"Leviathan: The Living Legend 2" by Nathanael Herald Eisner

LEV()ATHAN: The Living Legend

Chapter 2

A New Path

“Blessed is this day, sanctified and holy, because on it I have rested from all the work which I have made. It shall be called The Sabbath,” our Creator said as the last remnants of sunlight faded from the sky.

A great cheer arose from all the living creatures at the announcing of the completion of The Creation. I was too upset to care. I ran off into a nearby forest to be alone. I continued running till I came to a small meadow. I lay down in the center not knowing what to do. Why give us leaders and then isolate them?

I heard a rustling in some nearby bushes. I raised my head and looked at the disturbance. “Leave me alone,” I said laying my head back down. The rustling continued to move, and closer by way of the bushes. “I said go away,” I added angrily. I stood up and hissed.

The bushes rustled once more and a creature stepped out into view. My jaw dropped open slightly. “I can’t leave you alone,” she answered. “We are of the same kind.”

There was no doubt, she was another serpent. I looked away. “I’m not in the mood to speak with anyone,” I said plainly.

“Yes, I can see that,” she answered. “But all the other animals are celebrating this great day. They’re all dancing and playing with their other half. You had not approached me throughout all of yesterday, though I’ve been waiting, and now ran off. I figured to try approaching you.”

I sighed, “Then you may stay, but please do not bother me.”

I heard her step nearer to me and lay in the grass a few feet away. “Why are you not happy? What angers you?” she asked.

“That’s none of your business,” I said turning my back to her.

“What?” she asked confused. “I am your other half. What affects you is my business,” she said calmly. “Also, so far everything that has happened has affected all of us creatures, so what angers you must also affect me.”

“I thought I told you to not bother me!” I yelled spinning around to face her.

She stood up in her place and looked at me with absolutely no anger at all in her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I will not and I can not. If serpent-kind is to survive, we must stay together. You may as well deal with my presence or you will continue to be annoyed by me forever.”

My anger ceased for a moment and shock replaced it. I had not yet considered offspring. I sighed and smiled slightly. “Fine, now that you put it that way. But tonight I am too angry, please try again later.”

She smiled and nodded. She then trotted away and climbed a tree. She laid on the highest branch where she could keep an eye on me. That was the first moment I noticed that there was more to The Creator’s work than the sun, moon and earth.

There was a canopy of I didn’t know what. It was see-through yet solid. It seemed to be a water-like substance, but water is a liquid. It didn’t much matter what it was, just that it was. Beyond it I could see other planets circling the sun. But also other stars. There were millions upon millions of them, and my view was limited to straight up because of the surrounding trees. How much had our Creator made? It was unfathomable.

My anger was washed away to the back of my mind in that moment. There would be other days to think of a way to resolve my frustration. I called my female back down and she gladly obliged. We talked through the rest of the night.

As the sun dawned a mist shot up out of a myriad of tiny holes in the ground that were hard to spot except at this moment. “Has not The Great One created a perfect home for us?” my female asked as we exited the forest.

I glanced over at The Garden before answering, “I guess so.”

She looked at me, “What? You don’t think He did?” She looked over at The Garden. “What upsets you about Eden?”

“I told you last night that I do not wish to discuss it.”

“But, you must. Feelings can’t be held inside; certainly you saw Adam’s face when he looked for his other half. Fortunately The Great One knows all and therefore Adam needed not share his feelings. Feelings have power over us and holding them inside can’t be good.”

I said nothing. I had nothing to say. I did not want others to know. My female continued since I remained silent. “I suppose I can’t expect you to share your feelings if I do not share mine.” She walked in front of me and I halted. “I love you!” she said with nothing but that very emotion in her eyes and her smile radiated it as well.

It was the first time anyone had shown any sort of emotion towards me other than curiosity, though I knew The Creator loved me. I could not help but smile too. “Would you like to go for a swim?” I asked.

She nodded, “Of course I would!”

“Well then, I’ll race you!” I said happily and running ahead.

She laughed and ran after me. I quickly learned she was amazingly agile on her feet. She won! We then splashed around in the water for hours. Even my friend from yesterday stopped by. She let both me and my female ride on her back. I had the best time of my life, with the exception of gazing up at my Creator immediately after my creation.

Night came all too soon and my friend of the sea went off to be with the other sea creatures. We lay down in the surf and watched the sun say goodnight to day seven and hello to day eight. We were silent for most of that night as we watched the stars fly across the sky. They looked as if you could touch them.

The next morning my female was hungry, so we went in search of some fruit trees. We already knew the forest didn’t have many, so we decided to check on the other side of Eden. As we passed it, I saw a Behemoth reaching his long neck over the wall talking with Adam and his wife. They were laughing and having a great time.

Rage filled me once again. I could not reach my head over the wall to speak with them. I was way too small. This arrangement was unfair. I would correct it some way or another, I swore this. But I kept my outer expressions in check; I could not let my female know a thing.

My eyes widened as I saw the Behemoth’s tail swinging in our direction. It was huge! Like that of a Cedar tree. “Duck!” I yelled as I jumped on top of my female. The tail missed us barely. I got up and yelled again, “Hey, watch where you swing that!”

The Behemoth raised his head to look at us. “Oh, my apologies.” He then swung his tail back over and out of our way before resuming his conversation with our leaders. That only helped my anger. We continued on our way to find food.

It didn’t take us long to find a cluster of Apple Trees. I held my female down as I jumped as high up the trunk as I could. Even with the head start, she made it to the first branch suitable for lying on ahead of me. “How do you do that so quickly?”

“It’s easy!” she answered smiling.

I shot her an irritated look before pulling an apple off the nearest branch overhead. I used a talon and swiftly cut it in half. “Her you go my beloved female!” I said as I handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she answered smiling. I took my first bit as she did. It was a new feeling to eat and taste. I liked it. I watched her expressions and she seemed to enjoy it too. I finished my piece at the same time as she did.

“Well,” she said leaning close to me. “I do believe The Great One commanded us to multiply.”

“Yes, very true,” I said looking her in the eye. “What are you suggesting?”

“That I go and make a nest,” she answered. I nodded, but she spoke again, “Then I’ll lay some eggs and a certain male can fertilize them.”

I nodded again and smiled. “Think everything can be ready by tonight?”

“I don’t see any reason why not!” she said with a huge glimmer in her eyes.

“Then what are you waiting for?” I asked trying to return the glimmer to her. I don’t think it turned out as I planned, but I had a long time to practice in the future.

I thought her smile was going to split her head as she darted away. By her direction, I gathered that she was heading for the meadow in the woods. I laughed aloud at the thought of having a family and by tomorrow morning there would be no stopping it as the lives would be developing in their comfy eggs already.

I turned towards Eden, which was a couple hundred yards away. I felt the resentment inside me begin to build again. I wanted this problem all fixed and I wanted it now. Yet, there was a part of me that said everything was as it should be. It told me that a family would help me cope with this. Maybe it was right, yet I doubted it. But I would know soon enough.

I turned to the forest. I closed my eyes and used my second pair. I watched my female enter the forest edge. Whether a family would help or not, I wanted one. But, I had to wait for tonight. Waiting, is this world made of it? Time, it was becoming more and more an enemy.

I had to wait for tonight, so I needed to occupy myself with something. I looked the opposite way. Let’s go exploring! There must be unknowns out there to be found. I would find them. Yes, this was a good idea. I jumped down to the ground and started off.

When I thought there were things to see, I truly had no idea. Trees of all sorts, many of which bearing fruit. Rivers, hills, valleys. Whole fields of flowers stretching to the horizon. It was an amazing world that The Creator had made. But, oh so empty. All the creatures were still around Eden. Without company you can feel quite alone.

It was now about midday and the last creature I saw was an Eagle and that was shortly after my departure. I decided to head back now. I had seen enough for one day. There would be others to continue my explorations and then hopefully with my beloved female.

I turned around, but a sound stopped me. It sounded like this world had been broken into by something external. It was like nothing I had known before. I looked up to where the sound had come. The air was growing cold as a large black ball of mist fell towards me. I ducked behind a bolder.

By the time the blackness hit the ground, I was shivering from the deep chill in the air. And the smell, it was the worst thing I had ever smelled. It was such a terrible stench that I cringed from the thought of what might be making it.

I peeked out from behind my protection. I could hardly stand to look at the horrible mist before me. It stood up quickly and searched the area. I hide again to avoid detection. “Ah, hello my little friend,” it said in a male voice that was not unpleasant.

“You-you speaking t-to me?” I asked full of fear. I had never felt such an emotion before, but I hated it.

“Yes, I am talking to you. Now come on out, there is no sense hiding if I know you’re there.”

There was logic to the point made, so I peeked out again. What I saw was not what I had seen. I now saw a pure white, well, man standing there! “Who are you?” I asked curious.

“Who I am is not important. You, on the other hand, are a different matter.”

I shook my head. “Not unless you answer my question first.”

It put its hands on its hips. “Alright then. My name is Lucifer and I am an Archangel of The Lord.”

“An Angel!” I said surprised. “I’ve never seen an angel before, but I somehow knew that they existed.”

“Yes, The Lord hardwired some things into His creations.” Lucifer folded his arms together. “Now, I answered your question, now answer mine.”

I didn’t want to, but it was the deal. “I am the male-head of the Serpent-kind.”

“What, you mean you have no name?”

“Um, name? I don’t understand.”

“Oh, sure you do. Mine is Lucifer, the first man is Adam, you are . . .” Lucifer paused and waited for my answer.

“Well, I don’t have one.”

Lucifer’s arms dropped. “Hmm, well, would you like me to give you one?”

I thought for a moment. “No, I think I’ll ask The Creator to ask Adam for one.”

“Why?” Lucifer asked stepping forward, but stopped when I backed up. “I mean, if he wanted to name you as an individual, wouldn’t he have done so immediately?”

“Well, he, um, was naming kinds, not individuals. He had a lot of work to get done in—”

“And do you think he has any less work now?” Lucifer said budding in.

“He has a Garden to tend.”

“True, but, doesn’t he have any free time?”

“He,” I paused. Adam and his wife had been talking with the Behemoth. They weren’t doing anything then. “He, I mean, they do, yes.”

Lucifer nodded slightly, “And should he not be using it to name all the individual animals?”

“It’s his free time, to do with as he wants.”

“But, work before play, is that not right?”

“I guess so, but that’s not a law.”

“Well, its common sense,” Lucifer said waving an arm. “Name everyone, then you have time for play on later days.”

“Uh, yes.”

“Well then he obviously doesn’t want you named while God named His servants the angels.”

Lucifer was right. I could not think of any more alternatives. Adam was being a poor leader in not naming us individually. He had no excuses since our Creator named the Heavenly Beings. “Okay,” I said, my brow furrowing. “I accept your offer, give me a name. Give me a name so that I can wipe Adam’s nose in it.”

“I’ll give you more than that. Be my instrument, and through thy mouth will I utter a word which shall enable thee to seduce man!” Lucifer said with a smile.

“Be your instrument? What do you mean?”

“Let me dwell within your body. Then, and only then, will I name you and tell you the secret to mankind’s mind.”

This was my chance. Not only could I right the wrong of man’s separation from me, but I could get revenge. Plus, I get my own name. How could I let this opportunity pass me by? “Agreed.”

At the instant of my spoken word, Lucifer went from white to black, a terribly evil smile on his face. He jumped at me in a flash and turned into the black substance that I now knew to be a smoky, black, cloud. The smoke flowed up my nostrils and entered my spirit.

I felt a power like nothing I had ever felt. I had only seen a greater power, God Himself, no, not even him. I was ruler of the universe. God’s propaganda of being the first living soul was ludicrous. How were we to know for certain it was not a lie? The fish and fowl were the first, but who’s to say God was not among them in his creation?

I threw my head back, reared onto my back talons, and hissed in laughter. Serpent was gone, there was only Leviathan!

~*~*~*~

End Notes

Genesis 2:1-6,
Exodus 20:11,
Job 40:15-24,
2 Corinthians 11:14,
Pirké De-Rabbi Eliezer chapter 13