrooms glowed in the darkness with an eerie green-blue aura, while the plankton in the water shimmered white-blue. Fireflies blinked in the air. Crystals along the cave walls reflected light like the twinkling stars Zeke had only read about in books. Everything was bright and beautiful.

Ezekiel loved his home, but for the first time in his life, he felt trapped. He had to get out.

“Describe what you’re feeling, Zeke.” Papa appeared next to him.

Zeke struggled to put his anxiety to words. “I feel buried alive. I can barely breathe. What is that sword?”

Papa’s kind, scarred face grimaced in sympathy. “It was your prison.”

Zeke stopped breathing entirely.

Mama arrived on Zeke’s other side and said, “Many years ago, Papa and I, with some help, we stole that sword from the man who imprisoned you in it. And then we set you free. That man’s name is Adam. And one day, Adam will come for that sword. He will come for you. That’s why we raised you here, hiding you, preparing you. But no matter how long we delay it, one day, he will find us, and you will have to face him.”

Zeke took a slow breath in and some time to consider his new reality.

“Why did Adam imprison me?”

Mama answered, “Because you are one of the 8 Ikons of Eden. That makes you powerful, and Adam wants that power for himself.”

Zeke considered in relative silence. Frogs and crickets sang in chorus with the chirping bats and birds. He finally looked at Mama and asked, “You said you freed me. I’m not your real son, am I?”

Mama winced. “You are my son. In every way that matters. But your body was a stillborn. We needed an empty vessel for your soul.”

“So I was some random afterbirth you found and used.”

“You are not your vessel,” Mama said passionately. “It is only a tool. You are my son.”

“Your mama is right, son,” Papa said. “And we love you.”

Together they embraced Zeke.

Zeke pulled away, demanding, “What is an Ikon of Eden?”

Mama answered calmly, “Long ago, 8 Ikons were created to tend Eden in God’s absence. Adam deceived 5 of the 8 and murdered them, trapping their souls into artifacts he called Blessings from God. Wielding the combined powers of 5 Ikons, Adam conquered the world and slaughtered anyone who opposed him, including… all of my people.”

“What?” Zeke said dumbly.

“I am the last kitsune. My people can stave off aging. Adam can lie to humans until the truth dies, but my people would remember. Our longevity made us a threat to his lies. So he destroyed my home island of Inari and massacred everyone on it.” Mama said sadly.

They were silent again for a moment.

Then Zeke turned to Papa and asked, “If I’m an Ikon, and Mama is the last kitsune, what does that make you?”

Papa winced. It was the most emotional Zeke had ever seen him.

Papa said, “My mother was Adam’s first wife, Lilith. He wronged her, yet she was banished. Lilith raised me to be her weapon of vengeance, to lead her army. She wants to invade this world, to kill Adam and eradicate all his cursed children. Nevermind that all her children by Cain are cursed, too. It’s different when she does it. In her mind, eradicating every trace of Adam and taking his seat is what ‘justice’ looks like.

“On Lilith’s orders, your mama and I stole 2 Blessings. Adam took countless lives in retaliation, and I lost my legs in the process, but we succeeded. I brought the Bone Gauntlet and Ivory Blade home to Lilith.

“But I returned home changed. I’d found love. I’d seen beauty in humanity. I couldn’t let Lilith kill everyone. So I stole the Ivory Blade again… but as I was escaping, Lilith… punished me. She still has the Bone Gauntlet, you see. It gives its wielder power over fire and lightning…”

“Your own mother set you on fire?” Zeke was aghast.

Papa answered with silence.

Mama spoke again, “Like Adam, Lilith wants the Ivory Blade. More accurately, she wants your power. It’s a race to capture you, Zeke. If Adam wins, he’ll imprison you again and use your power to rule Eden forever.”

Papa finished, “If Lilith wins, she’ll use your power to open a doorway between Eden and Nod. She’ll unleash an army of monsters, and those monsters will slaughter every human on the planet unless Adam kills Lilith first. He still has 3 Ikons. Against Lilith’s 2, odds are in his favor. The only certainty is the death count, which would be catastrophic.”

Zeke felt dizzy and had to sit down on a nearby stone bench. The light was shining down on a bubbling stream. “Just the fate of the world, then. No pressure.”

Papa chuckled and said, “Yeah, none at all. That is why we waited to tell you. But you’re ready. It’s time for your real training to begin.” He put his hand on Zeke’s shoulder.

Zeke was uncharacteristically speechless. It was all so much.

Mama sat next to Zeke. “It’s not right, what was done to you. I’m sorry. And we had no right to hide the truth from you all these years. But we wanted to give you a childhood. Hate us if you must, but please trust us. We love you, and we believe in you.”

That night, Zeke dreamed he was drowning. The dreadful sword was tied to his feet and dragging him down. He couldn’t breathe. There was no escape. He would drown for eternity.

Zeke woke up drenched in sweat and tears. The walls in his room suddenly felt cramped and suffocating. He had to get out.

He jumped out of bed and went for a walk, only to find Mama in the kitchen preparing breakfast, lanterns already lit through the house.

“You’re up early!” Mama proclaimed while kneading biscuit dough. “Breakfast isn’t ready yet, but you can help me set the table. Your papa was teasing me all night, saying it’s finally his turn to do the fun job. Do me a favor and don’t go easy on him today.”

Zeke set the table as requested, appreciating the distraction, but nothing could keep his mind off that damn sword.

“What does the sword do? What is its power?” he asked.

Mama frowned. “Your papa should be here for this conversation, but that lazy ass is sleeping in.” She sighed. “The sword is only a conduit. It has no power on its own. You’re the one with the power.”

“So then, what is my power?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I wasn’t near Adam long enough to learn the specifics. But I saw the sword used like a key to make doorways across distances. So I assume your powers include creating doorways. Beyond that, I can only speculate. No more questions. Wait for your training with Papa.”

Papa arrived downstairs as Mama was finishing making breakfast of biscuits with goat meat and mushroom gravy, and a fried egg on top. It was the most delicious breakfast Zeke had ever eaten. Mama was undoubtedly the superior cook.

After breakfast, Papa helped Mama with the dishes and gave her a loving hug, “I think I’m gonna enjoy the next few years.”

Mama kissed Papa affectionately and then pushed him away, “Get outta here. Go train our son. He’s been pestering me with questions all morning, and it’s now your job to answer them. Go, both of you. I have a house to clean that’s been neglected for years.”

Zeke followed Papa to a large open cavern not far from their home cave. There was no glowing life in this cavern, so Zeke lit the oil lanterns with a torch he brought from home.

Stalagmites, stalactites, and columns covered the walls and ceiling, but the ground had been smoothed flat like the floor at home. This enormous cave was prepared long ago for open training.

Papa drew the Ivory Blade from his shadow pocket.

Zeke panicked. The cave was too small. He had to get out. His heart started racing.

Papa passed him the blade, but Zeke was paralyzed.

“Must I use that sword? If the power is mine, I don’t need a sword, right?” he begged.

Papa said sadly, “Yes, you should be able to access your powers without the sword, but you’ve forgotten how. I believe your time trapped in this ivory left an indelible mark on both of you. For thousands of years, whenever your powers were used, it was through this instrument. The first step to mastering your power is to master the instrument. And to do that, you have to master your fear. Now, take the sword.”

Zeke hesitated but took the sword, as ordered. It was heavy. Heavier than anything he had practiced with before. He needed both hands to hold it. The anxiety was overwhelming. Zeke could barely stand.

Papa corrected Zeke’s position and said, “Feel that extra weight in the pommel? That’s for balance. You’ll get stronger through daily practice. One day, you should be able to wield it one-handed.”

Zeke was trying to focus but all he could think about was throwing the sword and running in the opposite direction.

Instead, he asked, “So what’s next?”

“Next, you swing that sword around. We’ll start small. One of Lilith’s soldiers.”

Papa raised his hand and gathered shadows from the surrounding darkness into a grotesque winged monster the size of a small person. It looked famished, skeletal, and seemingly more claws and fangs than muscle. Its movements were rapid and twitchy. Its wings were bat-like and sharp.

“What is that thing?” Zeke asked.

“One of Cain’s kin. Lilith has thousands on Nod. They’re vicious beasts, and they will rip your throat out and drink your blood in an instant, given the chance.”

As if Zeke wasn’t already terrified enough, he had to fight bloodthirsty monsters.

“Hey,” said Papa. “I know you’re afraid. That’s alright. But this here beastie, he’s my puppet, and I won’t have it hurt you. Take a slow, deep breath. Hold it in. Release. We’ll start slow. Ready yourself. Begin.”

The cainkin launched itself at Zeke, who dropped the sword and ran away.

“Ezekiel!” Papa’s barking voice brought him back to his senses. He froze and turned around.

Papa frowned but said nothing. The shadow cainkin carried the dreadful sword back to Zeke, who sheepishly accepted it.

Papa summoned a hard shadow sword for himself. Lifting it into the ready position, Papa said, “Okay, let’s slow it down further. Attack me.”

The shadow cainkin flew away to spectate, but Zeke was more afraid than ever. He had never sparred with Papa before. Zeke would have been intimidated even if he wasn’t wielding his own prison.

“Attack me now!”

Zeke lunged. Papa deflected easily and Zeke stumbled.

“Again!”

Zeke steadied himself and swung. Again Papa deflected.

“Attack!”

Papa continued until Zeke couldn’t lift the dreadful sword anymore.

“You did good, son,” said Papa, taking the Ivory Blade and returning it to his shadow pocket.

With the dread sword gone, Zeke felt such relief as he’d never experienced before. It was like color had returned to his sight. He cried tears of joy, but once that dam had broken, the tears wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t understand why, but waves of misery erupted from within.

“That wasn’t good. I’m a coward. I ran. I couldn’t even touch you. I’m weak.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Papa embraced Zeke tightly. “That’s alright. Let it out. No one is brave and strong all the time. You were brave when you swallowed your fear and swung the Ivory Blade. That was what mattered. And you will get stronger. Beating me today was never an option. When you’re ready, we’ll go see what your mama made for lunch. That sounds good, yeah? Yeah.”

Mama made honey crawdad stir fry. It was incredible.

“You know, I taught your papa everything he knows in the kitchen.” Mama bragged for the third time. “But I’ll tell you a secret. I have been cooking for a long, long, long, long, long time.”

“Can you teach me how to cook like you do, Mama?” Zeke asked.

“Of course,” she brushed his bangs behind his ear. “But later. You are not using me to get out of training. You done with your plate? Good. Get your ass back out there.”

Papa led Zeke to the same cavern.

Like before, Papa summoned a shadow cainkin and drew the Ivory Blade, handing it to Zeke, who took it without hesitating, burying his fear and dread so he could focus on the enemy in front of him.

“Attack the shade,” Papa ordered.

Zeke gritted his teeth and lunged. It flew out of reach, then dived for Zeke’s head.

Zeke swung on defensive instinct alone, cleaving the shade in half.

Papa smiled. “Good.” He summoned another shade, exactly like the one before.

“Again.”