I wanted to find the most loyal servants of my Master here, so I left a sign. A cruciform of gold embedded in a tree at the edge of the forest. Surely, word would travel, and at least one of m new disciples would come to my symbol. My calling. I watched the scene from above with bated breath, my nipples straining against the fabric of my white, see-through garment. For I, like them, knew what was to pass. They would know, if not consciously, in the deepest recesses of their soul, what would happen. That was one reason this place would be host to the Coming of the New Ways.

The sun was jus coming up on the horizon setting the forest trails to shadow below the cloud filled crimson skies. Like the fire of rebirth, I watched the rising of the sun behind the Julbo trail sunglasses that had arrived as a care package from home along with the note me parents understood bout me having to work on me classes through the summer. I missed them immensely, but god had been good to me in this place. I had learned so much beyond jus the classes…about me self an life. I’d even grown in me walk with the lord.

The golden cross bounced tween me tightly cupped breasts, the champion sports bra keeping me from all sorts of injuries. The bra wuz all I wore on me top, but then it had been designed for outer wear an all. Frankly, the tropics wuz hard on yah with the heat. An I liked this particular model for the support an the design that didn’t leave none of them edges to chaff as the sweat poured off yah. Sweat an heat wuz part of the reason I ran in the early morning hours. I didn’t like getting too hot an all.

Feet pattered upon the soft turf, rolling gently as I lengthened me stride for the turn into the forest an away from the school grounds. The glitter of metal catching me eye as the sun’s rays cut across the tree at me corner…I slowed, curious ‘bout the change. Ever more so as I saw the cross of gold etched upon the very trunk of the tree as if god himself had given me a sign.

Stepping closer I raised me arm an let the ruby red fingernail touch the golden surface. A thrill of discovery an wonder pulsed along me veins in rhythm with me rising pulse. Oh…oh …this is truly a sign…

“Lord?” I went to me knees an bowed, a prayer of thanks ready on me lips for all his blessing before I would resume me jog.

"Noble disciple, hear me." My voice boomed and I started to flutter downward, wings spread wide, halo shimmering brightly above my head, "It is time for a new Gospel to come onto this land. So many troubled creatures of the Divine are here in need of Salvation, and you have been chosen to help bring the wayward sheep to the flock of the Almighty. To being to His Divine Will those who have yet to see the Light." My bare feet crushed blades of grass as I landed, wings and halo as on display as I could, "Bring the Light to all on this land."

For a moment I stared, stunned, me mouth, hands, feet trembling as I beheld the most beautiful of all sights. Gods own messengers and guardians of everything pure an holy…an angel. Her gossamer gown fluttering in the breeze of her pure white wings. Skin the color of the purest marble glowed, a tint of crimson from the rising sun making it appear a blush covered her entire body.

Casting me head down I went prostrate before this creature of beauty, averting me unworthy eyes. To gaze at the power of the lord wuz not right…not til given leave. Oh me day would be truly blessed. To have been allowed witness to this miracle. To be paid a visit by one so divine.

Finally I managed to get me mouth under control. Noises crackled as I tried to speak…to answer one so pure.

“I do…I will….oh messenger of me lord I shall do as yah bid. I have brought forth the word upon campus at every opportunity. What would you have yur humble servant do?”

"Providence has shown me a new path. A path that led me here. A path on which both good and evil find their way to Salvation. Where the archaic ways of the past are no longer necessary." I made a step or two toward her, gently lifting her head with my hand, "Rise, child. Receive onto this world the Gospel of Altima, through which each and every soul may be granted the Salvation that Divine Providence has allowed me ti glimpse."

Painters could not have done her justice. There wuz no white white enough. No body as symmetrical an perfect. I paled to insignificance next to her. The wings fluttering behind her lithe body. I was besotted, spell bound, unable to utter a word. Perhaps this is what the shepherds of old hid their faces before the angels.

Oh her voice. The lilt like the finest song. It fluttered upon the air itself. Part beckoning, part music, an so utterly female as to make me finally understand I wuz nothing in comparison. The charm an depth of that voice made things within me quiver in delight. If this wuz jus a bit of what it wuz like to be in the lords presence I would do anything to ensure me place in heaven.

The touch of the angel sent shivers down me spin as she gathered me upwards. Sound, touch, vision, even scent put me at ease within her presence. Made me want to fold me knees in supplication an pay homage to the divine.

But the words. Had I misheard? Misunderstood what she had said. The look of her wuz so pure, so right, so so very angelic that I could have been mistaken. Still as the tumbled in me mind gods own witness compelled me to question.

“the gospel of Altima did you say?....would you not deliver the gospel of our lord above, as his divine messenger an sent by him would it not be gods own word? I…I wish to help both good an evil to the lord as he died on the very cross etched in this tree to save us from sin. Is this the gospel you deliver?”

"With my words is carried the Word of the Lord, and I deliver it unto you," I said, still smiling, still gentle in every respect. I was, after all, and Angel. Force wasn't my nature. "The Divine choses not to come and speak for Himself, but instead sent me, the Archangel Altima the Wise, to be the Voice of God on this land. To bring these souls to a new Kingdom built here, upon this world. Because not even Heaven can save demons, a new Providence is needed. The new Providence shown to me, a Kingdom to affirm God's will in ways heretofore unconceived even by the Armies of Light."

((Oops, wrong account. Oh well, that's Altima.))

(LOL, did’cha ever have me going)

“Huh” Me mouth stood open, as I mulled the words in me head. I musta looked like a complete dork in front of this angel of god. An somehow me mind wuzn’t working right either. I mean…like to questions gods own messenger. But then…then jesus was tempted by satan in the desert fore he took up the cause to rescue mankind. Would god send an angel to rescue demon kind?

“SO yur gonna die so the demons can be saved?” it wuz a very noble gesture on her’s an gods part. But I didn’t understand why god would need a place her on earth for the demons…they already dwelt on the earth. An god in the heavens above. Still gods ways were not to be understood by mere mortals. An curiosity wuz getting’ the better of me.

“so what’s this new word? I am really sorry ‘bout them questions an doubting like Saint Thomas did an all when Jesus came back from the dead.”

I willed me self still before gods servant an got me self ready to receive his word.

"No, no, child. No one, human or Angel, must die to spread this Word. To spread the Gospel According to Altima. All you must do is seek the Salvation within yourself, and spread the word, my word and the Divine Word, to all those, human and not, who dwell here. Hor here is the place and now is the time for a revolution of belief and an awakening of Salvation."I placed my hands on her shoulders, trying to relax her, "All you need to do is awaken the Truth and Salvation in yourself and share it with others. Can you do that, child?"

“I am not sure. For god works in mysteries, but oh divine one, this does not sound right. I believe, an sum thing ring for there is only gods holy scriptures…if you are truly a mouthpiece fo rhte lord than it would not be yur gospel…would not be yur word….yet, yur words seem true an earnest. I need to pray, to clear me head before I can pledge me soul this endeavor. I….I will go for a run an ask the lord what me life’s work is to be. “

Oh how I had tried to spread gods holy word amongst the heathen of the school. How I had been thwarted at every turn. But life on gods path is like that. It is a hard lonely road with many a rock to stub thy toe. This…this sounded like the road to damnation. I had to be sure.

Resistance, from my noblest of followers. I looked at her with intensity and frowned, "Bare your soul to me child, for it seems you doubt what you see and hear. Am I not an Agent of the Divine Will? Then, by extension, are not my actions those of divine right?" I paused and made a vague hand motion. "Child, let me show you the world of Salvation that awaits when good and evil combine."

Yes you appear to be what you say….but yur words ring hollow for the good book says to judge carefully by the acts an we all now that the evil one is wily an deceitful an shrouds his words in the merest echo of the god book….so…so I will let you show me this new salvation, are you here to tell me that ther is the old testament an the new testament an now a further testament of altima….this kinda sounds like them Mormons an others that have lost their way. But I will listen, an I will bear witness to what you show me an reserve judgment by the deed.”

It seemed to me to be fair an honest way to judge the way that wuz being proposed. Before I would convert an carry out this so called new order I had to be sure. So many Christians had lost their way to new fangled ideas an messages…there wuz the book of Mormon…and the book of Allah. Entire faiths now lost to the one true god. Those followers would never experience his greater glory an his love. Would no longer gain entrance to heaven itself an for that…for that alone I would ensure the truth of this new way.

"The Divine is not as unforgiving as some would say. In fact, by His newest proclamation, everyone, even the wayward sheep of whom you speak will be brought to know His love and His grace without doubt or equivocation." I made a broad gesture, "Knowing the New Word, even the most vile of creatures can be redeemed. With that in mind, I shall show you the first of many Dark Ones brought back to the Holy Way by the New Word I bring."

Could it be true? It had always bothered me that god would only forgive while we dwelt on earth. Would not a kind an loving god allow a sinner trapped in hell that called out for his grace an forgiveness be given redemption as well. The nun had looked askance at me when I asked that question. That look that wrinkles up once face an makes yah feel a inch tall. For a bit I thought she might jus squash me like a lil bug with that big ole ruler of hers. I swear I’d not been capable of resisting. And then she’d jus smiled, an said.

‘Blessed child. It is not for man to question gods wisdom. All you must know is the lord works in mysterious ways, an sometimes you will not have the answer, only the question. But I will pose another to you. If that was the case my child, then why does anyone take the hard path when there is an easier one. And that is so that thy may know god their entire life an ascend to heaven. All the way to the highest level an be seated at the gods own table. ‘

It had been answer enough back then. But know…know it seemed that perhaps god had a plan for all of his creations. Yet still I had me doubts…

“show me. Show me this way oh divine one so that I may know gods truth. “

"Back, foul beasstsss! Back to the filthy hole from whence you came!" Jezebel hissed as she soared through the densely packed forest of Shokushu, hurling bolts of lightning behind her at the desperately fleeing succubus's stubborn pursuers, a large pack of giant three-headed canines with a snake for a tail and additional serpents running down its back like a mane. The glowing crimson eyes of the unnaturally large hell hounds burned with all the fury of the Great Abyss from whence they sprang, their fur as black as night.

The demonic pooches had been chasing Jezebel all the way from the abode of Lord Samael, King of all Demons, located in the very heart of the Great Abyss. Jezebel's most recent meeting with her father and former Master had not gone very well. The demoness had begun to confide in her lord about her alliance with Altima and the plans that the succubus and the angel had made together to create their new Kingdom of Lust on the Shokushu.

Samael was rather less than pleased that his daughter was consorting with one of his Divine Adversary's agents. Hearing Jezebel's words about the new Kingdom and the abolition of the entire concept of Good and Evil had made the volatile archfiend even less happy. To the Demon King, this meant the end of His eternal reign. Furious at his daughter's insolence, Lord Samael had charged the impertinent she-demon with high treason and sentenced to a most painful death. However, Jezebel had managed to teleport away before her sentence could be carried out. And so, the renegade she-demon was on the run for her life, doggedly pursued by her former master's minions, who were charged to bring her back to the Abyss to receive her sentence.

"Alright tthat'ss it!" Jezebel, finally fed up with running like a coward from the demon dogs, ceased her retreat and rose up into the air just high enough that she was out of the blood-thirsty giant canines' reach assuming a casting pose as she stretched forth her hands towards the heavens. Jezebel's surroundings went dark as huge, menacing storm clouds appeared seemingly out of nowhere, blanketing the sky in black, orange, and crimson. It appeared as if the entire sky was aflame. Lightning illuminated the sky every two seconds in an a blindingly bright blue-white light. The brilliant flashes of light that was brightening the otherwise impossibly dark sky was followed by the echoing, deafening sound of thunder, roaring like a million angry lions.

"It'ss time to ssend you retched beasstss back to the Great Abyss where you belong!" Jezebel's booming voice echoed as it carried off into the wind. The demoness channeled all her magical energy, and a massive glowing sphere of lightning grew in the powerful succubus's hands and expanded until it became larger than the entire Student Dorms before she sent it forth towards her tormentors.

There was a stench of burnt flesh and a series of loud, high-pitched whimpers and blood-curdling howls of agony as the ginormous hell hounds were completely incinerated before her eyes, with nothing left but mounds of ash, which blew away in the strong winds that Jezebel had conjured up. The storm dissipated even quicker than it had arrived, and the sun shone once more in a bright, cloudless sky.

"Asshhess to asshhess, dusst to dusst. I sshall do the same to every one of Ssamael'ss pitiful minionss if I musst." Jezebel said with a satisfied grin as she stepped forward towards Altima and Cassie. The entire thing had taken place only a few feet away from where the two were standing.

Cassie may or may not have been able to notice that Jezebel was a bit different from when they had last met. The demoness seemed slightly taller and stronger, and her ivory-white skin emanated a bright golden glow, as if illuminated from within. The succubus, usually appearing in the nude whenever she was not in disguise, was dressed in a schoolgirl's outfit, complete with white blouse, plaid skirt, long white socks, and brown loafers.

"Dear Altima, it doess me good to ssee you again. I trusst you are well?" Jezebel said with a bright smile on her face as she kissed the back of the angel's hand. "I do so look foreword to our little get-togethers. And what do we have here?" The succcubus added as she turned to face Cassie, smiling as she gave the pretty red-haired student a benevolent bow. "And sso we meet again, my dear Cassie. I do hope tthat tthhere are no hard feelingss between uss. Would you perhapss be able to ssee it in your heart to forgive a naughty demon'ss passt digressionss?"