Nathanael, member of the angelic choir of Virtues, entered the Grey Space moments before his charge was to arrive. He’d done this millions of times. The new Purgated often refused to believe the reality of their situation. Sometimes there was anger at their cause of death or the irrevocability of their present situation. Many times there were pleas to be returned to life. Often he’d been offered bribes, money or other items from the treasure they’d attained in their World for that return. A few even worshipped him not understanding his role, mistaking him for The Almighty. Some were overcome with sadness and loss, refusing to start the process, refusing to prepare for their journey. The best of the Purgated were those who simply accepted their present circumstance and faced the upcoming journey with fortitude or determination. He reviewed the file on the man he was about to meet. John Lawson was very likely to fit the last category.
The archway of light swirled into existence and a figure, very low to the ground, came though. Impossibly, a dog entered the Grey Space through the dimensional gate! This had never happened before. Animals were never among the Purgated. He had a bluish grey coat with black marbling in it. His black ears complimented a black mask around his eyes. There were red-brown highlights on his chest, legs, and muzzle. White highlights were mixed in with those. The dog was an anomaly but all things were in accordance with The Almighty’s will so the Virtue decided to take the situation in stride.
Next a man stumbled through the swirling light. He was in a daze which was not extraordinary, many of the people Nathanael had met here arrived in that condition. He was a little below average in height. His hair was brown and short cropped and his eyes were hazel. His features were rounded but not soft and he was fit but not muscular. He wore a grey cotton t-shirt, bluejeans, black workboots, and a tan canvas jacket.
Neither the dog nor the man had noticed the angel so he moved his corporeal aspect a split second ahead temporally. He kept his spiritual presence synced with the ‘here and now’ time of the new arrivals. For them he was invisible. He’d give them a moment to adjust to their surroundings before revealing himself.
John found himself in a grey place. Grey in all directions, up, down, left, right. The plane of the ground was differentiated only by color. It was a slightly darker grey than the rest of the World. He crouched and laid his hand on it and found that it was made of a hard material like a perfectly smooth stone with no cracks or seams. Dingo Boy trotted about, exploring. At first John had thought that the grey was simply fog but as the Heeler moved away from him he could still see the dog clearly. There was no fog. There was simply nothing but grey stretching forever in all directions. It was something so removed from anything he’d ever experienced that it felt dreamlike. The Cattle Dog returned to John, his exploration of this new environment complete. He whined and his ears laid back in apprehension. The man reached down and scratched the top of the dog’s head, reassuring them both.
“A bit dismal is it not?” asked a booming voice from behind them.
John turned and found a giant of a man standing a few yards behind him. He was extremely muscular and extremely tall. He must have reached over nine feet and on his back was a magnificent pair of wings! They were unlike anything John had ever seen. They radiated light and seemed to be made of sunshine. They were so bright and radiant that John couldn’t make out any detail in them save that they were definitely wings. Some kind of lettering, both familiar and not, lined their edges. It shifted and changed often. His complexion was a deep bronze and he was wearing a silver-white toga that hid his chest and stomach and ended in a skirt just above his knees. A golden belt wrapped around his waist that was tied in a complex knot. His hair was a shoulder length bunch of dark curls and his eyes were a golden color. They blazed like tiny suns. On his feet he wore brown leather sandals with dull brass buckles and on his face he wore a friendly grin.
“Wha…” John stammered. He began to kneel, feeling the need to show some kind of deference in the presence of the magnificent vision before him.
“No need John, though I appreciate the sentiment. I am not The Almighty. I am his servant, my name is Nathanael, I am a Virtue.”
“How do you know my…” vague memories of Sunday school stirred in John. He ran his hand through his short hair as it came to him. “You mean like the choir of…” He couldn’t complete the sentence, the implications were too great.
“Yes John, I am an angel of God, a member of the angelic choir of Virtues.” Nathanael smiled a warm smile at John who was too stunned to return it.
“So… I’m dead… the kid killed me?”
“He murdered you.” the deep voice was grim, “You were innocent and so it was murder.”
“Did I murder him? I shot him…”
“You shot at him. Your aim was not true. You did not kill him. Had he died it would have been a killing, not a murder. You would have been defending yourself.”
“He killed Dingo Boy. I drew because he shot my dog,” remorse was thick in John’s voice.
“Would he have stopped there?”
“I… I don’t know… maybe?”
“No one is obligated to remain defenseless in the face of violence on a ‘maybe’, John.” Nathanael said.
Relief flooded the man. Murder was not his last act in life. He put his face in his hands and sighed. He had a thought and lifted his face from his hands. “Will he go to Hell for murdering me?” He was surprised to hear concern in his voice, to feel it in his heart.
“Some things are not mine to share with you. Carl, the young man who murdered you, has his life left to live. There is time for him to repent. There is time for him to find grace.” The Virtue looked down at John with kind eyes. “It is very honorable and charitable that you have concern for the immortal soul of the man who murdered you.”
Dingo Boy walked up to the huge angel and licked his bare shin several times. Nathanael looked down at the Heeler. The multicolored dog looked up and grinned an open mouthed grin with his tongue lolling out of the corner of his mouth. A booming laugh filled the air.
“Why is he here?” John waved at the Cattle Dog. “Where is ‘here’?” he gestured at the endless grey.
“Where do you think ‘here’ is?” the Virtue asked.
The man thought for a moment then said, “It doesn’t seem very Heavenly to me… but… it doesn’t seem much like a lake of fire either… so… Purgatory?”
“Yes and no John. This is a beginning. Purgatory is not a place, it is a journey. This is the beginning of that journey. This place, the Grey Space, is a respite and a moment for preparation. As for your friend. The animals that humanity cares for in life and who care for humanity in return are not souls in the same way that men and women are souls. They are something else. They are a piece of Heaven that returns to Heaven after a sojourn in the mortal plains. I’m not sure why he is here. Perhaps in his case the bond that was created between you and him has transcended the mystic fences.” Crouching down Nathanael gently stroked the Heeler with his huge hand. The great wings on his back brushed the ground behind him as he did so. “Is that the way of things my little friend?” he asked the dog. Dingo Boy wagged his tail and licked Virtue’s knee and again a booming laugh filled the air.
Dingo Boy was having a very interesting day. Jumping out of the window of the truck was kind of amazing. He’d always wanted to do that but would never violate the ‘Good Boy Contract’ in such a way. Today he was in complete compliance when he did it. Getting shot by the stranger had not been a great experience. Getting shot? Yes… he was shot and killed by a gun. John kept a gun in his jacket as well as several in a special cabinet at home. The man took the bigger ones in the cabinet with them when they went hunting. The one in his jacket was for protection which didn’t seem to have worked out since they were both killed. Being dead wasn’t much of a big deal in his opinion. It was just like going from inside the house to outside of it. Everything changed but you were the same.
Was he the same? He wasn’t the same. Now he understood everything that John and Nathanael said to each other. Before dying he understood only some words but now he understood all of them. He got concerned and laid back to lick some of his favorite spots. Finding them all there he sighed in relief. He’d met other dogs who were missing some parts. They were always a little off, like some instinct or drive was gone. He thought about himself, examined inside, what it was like being him. It felt… deeper… like the old him was a full bag of snackies but the new him was a full bag of snackies poured into an empty bag of dogfood. There was a lot of space left in him to fill up with something.
There was another new thing about Dingo Boy. When he thought about John he felt a connection, like a leash in his mind. It wasn’t a real thing you could eat or play with but it was something. He looked at John and the man turned to him as if he felt the contact. That had happened before, in life, but now when John turned to him that leash became a little more… solid. The Heeler looked away and pretended to lose interest and, after a moment, so did the man. He looked at his buddy through the corner of his eye and saw that John was no longer paying attention to him. Dingo Boy thought hard about John and felt the mind-leash become more real. He glanced over and the man was looking at him again. He began to wonder. What was this and how could he use it? He focused his attention on the huge not-man and the angel turned his gaze toward the dingo mix. Dingo Boy pushed and made the mind-leash as solid as possible and thought of one word, ‘ball’.
Nathanael produced a red ball, a little larger than a tennis ball, out of nowhere and showed it to Dingo Boy. The dog’s brown eyes locked onto it following the principle of ‘Ball is Life’. The angel threw the ball out into the grey and a merle colored blur raced after it. The grin on Nathanael’s face filled John with joy. He took a moment to inspect himself. He was wearing the same clothes that he’d had on before his murder. His pockets still contained his truck keys, phone and wallet and his revolver was still in its holster.
“What about Lynn?” John asked. He tried to keep a neutral tone in his voice pushing down the hope and fear he felt in his heart.
“Some things are not mine to share with you John,” the Virtue’s voice sounded remorseful.
“Will I ever see her again?” This time both the hope and the fear crept into the words.
“God the Father Almighty is the origin of everything and love is one of His greatest works. Trust in Him and His works.”
“Seek and you will…”
“Would you risk a blasphemy here and now?” The Virtue interrupted the man. A disapproving frown on his face.
“It was a joke… no… no I wouldn’t. I’m sorry. It’s something I do. Lynn used to call it ‘hiding in a joke’. It comes from an old show I used to watch. There was this doctor in a war and he joked around when things were hard. I just miss her so much and I hoped…” Dingo Boy dropped the ball at John’s feet and the man picked it up and threw it for the dog.
“Just do well John. Your journey is the key to your fate,” the giant figure regarded the man with his golden eyes.
“My fate? I don’t remember much but I think that once you’re in Purgatory you’re headed for Heaven. Hell’s off the table, isn’t it?” John glanced up at Nathanael.
The Virtue crossed his arms and said, “Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
John glanced at him and said, “I’m pretty sure I was taught that Purgatory is a place for purification. It’s for souls that need to be perfected before moving on to Heaven. I think I remember reading that it’s unpleasant. Daunte portrayed it as hellish. I remember that it comes with the consolation of complete assurance of the existence of both God and Heaven.” He paced as he mused.
“Are you ready for Heaven, John?”
“No,” the answer was immediate and so true that it startled him.
“Do you doubt the existence of The Almighty or the reality of Heaven?”
“No,” again the answer was immediate and rang with truth.
“It seems you have witnessed the truth and learned it,” mirth tinged the angel’s voice.
The Heeler sauntered up and pushed the ball meaningfully against the Virtue’s leg. With a smile, Nathanael bent and took it from the dingo mix. This time the throw was so fast and so hard that John felt the wind stirred by the ball’s flight. Dingo Boy grinned and rocketed off after the ball.
“So… you said that Purgatory is a journey, will it be hard?”
“There are many trials ahead of you John. There will be much that is hard, unpleasant, even painful. There will also be many moments that simply ‘are’ and there may even be some joy as well.”
“Do I just pick a direction and start walking?” John pointed a random direction.
“No,” Nathanael chuckled and the man glanced at him. “I must prepare you.”
“How does this work then?” John felt a little frustration which he hid.
“You will travel Creation completing tasks, facing trials, and killing monsters until you are ready to enter Heaven.”
“Creation? So I’m going back to Earth?” John couldn’t keep the disappointment out of the words. Then it sank in. “Monsters?!?! Are there monsters? Why are there monsters?”
“Creation spans more than your World John. Creation is so vast that only The Almighty knows its breadth, width, and depth. As for the monsters, evil exists in more places than the hearts of human beings. It predates the creation of The Garden, It is ancient and myriad.”
“Before Adam and Eve there was a war in Heaven,” John said to himself in a speculative voice.
“Yes… yes there was,” Nathanael’s voice was soft and tinged with regret and mourning. His golden eyes dimmed and John could see the irises were made up of motes of light, tiny stars in a dark blue sky. The trotting footsteps of the Cattle Dog approached. John and the Virtue turned to watch him come. “It’s time to get you both ready for your journey.”
“He gets to come with me?” The man and the dog met each other’s eyes then looked back to the giant form of Nathanael.
“He is a part of you just as you are a part of him. That seems to be his nature,” Dingo Boy barked and the angel smiled at him.
Nathanael liked this man and his dog. John was taking so much in stride, it was an admirable trait that not all of humanity was capable of. The Virtue found himself respecting him which was something uncommon. He had some good qualities that would aid him on the journey to come. He was practical, flexible, resilient, and honorable. That last one was in short supply among the men and women the angel had met. It may be the quality that would help him the most in the trials ahead. The existence of one of the Purgated was not easy. The path they walked was, by design, dangerous and eventful. John’s honor would fill gaps his charisma could not.
The dog, Dingo Boy, brought the ball and nodded up at him with it. He knelt down and took the toy, his wingtips brushing the ground. He straightened up with the little orb and the brown eyes followed intently. With a flick of his wrist he gave the ball a gentle toss which carried it a good distance away. The Heeler ran after it. This companion would be a great aid to John on his journey. The Almighty was beautiful and wonderful and shined through all of Creation. He shined through the dog with loyalty, bravery, curiosity, and mischief.
As he watched the Cattle Dog trot back with the ball he made a decision. The dog would get gifts and skills just as the man would. He’d get armor to protect him and a few items to make his way just a little more pleasant. The ball was dropped at his feet and he retrieved it and threw it again. He decided another thing. He’d look in on these two from time to time.
“I have gifts for you to aid in your travels. Two you will choose and one I will bestow. It should be known that I have no power beyond that which The Almighty works through me. If He forbids it then it shall not be done. The path ahead is dangerous and you will need a weapon, what would you wield?”
John reached into his jacket and drew his revolver. “This was a gift. I’d like to use it but I don’t suppose there will be ammo stores along the way?”
Nathanael nodded and held out his hand and a speck of silverwhite light formed in his palm. He blew on it and it raced toward the gun and sunk into it. The revolver glowed silverwhite for a brief moment and warmed in John’s hand. He stared down at it in shock.
“That is an Angelic Shard, a small bit of myself, when you complete your journey it will return to me. Until then it will grant wondrous properties to your weapon, reloading it, keeping it clean, protecting it from damage, and perhaps more. This has been done in the past and it is done again.”
John looked from the weapon in his hand to the Virtue in disbelief. “That’s amazing! Incredible.” He looked the revolver over, turning it this way and that. Nothing about it had changed but somehow everything about it was different. ”Am I worthy of such a gift?”
“There was a young woman from your World, she lived in France and she asked something very similar when the same was done to her banner. As I said, this is not a new thing. Do only good, protect the innocent, defeat evil, honor this gift, and serve The Almighty. Do these things and you need never ask if you are worthy of this gift.” The angel smiled at John’s humility.
On impulse he gave the Virtue a short bow and returned the gun to its holster. “What is the other gift that I’m supposed to choose,” he asked.
“The second gift you need to choose is your armor. You will need protection on your journey.”
John smoothed his tan canvas jacket and looked at Nathanael with raised eyebrows and a hopeful smile.
Shaking his head and grinning, Nathanael said, “Of course.” This time he produced no speck of light, nor did he do anything else that John could see. Nevertheless he suddenly felt secure and protected. The garment had changed in some way he could not name.
“Your jacket is now very special, let me show you its features.” The Virtue approached John and held out his hands. Laying on them were six balls about the size of pomellos. Three of them were a grey/white color, two of them were a dull grey, and one of them was a bright copper. “Your weapon will need resources from which to reload. It will draw on the materials in your pockets to produce propellant to projectiles. Put these in the left pocket of your jacket John.”
The man looked skeptically at the balls held in the angel’s very large hands. He reached up and took one of the dull grey balls. It was much heavier than he expected. There was no way it would fit in his pocket. Not only would it not fit in the pocket, if he could manage to get it in there his jacket would sag on that side terribly. He moved the ball toward his pocket and when it got near the opening the ball began to shrink. John glanced down at it and stopped his hand. Experimentally he moved it away from the pocket and the ball returned to its normal size. He moved the ball back toward his pocket and, once again, it shrank. When the ball passed through the opening of the pocket it was the size of a large marble. A smile spread across his face as he realised he felt no weight at all in the pocket. With a childlike gleam in this eye he put the other dull grey ball in his pocket with the same results. “No way,” he breathed, as he moved on to the grey/white balls. They were lighter than the dull grey ones and they went into his pocket in the same manner. Finally he picked up the copper colored ball, it was smooth and cold and he was sure that it was, indeed, copper. It went into his pocket just like the others. He looked up at Nathanael and breathed, “Amazing.”
“Now, reach into your pocket and remove one of the lead balls”
John put his hand into his pocket intent upon retrieving one of the heavy dull grey balls and a marble sized object materialized in his fingers. He pulled it out and, as it grew, it filled his palm. “It felt like there wasn’t anything in there when I first reached into my pocket,” he said. “Then this, just kind of, appeared.”
“Put it in my hand and retrieve the copper ball next.”
John did as he was bid and it happened just as it had with the heavy lead ball he’d taken out a moment before. Next he tried for one of the grey/white balls and out it came. “I get it.” His smile was now a goofy grin. “I have Pockets of Holding!” He reached into the pocket inside his jacket above his holster. It seemed empty until he thought of his wallet. The wallet materialized in his hand. He pulled it out, looked at it, and put it back. “They’re all that way!”
Nathanael smiled at the man’s delight. “There is something else I must show you about your jacket,” said the Virtue. He produced a silvery dagger from nowhere and stabbed John in the chest. The force pushed him off of his feet. He fell on his butt and braced himself with his hands. His chest hurt from the force of the stab, and his wrists hurt from the force of the fall. He looked down at himself expecting a bloody wound. He saw neither blood nor wound. There was a dimpled spot where Nathanael had stabbed him but his jacket was completely unharmed.
“It IS armor! Not so much as a pinprick. You could have just told me!” John scrambled to his feet dusting himself off, goofy grin gone.
“Yes, I could have!” a booming laugh filled the air. “Your jacket, your armor, is impervious to slashing or piercing. Have a care, it does not protect you from the force of blows. Both it and your clothes will change in shape to match the costume of any land you visit. Take heed, only it will serve as armor and only it will have ‘Pockets of Holding’ as you call them.”
John rubbed his chest, it felt like the stab had broken his rib right through his jacket and his pectoral muscle. The pain eased quickly in both his chest and wrists. He glared up at the Virtue.
“Finally, there is this.” Once again Nathanael held out his hand. In his palm was a dull brass colored tube about an inch and a half in diameter and about seven inches long. At one end of the tube was a ball about two inches in diameter.
John took it, wrapping his hand around it, holding it like a fat magic wand with the ball pointing up. “What is it?”
“Rotate the bottom,” said the angel.
John experimentally tried to turn the bottom, the end opposite the ball, to the left. I didn’t budge. He then tried to turn it to the right and it rotated smoothly. As he turned the bottom the tip of the ball at the other end began to open like a camera shutter. As the circle widened a bright white light lanced from it. It shined into his eyes but it didn’t blind him as a flashlight would have. He turned from the Virtue and shined it onto the ground near his feet. It made a small bright spot just like a flashlight. John moved the spot on the ground back and forth which caught the Heeler’s attention. Dingo Boy dropped his ball and walked over to sit in front of John and watch the light. His head followed the spot back and forth, he barked at it once. He did not chase it, he wasn’t a foolish puppy after all. With a snort he walked back to the ball and took possession of it once again. John looked over his shoulder and told Nathanael, “This’ll come in handy.”
“Continue to rotate the bottom,” instructed the angel.
John rotated the bottom of the tube more and the spot on the ground grew in diameter. He stopped when he felt a light click. The top quarter of the ball was now open and the beam was a floodlight that lit its periphery. Experimentally John tried to rotate the bottom of the tube more and it continued to turn past the click. The cover of the ball retracted into the tube below it. When it would not turn anymore the entire cover was gone, exposing a brilliant white ball. It shed a light so bright that it cast sharp shadows of John, Nathanael, and Dingo Boy onto the ground. The light was not painful to look at. John touched it and it was gently warm but not hot. He rotated the bottom of the tube to the left and watched the cover grow from the tube up over the ball until the entire sphere was the same dull brass color as the tube. The light was gone. “It’s a flashlight and a lantern?” John asked.
“Only for those who walk in the light of God the Father Almighty,” returned the angel. “For those with hearts or natures of evil there is no light to see.”
“Thank you very much for the gifts Nathanael.” John said with heartfelt gratitude. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” John did the same little bow that he did before and the Virtue smiled and nodded to him.
Dingo Boy trotted up to the feet of the giant figure, sat down, and whined. John had just been given some human stuff that made him happy. He wondered if Nathanael had anything for him. Maybe some nice snackies?
“Yes my friend, I have gifts for you as well!” The Cattle Dog licked his lips and a booming laugh filled the air. Dropping to one knee the Virtue produced something and slid it over the dog’s neck. It was a harness? The Heeler let out an indignant sniff. He was not a fan of harnesses but he cooperated, sensing this was important. Once the Virtue was done putting it on him he looked it over. It was a vestlike style with dull brass buckles and rectangular pouches on the sides. It stretched from his neck to the base of his tail on top and from his throat to his breastbone on the bottom. It was made of tan canvas just like John’s jacket. There was an attachment point for a leash between his shoulders. He resolved to make any attempt to attach a leash to it impossible by way of squirming and general uncooperativeness. He walked in a couple of tight circles showing off his gift to the man and the angel. It was light and very comfortable.
“Your armor is much like John’s,” Nathanael told the Cattle Dog. He licked the angel’s shin and used the mind-leash to say ‘thank you’. He wasn’t sure if it had worked.
“Are his pouches like my pockets?” John asked and the angel nodded with a smile. “How much can we carry? I forgot to ask.”
“Each of your pockets and each of his pouches will carry ten bushels.”
John’s face went blank and he blinked uncomprehendingly.
The angel sighed, “You would know it as twelve and a half feet cubed. There is no limit to weight or material.”
John let out a love whistle and Dingo Boy barked at him. The man asked, “What if he goes for a swim? Will the pouches drink up a swimming pool worth of water?”
The dingo mix began to daydream about the wonderful things he would carry in his pouches. He was able to understand that he could put a lot in them. More than fit in the bed of John’s truck. He would carry toys and food and snackies and rabbits if he caught some.
“There is no need for concern John, your pockets and his pouches will only accept that which you intend to put in them.”
Dingo Boy heard and understood the words. If he wanted something in his pouches it would go in his pouches. Could he collect things if he brushed up against them or laid on them? Would he have to be careful not to collect rocks and dirt when napping outside if he dreamed the wrong dream? Rocks were no good for anything but chipped teeth. He’d have to be careful not to dream of rocks in his pouches, no dirt either.
John said, “That’s a relief. I can’t imagine the trouble or mess if he just collected everything he swam in, rolled in, or brushed up against.” The dog looked at John and snorted. “Hey, Dingo Boy, please don’t collect everything you swim in, roll in, or brush up against.” The Heeler laid down and sighed a put-upon sigh fixing the man with a scathing side-eye.
He felt the Virtue focus on him again. “The next gift I have for you is this. It will fill with water from the air around itself and always stay clean,” Nathanael said as he placed a silver bowl on the ground. The dog stood up and walked over to inspect the new gift. After a moment the empty bowl began to fill with water. He started to lap at the liquid experimentally and then enthusiastically. It tasted amazing, clean and cool and fresh! After drinking his fill he walked back to the red ball, burped lightly, and picked it up.
“That’s fantastic! We’ll always have water with that,” said John. Dingo Boy gave him another side-eye. “I’ll share my food and you share your water.” His buddy offered. The dog turned away noncommittally.
“The last gift I have for you is the red ball you carry.” Dingo Boy brought it to Nathanael and dropped it at the angel’s sandalled feet meaningfully. The Virtue picked up the ball and showed it to him. “This ball is nearly indestructible.” He met Nathanael’s eyes and whined his skepticism. He’d destroyed more indestructible toys in his life than would fit in his new pouches. The angel tossed the red sphere and he raced after it. Behind him he heard the huge not-man say, “You both must now choose three skills, skills that will aid you on your journey. Take some time to think.” He slowed to a trot and thought about what skills he’d ask for. He picked up the ball and headed back toward the huge Virtue. Dingo Boy glanced up at him, smiled in the way of dogs, and dropped the ball so it could be thrown again.
The Angelic Shard embedded in John’s revolver analyzed his anchor. This physical object would be his home and his purpose until the man’s journey was over. He began probing and exploring it. When Nathanael formed him he was given a basic understanding of himself and his role. He had plenty of room to grow over time though. He was also given knowledge on several subjects that would allow him to help his new partner. He focused his will and projected, manifesting as a John sized version of the Virtue he was spawned from. He stood and watched the angel and the dog play fetch for a moment then faded back into the gun.
John sat on the ground and watched Nathanael and Dingo Boy playing. Three skills, it was like the old stories about genies and the three wishes they granted. Genies always twisted those wishes, John hoped this wouldn’t be the same. He looked at the large figure who was throwing the ball for the multicolored dog. He didn’t know anything about the angel but he knew he trusted him. The trust he had was instinctive, like the opposite of the trepidation one feels when looking at a used car salesman, or a lawyer, or a proctologist. Not only did John trust Nathanael, the Virtue didn’t operate like a genie who always gave restrictions on the wishes they granted. In the old tales genies forbad bringing the dead back to life, making others fall in love with you, and wishing for more wishes. With that thought John knew exactly what he would ask for as his first skill.
He continued to think. Dingo Boy trotted up to him and dropped the ball. He tossed it and wondered how the dog was going to communicate his chosen skills to Nathanael. John was having trouble deciding what his remaining skills should be. What was a skill? Was it like singing or dancing, the stuff you see at talent shows? Was it drawing, or gourmet cooking, or martial arts? If so it must be that place where knowledge and action meet. He mentally revisited his first choice and decided it still fit the definition of a skill as he understood it. He needed to decide on two more skills that would help him on his journey, a journey through something Nathanael called Creation. Apparently Earth was only a part of Creation. So he’d be visiting foreign places, alien places… It didn’t sound like his Boy Scout training was going to be enough to see him through. That thought triggered an epiphany, immediately he knew what the other two skills he’d ask for would be.
John stood and walked over to the angel. “I’m ready,” he said.
“It should be known that I have no power beyond that which The Almighty works through me. If He forbids it then it shall not be done. What is the first skill that you request, John?”
The penetrating gaze of the huge figure with his massive arms crossed over his chest and his magnificent wings folded on his back shook John’s confidence for just a moment. He took a deep breath, wondered if he was bending the rules to the straining point, and said, “I would like to be able to perform any skill that I see used.”
A booming laugh filled the air. John worried that he’d been too ambitious, then he saw the smile on the Virtue’s face. “Well done! That is a good skill to have indeed. You will be able to perform any skill that you see used. You now have the Mimic skill. With this you will be able to grow in knowledge as you walk your path. Be wary and understand that being able to perform a skill and understanding a skill are two different things altogether. You’ve made a very clever choice, John. The Almighty shines through you.” The compliment filled John with joy.
He felt vertigo, similar to stepping off of a curb unexpectedly. This was a gamechanger! Infinite skill cheat unlocked! Now the next two skills he’d ask for were all the more important. They were skills he couldn’t gain by watching others. Well, maybe he could but it would take years to gather the knowledge they represented. He realized that was the common thread in the skills he was asking for, knowledge. With a confident smile he looked up at the angel, signalling he was ready to go on.
“What is the second skill that you request, John?” Nathanael asked.
“I would like the skill to know the nutritional and medicinal properties of anything I touch.”
“My friend, are you trying to gain two skills in one request?”
John’s confidence wavered. “N-no,” he stammered, “I’m going to be traveling in strange lands and I want to be able to figure out what I can eat and what I should avoid, what might be safe and what might be poison. I may need to find or even make medicine as well.”
The angel contemplated for a moment and then nodded. “This skill you requested does more than you understand. However I see that you were unaware that you were asking for so much. You will have the skill to know the nutritional and medicinal properties of anything you touch. You now have the Alchemical Naturopath skill”
The vertigo washed over John again. He wondered what Nathanael meant by his skill doing more than he understood. He’d have to work it out later, the Virtue was looking at him expectantly.
“What is the third and final skill that you request, John”
He smiled and said, “I want the skill to be able to communicate with any speaking creature I encounter.”
Nathanael looked at John with confusion on his face and asked, “Why do you ask for that which you already have?”
“Why do I… What?”
Comprehension brought a smile to the angel’s face and he asked, “What language are we speaking, John?”
“English,” John said without a pause. The Virtue’s eyebrows rose. “Aren’t we?” John asked. He focused on the words he’d been saying and the words he’d been hearing. They were not English. They were not any language he’d ever heard in his life. He felt a disconcerting shift, a realization coupled with a revelation. “But… What’s going on?”
“This skill you requested is something you can already do. It is something you have been doing. Your very nature has changed. Neither you nor Dingo Boy is the same as you were in life. You are not the Living, you are the Purgated. We will speak of what that means in a moment. First you must make a different choice. What is the third and final skill that you request, John?”
He gave Nathanael a blank look, the angel returned it with an expectant one. John had no idea. He hadn’t come up with a back-up plan. He racked his brain. He had nothing, no idea what to ask for. He looked around for inspiration and saw only grey. He patted himself down like he forgot his keys. He started checking his pockets as if he’d find an idea in one of them. He reached into his coat going for his inner pocket and this hand touched the grip of his revolver. An idea popped into his head and he spoke it before contemplating it, “I want the skill of perfect accuracy with any projectile I set in motion so I can always hit my target.”
A booming laugh filled the air. “You will have the skill of perfect accuracy with any projectile you set in motion so you can always hit your target. You now have the Marksman skill.“
For the final time vertigo settled over John. He drew a deep breath and let it out as a long sigh.
Nathanael turned from John to the merle Heeler. Feeling the Virtue’s gaze the dog approached him and sat at his feet. Just as he had with John, the angel asked, “What is the first skill that you request, Dingo Boy?”
He used the mind-leash but this time he did not focus on words. He shared the memory of a nightmare he once had. He was visiting a massive pet store with John and Lynn but they had lost him or he had lost them. He was whining for them and barking and they were calling to him. Sometimes they sounded close, just an aisle away, he would race around the corner and no one would be there. The memory stopped and he looked at John and whined softly, then he looked around and let out a mournful howl, finally he tilted his head toward his ball and let out a yipping bark.
The angel looked at the dingo mix with a somber face and nodded. “You wish for the skill to always know how to find John, Lynn, and… your ball?” a slight smile spread over his face, “This is a humble and loving request. I will grant it and, with your permission, I will expand it. You will have the skill to always be able to find that which you seek. You now have the Seeker skill.”
Dingo Boy felt dizziness wash over him and he shook his head. He side-eyed the angel, gave a short growl and an ear piercing bark, a rebuke for the bit of vertigo and granted permission for the expansion of the skill he’d requested.
John looked at them both with skepticism. “You can speak dog?” he asked Nathanael flatly.
The Heeler watched the Virtue look at the man with exasperation in his golden eyes. “He is now of the Purgated and so he is not the same as he was when he was of the Living.”
John looked at the dog who was giving him a pointed stare. The dingo mix used the mind-leash and the man shook his head slightly. Apparently the angel was more receptive to this than his buddy was. He made the mind-leash as solid as he could and John mumbled, “I’m being thick?” He sounded like he was unsure of what he was experiencing.
The angel turned back to the dog who felt the gaze and paid attention. “What is the second skill that you request, Dingo Boy?”
The Cattle Dog used the mind-leash in a different way this time. He shared a series of images. A cat tumbled through the air and landed on its feet at the last moment. The cat looked at the viewer and preened, it licked the fur of its tail. It wasn’t a memory, the details of the cat shifted slightly as the vision played out. Throughout Dingo Boy shared a feeling of envy and indignation. He whined and whined again, the second whine becoming a light growl that warbled with a rooo rooo imbedded in it.
A booming laugh filled the air and, still chuckling, the Virtue proclaimed, “Granted! You will have the skill to always land on your feet just like…” The Heeler yipped an earpiercing yip and delivered a vicious side-eye. The great figure cleared his throat, “ an acrobat. You now have the Acrobat skill.”
Dingo Boy shook his head and scratched at his right ear briefly as the vertigo ran its course. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smug grin. He stretched dramatically, crouched, and executed a clumsy backflip. Though it was an unpracticed and awkward bit of acrobatics he landed firmly on his feet. He turned to John who golf clapped at him. Dingo boy glared and used the mind-leash to send the word ‘jealous’. He could see John almost, but not quite, get the message. He chuckled then seemed unsure of what he found funny. The merle Heeler returned to sit in front of Nathanael and looked at him expectantly.
“What is the third skill that you request, Dingo Boy?” Nathanael asked.
Dingo Boy used the mind-leash, made it solid, and showed images of broken leads, slipped collars, and running free. He growled, yipped, and barked a triumphant bark.
The Virtue smiled at the dog, nodded his approval, and said, “You will have the skill to slip any restraint, no one and no thing will hold you against your will. You now have the Escape Artist skill.”
The final bout of vertigo passed over him and he flicked his ears irritably. With a stretch toward the angel he gave a canine bow and yipped his thanks then returned to the silver bowl for another drink. After drinking his fill the Cattle Dog trotted to John, wielded the mind-leash, and gave him a meaningful look. John got it this time, knowing exactly what the dog wanted he bent down and wrapped his arms firmly around Dingo Boy. Seemingly without effort the Heeler pulled out of the man’s embrace. Next John reached out and grabbed his harness by the pouches and he pulled away smoothly. Finally, John hooked his finger through the leash anchor point on the harness between the dog’s shoulders. Once again he pulled away from the man with ease. John’s finger slid out of the dull brass fixture as if it was coated in oil.
“It’s like you’re a greased pig!” John told the Heeler who snorted loudly. He trotted over and raised his leg as if to pee on the man. John jumped back in horror. A booming laugh filled the air. Dingo Boy sauntered off and returned with his ball to press it onto the side of Nathanael’s calf meaningfully. The angel gently took it from the Cattle Dog and they began to play fetch one last time before John and Dingo Boy left on their travels.
Later John found himself standing with Nathanael . The dog raced after a freshly thrown ball. “You’ve mentioned a few times that Dingo Boy and I are something called the Purgated…”
“Yes I did. While you are still human and Dingo Boy is still a dog there have been some changes made to your natures. The challenges you are facing are too great for the Living.”
“Too great for the Living? Am I undead?”
“Not as you know the term. You draw breath, your heart beats in your chest, you must eat, drink and sleep, your wounds will bleed, and you can die. Death, however, will not bring you back here nor to any afterlife, death will take you to another part of Creation. You will wake as if from sleep with your wounds healed and your journey will continue in that new place.”
John frowned. “Then I don’t have to be worried about anything, there is no real risk or consequence.”
The angel looked grim, “There is every risk. You are being sent forth to set right situations that can only be set right by someone like you. Death for you means moving on but your death will mean pain for others, it will mean death for others, it will mean tragedy and sorrow and injustice unchecked. When you fail others will suffer and you will get no closer to the reward of Heaven.”
“Aren’t there more people like me, more of the Purgated, someone who will just take my place in the part of Creation I left?”
“John, Creation is vast, vast upon vast, and very few Worlds have people who can become the Purgated.”
“How do the other Worlds work? They don’t have Purgatory? Does everyone just go to Heaven or Hell?”
“In some that is the way of things but their number is vanishingly small. In some Worlds people are reincarnated until they are worthy of Heaven or their evil robs them of their humanity and they come back as monsters.”
Dingo Boy returned with his ball, dropped it, and sat to listen to the conversation.
The angel continued, “There are more systems, so many we could sit and discuss them for days upon days. You should also know that not all of the Purgated are like you. You are a Warrior. Some of the Purgated are Nurturers, some are Peacemakers, some are Healers and some are Builders.”
Hearing this made John feel a bit sorrowful. He served his country, he was deployed but he never took a life. What else did he know though? It was true, he wasn’t a Nurturer, a Peacemaker, a Healer, or a Builder. Sure he worked as a carpenter after the Army but it was just a job. He hunted, fished, spent time at the gunrange and the dojo, there were other hobbies too but most of what he gravitated to was… well… in some way violent.
The Virtue read his face and said, “Take heart for there is honor in being a Warrior and you will find that, at times, you may play the other roles as well just as they are, sometimes, Warriors when called to it. For some it is a long journey to reach the Gates of Heaven.”
“How do I reach the Gates of Heaven?”
“Perfect the virtues of hope, faith, and charity.”
That sounded obscure to John so he asked, “How do I know if I’m doing that?”
“It’s simple John, I’ll show you. Focus on the word ‘status’ with intent and say it aloud.”
John smirked, “This sounds like something from an isekai anime.”
“You’ve heard of art imitating life?”
“Of course but this isn’t…”
The angel held up his hand and interrupted John, “Art imitates more than life, it imitates Creation which is vaster than you could possibly imagine. Now, focus on the word ‘status’ with intent and say it aloud.”
Feeling foolish John focused and said, “Status.” A translucent blue screen appeared before him. Even though he trusted Nathanael and expected it to appear he was startled when it did. He reached out to touch it and his hand passed right through. He took a step forward and it moved with him. He stepped backward and it moved with him. He crouched and it moved with him. He jumped and it moved with him. He spun in a circle and it moved with him. A very large hand laid gently on his shoulder stopping his experimentation. “Sorry,” said John, “it’s so cool!” He reached out and put his hand through the floating screen again. “It’s like a video game…”
“Yes, your video games are often based on a greater reality,” said the angel.
“So people have gone from Purgatory to Earth and put the things they’ve seen in video games?”
“No John, the dreaming mind often glimpses the wider realities of Creation. As for the screen it has been with you since you were born. All of the humans on Earth have one. You could not call it, you could not see it, the Living cannot. Now that you are one of the Purgated you can call it and see it.”
John studied the screen. On the first row it showed his name, John Lawson, and beside that it said Warrior which he knew was his class as one of the Purgated. Next was HP at 100%, which was easy to understand and after that was Level set to 10. Below that was a a group of information labeled ‘Incarnate Stats’ and it included Strength at 4/10, Speed at 5/10, Dexterity at 7/10, Intelligence at 6/10, Wisdom at 6/10, Perception at 7/10, and Charisma at 5/10. He looked at his Strength stat again, felt his bicep, and frowned. Then he looked at his Charisma stat and blanched. What did Lynn see in him? Next came a group information with the ‘Cardinal Stats’ label. In that group was Prudence at 32/100, Justice at 27/100, Fortitude at 25/100, and Temperance at 32/100. Then there was a third group of information labeled ‘Theological Stats’ that had Faith, Hope, and Charity in it. All three of them were set at 10/100. The ‘Incarnate Stats’ were pretty standard for games that John had played. The rest of them were something new, or was it old, they reminded him of his youth and summers with his grandmother, mass, and the Catechism. “This screen has my stats! Can I raise these?” John asked.
The angel crouched behind John and read the screen. “Ten!” John looked over his shoulder into blazing golden eyes. The great wings stretched out as the Virtue rose to his feet. They beat several times and the writing at their edges pulsed and flared. A raging wind gusted and John wobbled on his feet, fighting to keep his balance. “Why!?! Why are they so low!?!” Real anger laced Nathanael words. “Your theological stats determine your level and thus the length of your journey as one of the Purgated. They represent your understanding of the theological virtues. It is shameful that you have a score of 10/100 for all three of them. It means you have trouble trusting God the Father Almighty and His promises. You do not expect those promises to be realized for you or you do not desire them. Worst of all you have trouble loving Him above all things.”
“I’m not worthy! Not of Him or His promises.” John said, his voice filled with shame, “I never was!”
Nathanael was taken aback. He took a deep breath and as he released it he released his sudden anger as well. The angel’s face softened and his eyes dimmed to their normal radiance. His magnificent wings stretched out again then folded on his back. “Oh John, you have such a long journey and for such a foolish reason. The Almighty knew you and trusted you from the start. By bringing you into His Creation he deemed you worthy. It is good and honorable to expect His promises. He who is beyond all things has made the offer. He loves you and all your kind so much that He sent his only son to your World to suffer and die for your redemption.” The angel gently placed his great hand on John’s head and patted it. “I apologize. My anger was born of an old wound. Many of us harbor resentment for humanity’s treatment of The Almighty. Most of you do not understand or appreciate all that He has given you nor what He promises.
“I accept your apology and I’m sorry,” the man whispered.
“I accept, “ replied Nathanael and he smiled a reassuring smile. After a moment he said, “Your level is equal to the lowest number of those last three stats. You must raise them all to 100/100 to enter the Gates of Heaven.”
John took a deep, shaking breath and sighed it out. This sudden emotional moment had taken him by surprise, and had left him drained. He thought about what the Virtue had told him about God and his worthiness. He knew in his heart it was true. Had he been running from that truth his entire life? He wouldn’t run anymore. If this was to be a journey that would deepen his relationship with God, he would do just that. He knew he needed it and he owed it and much more to his Almighty Father. A beautiful chime rang from nowhere and everywhere followed in quick succession by two more chimes. As John looked at his stats and all three, faith, hope, and charity, changed to 11/100. A step closer, but only a step, even with the irrefutable word of the angel standing before him. “It’s going to be a long journey.” he said and Nathanael nodded his agreement.
“Is she there? In Heaven I mean?”
“It is more than I should tell you, my friend, but she will meet you when those Gates open to you.”
“We better get on the road.” the man said ready to seek his God and, in doing so, find his wife.
The Virtue was silent as John poured the water from the mystical silver bowl and put it into one of Dingo Boy’s pouches, it shrunk and disappeared as it was stowed. The dog twisted around and put the red ball in the same pouch.
“Before you go, John, you should know about the other changes to your nature.” Nathanael said.
“First, can you tell me how to put this status screen away?” The angel realized the screen was still floating in front of the man. A booming laugh filled the air.
“Just as you summoned it John but use the word ‘dismiss’ instead of ‘status’ to make it vanish.
John gave it a try and the screen did, indeed, vanish. He turned to the angel and said, “So, the changes, I can talk with any speaking creature right? That’s how we’ve been talking this whole time? This isn’t English. It’s strange, I say what I’m thinking but the words coming out of my mouth are in a language I’ve never heard. When I hear you I understand you and I thought you were speaking English at first but you’re not.”
“No, we are not speaking English. The language we are speaking is ancient in a way human beings could not fully grasp. It is vital to your journey that you can speak with anyone you meet including many creatures that are not human.”
John just nodded his head. He was a little surprised to hear that he’d be speaking with non-human creatures but so much had happened today that he was learning to take the new and amazing in stride. “So there’s the status screen and the language thing, is there anything else I should know about being one of the Purgated?” he asked the Virtue.
“Yes, there is one remaining thing to be aware of, you heal over a hundred times faster than you did as one of the Living.”
“Why?” John asked with soft awe.
“Because He wants you to succeed. Not only so you can set things right, help people, and drive back evil, but so you can return home to Him. You must grow and learn. The more time you have to do that in any one World, in any one community, the shorter your journey will be. He wants you to succeed. He is your Father and He has loved you since before you were.”
Nathanael, member of the angelic choir of Virtues, knelt down, his wingtips flattened on the ground, and extended his hand for John to shake it. John stepped past the hand and hugged the enormous figure. It was the angel’s turn to look shocked and, after a brief moment, a very large hand patted John’s back returning the hug. Dingo Boy moved to stand between them and one after the other he licked their shins.
They stayed that way for a moment then Nathanael rose and pointed, John turned and saw an arch of bright, swirling, light a few paces away. “Thanks again, for everything, we appreciate you and all you’ve done for us.” Dingo Boy barked his agreement and a booming laugh filled the air.
The merle Heeler and the man walked toward the dimensional gate and, as they did, a voice that came from no direction in particular said, “Don’t worry guys, we got this!” It sounded like the Virtue but was somehow smaller. It startled John, he tripped over his own feet, and fell into the light.