Birth of the Lucifer Star chapter 11 Stealing Lucifer's light

The great Serpent sat at the edge of the abyss, dreaming of his place in the universe, and a bright and shining sun, the Milky Way at his feet, with all its colored Suns and Planets cast upon it like the scattered petals of so many broken flowers
.

In his dream, the young woman came to him with a deck of playing cards, Come let us play a few hands of poker to steal the night away....

She stared up at the elongated face of the great serpent, Uktena , as if uncertain but, making her mind up, she tugs at his long red fiery scales,
"I'll see your five, and raise you ten?"

The serpent eyed her, feeling uncertain. For a long time he gazed down at the small figure whilst stars and planets are born and expire and the Milky Way rushes on between its ebony banks. Finally he too made his mind up and replied:

'Well, my sweet slave, but what shall we play for as we roll these little worlds upon the golden sword of Elysium? Shall we gamble upon the souls of millions or simply play for pleasure?'


'If I win,' said Shirley,the fairest of maidens ' then you must grant me a magic wish. If you win - then I will be your slave for a day.'

The great serpent thought for a while, as vast pockets of diffused nebulous matter collapsed and aggregated upon tiny droplets of moisture and dust. A bright rainbow trout leapt up from the River, all silvery scales like a thousand flashing mirrors. Its strong jaws snapped shut on a glittering, jewel-winged dragonfly and dragged it down into the raging tempestuous flow of the raging river.

'My darling Shirley ,' said the serpent ," you are already my slave, not just for a day but for all of Eternity until the Arch of Time collapses; and as for your other requirement, alas, although I hold all mankind in my judgmental grip , although I am the arbiter of nation's fates and the judge and executioner of worlds, I have no power to grant magical wishes. I think, therefore, we must simply play for the love of the game...'

'Oh, very well then,' said Shirley, the fairest of maidens ,'but you must deal first and I will bid on the cards that have been dealt to me."



Now Uktena thought this was a strange thing for the fair maiden to say but he agreed readily enough and, kneeling down on the Altar of Passion, he dealt the cards, trying hard not to cheat.

Empires and civilisations rose and fell on a myriad of diverse worlds as Satan's holographic simulacrums wielded their adamantine scythes this way and that, reaping in a harvest of a million souls...
Lustrums and millennia passed and a vast Himalaya of femurs, tibias, clavicles , carpals and skulls piled up on either side of the Milky Way, leaving only a narrow strip of level space for the two poker faces to pursue their cosmic game. but finally it was over and the fair maiden (by chance or skill?) had bested the great serpent.
Take what you will...." He said from his towering height.
She took naught, only moved to kneel before him. "You have earned it ." Uktena urged her, as he nudged her gently toward his treasure room.
With tear filled eyes, she gazed upon him in all his majesty. She turned her head away.
"I want nothing which is beyond that door." She sighed as she bent her head, "I have earned.... not the treasure I craved." Shirley whispered softly.
"Would you take what I give?" he asked her bent head.
"If given freely, M'Lord Uktena." she murmured. Wetness dotted her knees and the floor.
"What would YOU give?" curiosity colored his smooth tones. He surveyed the room. "Money, jewels? Your freedom is already given." He cocked his mighty head and raised a brow. She merely shook her head.
" What, no parting wealth? I thought that was what all mortals wanted." He lowered his head to the floor to look more closely at her. She turned her head away, shaking long hair down to hide her face.
Intrigued, he reached out a gleaming claw and tilted her tear strained face toward his.
"If You were giving , what would it be?"
Wet, shining eyes searched his for but a moment. A fleeting smile touched her trembling lips.
"My Lord... It would be my Love...." she whispered tentatively.
Surprised. he barked out a laugh. "You would love ME?" His voice softened in awe and disbelief. "I am NAUGHT! I am fire and armor. Hard as steel, hard of heart, and you could love something, someone, as hard and cold as me? You are strong of will, spirited, joyous of life, warm, tender. Soft and vibrant... I am naught for one so full of life!"

She shook her head, hair rippling in the light. Passion flared unexpectedly in his heart.
"You are the sun, the rain,the moon, the stars. Joys tempered by sadness. Fantasy in Reality. You have taught me to appreciate the life around me. You are... worthy of love, and so much more...." stumbling over the last, she bent her head. Tears flowing freely, she brokenly told him, "but, love is NOTHING, if not given freely. It cannot be earned."

He stared down at her shaggy mane of hair, wondering what it would be like to touch it. Not with his armored claws, but with soft human hands. To revel in the touch of soft, pliant skin... With these thoughts in his mind, he reached out to her. But before he could touch her, pain exploded through his muscles.

A clattering startled her, as scales rained about them.The sound bounced and echoed hollowly throughout the cave. Battle hardened hands raised her from her knees. Startled, she flinched away from them. Worriedly, she searched the room with her eyes. Scales heaped upon the floor like armour discarded in haste. A hand still supported her.

'Forsooth,' quoth the serpent. 'You have bested me - the Vanquisher is vanquished. Come, my sweet pet, and sit upon my lap.'

"I will do more than that," said the fairest of all maidens. "I will claim my magic wish also, for it is my heart's desire to kiss the lips of the great Uktena."

And saying this she climbed upon the serpent's lap and, stared into his shocked countenance, kissed the cold flesh grimness of his lips and as she did so, pale and golden flesh formed upon the serpent's scaley face as he blushed, and his scales shimmered like diamonds all over his body and a bright red rose blossomed in his chest. No longer cold blooded, he felt the warmth of two hearts beating. "My heart is yours!" he spoke in amazement.

The Arch of Time collapsed and the bones of all who were given over to death, came crashing down into the starry Flood, where they too put on radiant flesh again and swam, amidst a joyful melee of sprites, faeries, cherubim, seraphim, angels and other strange and wonderful creatures towards some undiscovered ocean beyond Time and Mortality. His relentless grip of judgement, loosed, and the heavens rejoiced in the resurrection.

Now within Shirley's small cupped hands was Lucifer's light. The history of the universe filled her. Every star, every planet, every dust particle, every single fact and process, every explosion. The history of alien civilizations, so numerous that applying a number to them was pointless, filled her head. Every transaction, every move, every damn thing in the entire age of the universe . Quantum jumps, Quantum physics, string theories, Quantum weirdness, FREE WILL Sentient life could barely comprehend the amount of physical matter in the universe, never mind the details, too. Nine tenths of the universe, was, in fact, the paperwork. There was simply too much information for one singular mind to handle. Her mind convulsed. Then it scrambled. Then it dashed off in little pieces. Her sanity followed, but that returned in a little while. However, while her sanity was away, something seared into her mind, her soul, his very spirit, knowledge, the great gnosis, the truth of everything, the veil was lifted, the pure beauty of this truth sent her into the throes of insanity.......



When the great serpent finally awakened from his dream he was, of course, holding the ace of spades, searching he can not find his way in the dark, his light now dimmed....
But the great serpent well understood that curvature is an illusion, that tears and mercury will always find escape from confinement; and he knew also that when the Day arrived , Shirley would have her freedom, she earned it, and in truth he would now return from whence he came. After all he
was the anointed Cherubim, the righteous one, he bowed low to Shirley, freed
of the burden of accusing and judging. He understood what humanity had to offer,
he had gone through the circumcision of the heart. Love,love is what the inferior human had over Lucifer.