A bright blinding light burst into existence in the night skies over the city of Chicago. At that same and exact moment, as the light began to open up and span outward on to the earth, all fell still as time stopped.

The patrons of the nearby bar where Samael's ascension was in its midst, stood and sat in suspended animation holding their beers, laughing at horrible jokes and vomiting on their girlfriend's new and expensive shoes. Everything on earth froze in its action. Waterfalls in their gushing, airplanes and birds in flight and people while walking, dancing and in the middle of fights ceased to move and remained frozen in time as Samael's particles floated upward towards the legions of angels awaiting his arrival amongst their ranks.

As Samael's particles coalesced into the solid form of the body he had before his implosion, the angels bowed their heads in sorrow as he passed between them. They cried heavily at the sight of the Angel of Death, not for the damage he had sustained but for the damage he had caused. Their heads turned as his unconscious body traveled the shaft of light between them towards the presence of The Creator.

The legions of angels that filled the skies of Chicago all turned in unison and marched into the fading glow over the city. The darkness of the night closed in upon itself. Instead of the skyline being filled with the visage of countless grieving angels, the night sky was filled with thick and heavy storm clouds, as it had been before they came and all at once the Earth cycled back to life with its people and creatures none the wiser.

Samael's chest rose and fell as breath was circulated back into his whole and clothed body. He lay on a deep blue suede sofa in The Creator's office. The Creator stood leaning against his beautifully handcrafted mahogany desk with his arms folded over his chest, looking down at his angel in utter disbelief. Samael turned his head from side to side as he roused himself from his sleep and rolled over on to his side, gripping his temples with the palms of his hands. The echoes of the angels' cries filled his head as he fought to regain the soundness of his mind. His eyes darted around the spacious room with walls of glass then landed on a gentleman dressed in all black. His body leaned against the top of a desk and his legs clothed in black Egyptian cotton dress pants were crossed over as if in leisure with his black leather shoes glinting in the light that shone through the windows behind him. The gentleman's arms were crossed across his chest and clothed in a long sleeved shirt also of Egyptian cotton that was open a few buttons at the neck. His skin was olive toned and his face bore a handsomely groomed beard and mustache, his hair fell in light brown waves to his shoulders and his eyes focused their piercing blue orbs on Samael's body as he lay still on his sofa.

The Angel of Death gathered him-self up quickly from the sofa and fell to his knees in the presence of The Creator. His coat hung itself neatly on the coat rack near the massive wooden door at the front of the office while his sword leaned itself carefully against the steel ring of the umbrella holder at the coat rack's base. The Creator closed his eyes and gripped the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger then proceeded to rub it gently to soothe the tension that had built up there.

The Creator sighed heavily.

Samael bent himself over further and rested his head on the floor at The Creator's feet.

"Rise Samael", The Creator said as he turned and walked to the window.

"I...I...", Samael trailed off. He found himself at a loss for words at the moment.

"You are quite the... nuisance."

Samael quickly fell back on his knees and proceeded to beg The Creator forgiveness for being such a nuisance, after which The Creator told him to get to his feet and have a seat on the sofa. The Creator walked over to the small wet bar in his office and poured a glass of water for Samael then brought it over to him. He sat himself in an ornate and handcrafted chair of black wood near Samael. The Creator crossed one leg over the other then clasped his hands together in his lap as he watched Samael drink.

"I'm afraid we have much to discuss, you and I." The Creator said in a fatherly tone towards the Angel of Death.

"Samael...I'm going to toss out a couple of anecdotes that have been passed down through the ages and umm...tell me if anything catches on. Okay?" The Creator leaned forward in his chair, widening his eyes as he spoke to Samael.

"Blood Is Thicker Than Water.

Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You.

You Reap What You Sow.

Where One Goes Looking For Trouble, Trouble Often Comes To Find Them. No?

What Comes Around Goes Around.

Let us try something different for the sake of trying shall we. I believe it was Buddha who said-Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; only you are the one who gets burned. Is any of this making sense to you Samael?"

Samael sat on the sofa with his eyes looking away from The Creator. He knew what The Creator was saying but he didn't think that He understood.

"I do Father, I do but..."

"But? Why must there be a "but" Samael? You either understand all that I have said and am saying or you don't."

"With all due respect Father, it is not MY understanding in question."

The Creator blinked numerous times quickly, uncrossed His legs and sat up in His seat. He began to speak while pointing a finger at Samael then stopped abruptly when He saw that Samael had huddle himself in fetal position in the corner of the blue suede sofa. The Creator took a deep breath and reclined Himself into the chair with His eyes closed while reciting a small mantra to Himself beneath His breath. When He was calm, He addressed Samael again.

"Enlighten me."

Samael uncoiled himself from the corner of the couch and peered with one eye over the arm that he used to shield his face. He brought his arms down to his knees, stood up then proceeded to pace back and forth while he gathered his thoughts and formed his words carefully to address The Creator with own his concerns.

"Father, you are aware of my dealings with... with the first woman, Lilith and the feelings I have toward her and her kind."

"I am made more aware than you know, continue Samael."

"Yes, Father...well while I was on earth I saw her daughter and have discovered her daughter to be of the same dark menace that Lilith is."

"A dark menace that you have created by the way, but continue."

"....yes, yes...that I created in Lilith. Her daughter was born with it also and uses it to kill the innocent on earth."

"Samael, is she killing or feeding?"

"She is killing, I've seen her do this with my own eyes."

"Killing and feeding are two different things my child as is vengeance and protection."

Samael froze in place as The Creator spoke his inner desires aloud. He felt he should defend his actions and moved himself towards The Creator to address the matter.

"Father I assure you that I acted with the purest motives. Sure I have ill feelings against Lilith but my action to rid the earth of their abominable lives is with good intention."

"And it is with good intentions that the road to Hell is paved Samael."

Samael shrank back away from The Creator's words understanding clearly the full meaning of them. The Father had issued a warning to him with those words but Samael felt the need to explain his reasoning further.

"Father, I understand your meaning in those words. Should I keep on that path, I would only find a world of hurt. But Father I beg you to see my point of view...Inanna and Lilith are not fit for life. Their hunger consumes them..."

"As much as your hate does consume your own heart."

"They are monsters who are not fit to dwell neither on earth nor in Heaven."

"Nor are you fit to dwell in the realms of Heaven or Hell as you walk with one foot in the grave and the other shall meet it if you do not come to your senses."

"It is with common sense that I act, they cannot be allowed to continue to roam freely on earth."

The Creator stood up from His chair, eyes narrowed across the room at Samael. He walked around the sofa and addressed him in a stricter tone than He had been using.

"Samael, Angel of Death –Collector of Souls. What is the function that has been set upon you?"

Samael looked up into The Creator's eyes and felt them peer into his soul. He hung his head low and closed his eyes before answering. He could not defy The Creator in His presence. He spoke in a whisper as he addressed The Father.

"To collect the souls of those that are ready to come home to you Father, to bring them to you safely and without harm, only when they are ready to come and not a moment before."

"Not a moment before. I tell you this out of concern for the path that you have chosen to take Samael. Should you keep down this path you are on, you will bring more harm to yourself than you will to those you seek vengeance over."

"Yes, Father."

"You were not given this function to wield it for your own means."

"Yes, Father."

"You must think clearly of the decisions you make and the reasons behind them. No one will suffer greater than the hand that wields the sword. Do you understand this Samael?"

"Yes, Father."

The Creator crossed His arms over His chest once more and gazed down at the top of Samael's head as he stood staring at the floor. He sighed heavily as He knew that everything He'd just said had not even been heard by The Angel of Death. The Creator took His hand and wiped it across His forehead then turned and walked back towards His desk.

"You are free to go Samael. I've work to do."

"Thank you Father. Thank you for ... bringing me back again."

"Umm hmm..." The Creator said with glasses sliding to the tip of His nose as His head hung over a manila file folder marked with Inanna's human name, Rhayna M. Hemm. Samael walked towards the door, gathered his coat and sword then looked back at The Creator.

"Michael took the liberty of releasing the souls from your vessel while you were in disposed. You'll need to thank him on your way out."

Samael nodded, put on his coat and proceeded to open the door. On the way out, The Creator told him that He would see him soon. Samael thought nothing of it at that time but paused as the words swam forward in his mind on his way to earth. He shook the thought free and continued on with the function that had been bestowed upon him by The Creator, to collect souls ready for departure. While he collected the waiting souls, he set about planning the demise of Inanna, her mother Lilith and the one of his bloodline, Russell Lee Poole.

"Thicker than water indeed and I shall bleed you of every last drop."