It seemed at times that situations like this were inevitable. Even when Kedron went out of his way to act the dutiful husband, problems always seemed to find him for those that recognized who and/or what he was. Under most circumstances, he cared little for the opinions that others had of him, but when they brought Rinoa into their ramblings, then it was simply all-out war as far as he was concerned.
Christians, funny little people. They will pick apart their precious Bible to find passages that suit and fulfill their needs and beliefs, and use those very same passages as weapons against those who don’t agree with them or who seemingly exist to simply “offend.” But all the while, they ignore the passages in those very same Bibles that would point out everything they themselves are doing wrong in their own lives.
Before Kedron’s return to Sin City Wrestling, and long before the ‘lock-down’ protocols for the safety of all SCW staff and personnel alike had been enforced, there was a celebration to be had. Kedron had not asked his wife to do even the slightest thing to help return his soul and make him, for the first time in almost three hundred years, ‘whole’ again. And he certainly did not ask Ben Jordan to assist her in this endeavor. But they had, and now he was no longer under the proverbial thumb of a darker power.
He simply was.
And being the dutiful husband, desired or not, this was something that called for a celebration. A bit of a reward for his loving wife when she had risked so much for him. The ceremony to return his lost soul might have backfired grandly. It might not have worked at all. Hell! For all she knew, Kedron would have seen this as an act of betrayal and he could have turned against her. That, however, was a response that was completely off the table.
Kedron loved his wife dearly, which should speak volumes as his love for her was ignited during a period in time when he should have been unable to feel that most special of emotions. Without a heart, without one’s soul, love should have been completely out of reach. Only it wasn’t. But Rinoa, confident as she was, as both a woman and in the love he had for her, it was still a risky move that she had taken.
And it paid off. Now Kedron had decided his wife deserved a very special evening out in celebration. Ben Jordan? Hm, perhaps he could get him a fruit basket.
For now, the night was a calm and peaceful one, and the Williams couple had arrived at the exclusive restaurant in Massachusetts that had no specific name, save for the simple nickname given to it by clientele; Eternity. That seemed to be the way with establishments such as these, where word of mouth was their life’s blood. The rich and/or elite flocked to places such as this because, in their mind, it made them something more, something special, to dine or hang out at such a locale, rather than the same places any one other of the top ten percent.
And, well let’s just call it by it’s nickname so we can move along, Eternity had the feel of being just such a place. It was not crafted out of any average building, but from a literal house. From the looks of it, a quaint Victorian manor from the 1800s. Rinoa adored such houses, it was why they themselves had one to call their own, and this was why Kedron chose this establishment in particular.
He cast a sidelong look to his wife and saw her eyes light up under the stars as they approached Eternity. Whoever had created this marvel, obviously worked overtime in ensuring the house lost none of its charm and even less of its old world decor and structure. How they had managed to transform it then into a successful and popular restaurant for the elite was beyond his ken. As they walked up the steps and set foot into the house’s foyer, Kedron could feel accusing eyes on his person, and that of his wife. Ordinarily he would not care, and in some cases might even encourage these damn fools to get an eye full if it so suited them, but not this time. This was a special occasion for his wife, and indeed, for him as well.
They approached the stand that the evening hostess stood at with a smile.
Kedron Williams: “A reservation, under Kedron Williams.”
The older woman looked at her list and a smile of recognition graced her face as she looked up.
Hostess: “Yes, Mister Williams. Right this way.”
With a guiding wave of the hand, the hostess led the couple through the vast interior of this manor turned restaurant. Now Kedron was beginning to see some answers, as most, yet not all, of the furniture had simply been replaced by tables of equal renown and old English chairs for the guests to sit at. While they were being escorted, the accusing glare followed Kedron, eyes burning into his back. At times such as this throughout his long life, Kedron might start to feel paranoid at an enemy having surfaced, but this felt different.
“Can you believe they allowed people like them in here?”
“Has Eternity truly fallen on such hard times?”
“I do hope they are not seated near us. I would hate to have to share this space with them.”
Were but a few of the whisperings that Kedron’s sensitive ears had overheard. If Rinoa had listened in, she gave no indication but his wife rarely allowed anything to get past her steely demeanor. It was a trait that he had long admired in her, as he himself had always had a difficult time in holding back his temper when someone made the grievous error in rousing it.
The hostess then arrived at a modestly-sized table in the corner of what had one been the drawing room of the house, surrounded by only three other tables and adorned with an allotment of flora. Best of all, it was right in front of the room’s large, picturesque window. At their seating, Kedron could see annoyance on the tables around them. Most likely they had attempted to get this prized table for their own evening out, but he had taken certain -- steps -- to ensure that it had been held for him and Rinoa. A young man with dark, caramel skin stood at the table, dressed in a suit.
Hostess: “This is Noah. He’ll be taking care of you this evening.”
Kedron took the first step in holding Rinoa’s chair out for her before he finally took a seat himself. Their server, Noah, then stepped up to the center of the table with his hands at the ready with a digital notepad.
Noah: “And what might I get you for starters this evening?”
What? No menus, you might ask? Aside from no address or official name, that was yet another quirk of “Eternity” that made it such a unique location. Guests were expected to know beforehand what they desired, the better to streamline the process.
Rinoa smiled and the slightest nod from her gave Kedron the green light to order for them both.
Kedron Williams: “The lady will have the chestnut soup to begin, and the spinach souffle. And I will have the vichyssoise and then the broiled lobster.”
Noah: “Anything to drink?”
Kedron Williams: “Bring a bottle of cabernet Sauvignon.”
Noah: “Right away.”
Rinoa Williams: “Thank you.”
And with a smile, Noah the waiter turned and hurried off to fulfill the order. The two lovers simply stared into each others’ eyes for a tender moment as little to nothing else needed to be said. They were so in tune with each others’ thoughts and emotions, there was little need for idle conversation unless the spark had been ignited inside of them. But there was that feeling again in between Kedron’s shoulder blades, and he was about to raise a point when there was the tell-tale sound of someone clearing their throat from the next table.
Both Rinoa and Kedron turned their head and the elderly couple sitting there had eyes only for the fair wife of the “Son of Salem.” The husband was done up in a proper suit but the wife was trying simply too hard with her adornment of jewelry and a gown that had seen better days. Probably back when Kedron himself was just a lad, if he wanted to be a right bastard in assumptions. But they continued to look at Rinoa with expectations, ones she finally granted with a proper smile, as was her way.
Rinoa Williams: “Yes?”
Elderly man: “We would appreciate it if you did not thank these people. It’s their job and their lot in life.”
For the first time in what felt like an eternity (pun intended), Kedron saw his wife’s brow knit in irritation. It was her opinion that none were above or below any other station based on something as simple as material possessions or especially the work one did. She believed, and rightly so, that those in the service industry were just as important if not more so than the CEO of any random multi-million dollar corporation.
After all, were it not for these servers, and the chefs in the kitchen, these rich snobs would not be eating.
Rinoa put on her most charming of smiles and addressed the elderly couple.
Rinoa Williams: “And I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business and not intercede in conversations that have nothing to do with you.”
Kedron smiled as the man flushed a deep scarlet color above his collar, and the woman gaped like a fish on a hook, unable to comprehend that anyone would dare speak to her husband like that! They returned to their own meal and conversation , muttering things such as “How rude!” and “The nerve of some people!” All the while, Kedron shook his head and winked at his wife.
Kedron Williams: “That’s my girl…”
Of course I have no intention of boring you with the majority of the evening, describing their meal or conversation between them. Much of it consisted of Rinoa fretting over her precious cat trio, while Kedron assured her that the felines would be fine. “Perhaps they’ll go out and eat a dog or two.” Was his way of soothing her concerns, knowing it would earn him a playful if somewhat annoyed swat at his arm -- if he was lucky. Kedron had never been much of a fan of Rinoa’s spoiled fur babies, but it only increased so now that he was whole again, and the cats would not leave him alone in their new found interest.
Suffice to say, the evening was a huge success in his wife’s eyes, and thus in his own. And even though the feeling he had that he, or they, were being watched, remained, it had eased up at least a touch. That is, until Rinoa looked up and he felt a tap on his slim, but taut, shoulder.
Kedron Williams: “I was wondering when you would bother…”
He looked up with a smile and saw an older woman standing at their table, an expression that practically screamed judgment and disdain on her face. Her eyes burned, and her lips puckered in an expression as if she had been sucking on a lemon for the past forty or fifty years. Before he could say a word, the woman immediately lit into him as if it were simply her right. Her expression, clothes … the very way she carried herself practically screamed ‘entitlement.’
Woman: “I just want you to know that I think it is disgusting that someone like you would just waltz in here as if it were your right!”
Kedron Williams: “Someone … like me…?”
Rinoa Williams: “Kedron…”
But he held up his hand, in a silent plea that she not get involved. True, his first instinct would be to roast this woman for her brazen accounting of herself, but with his wife here, he would most prefer to simply walk past this … bitch … and end the evening on a successful note, not a dour one. But she had made the first move. Spoken the first word. After everything he had been through recently, Kedron believed himself worthy of a little venom.
Would you not agree?
He shifted enough in his seat to be able to face his judge and as he rested his elbow on the edge of the table, his fingers stroked the cleft of his chin.
Kedron Williams: ‘And what exactly is it that I have done that has so wronged you?”
At that, she practically spit as she pointed a bejeweled finger at the necklace around his neck; the five pointed star in a circle with a chain wrapped around his neck. The last gift he had received from his former High Priestess that was a mother to him, before he … well, if you don't know then you certainly should.
Woman: You come in here, flaunting such sickness and evil debauchery! As if it were your right! Or is that just some silly status symbol for you to get a reaction from?”
Kedron Williams: “If it were, it has certainly done its job. Hasn’t it?”
That got quite the reaction from her, as she stepped back as if he had slapped her with a literal dose of reality in how she was behaving. But she had already invested herself and in her mind, her cause was righteous.
Woman: “Is that it then? Or are you truly one of Satan's children?”
Kedron Williams: “Not in the literal sense. But that really isn’t any of your business now is it?”
She rocked back on her heels, mouth gaping. How dare this … person .. suggest that something is not her business!
Woman: “Do you have any idea who I am!?”
At that, Kedron turned to Rinoa and smiled.
Kedron Williams: “Love, perhaps you should see if there is a doctor present. This poor woman apparently doesn’t know who she is.”
Rinoa closed her eyes but the smile on her face spoke volumes to him. And she was working to maintain her dignity and not give him the satisfaction of seeing her laugh at his taunting of this woman who sought to disrupt and ruin their celebratory evening out. Not so much could be said for his accuser, however, as his words only worked to rub her nerves even more raw, which really was probably what he had been hoping for.
Woman: “How… dare you! I should not have to sit in the presence of wickedness! This is a Christian nation…”
Kedron Williams: “Only, it isn’t.”
The woman stopped, caught off guard by his statement and she frowned.
Kedron Williams: “Last time I checked, this country’s constitution spoke of freedom of religion. Meaning, all religions. Not just yours.”
Woman: “I-”
Kedron Williams: “Oh and if you wish to be technical, my religion existed for thousands of years before yours reared its head. So kindly waddle off back to your table and allow my wife and I to continue enjoying our evening.”
Kedron turned away from her and showing his back to her was apparently an even greater insult than a verbal one as she hissed.
Woman: “Sick and wicked! Young man, if I had my Bible with me…”
Kedron all but ignored her further ramblings as he picked up the bottle of red wine and offered to refill Rinoa’s glass and his own.
Kedron Williams: “You’d what? Read me a bedtime story? I always did enjoy a good fairytale before bed as a child, but I think I’ve advanced past that habit.”
Woman: “F-fairytale!?”
If Kedron thought the woman could turn any redder with rage and indignity, he had been sorely mistaken. But before she could further express her disdain for him, Noah their water came to the rescue.
Noah: “Excuse me? Is there a…?”
But she rounded on the poor lad and pointed a finger at Kedron.
Woman: “A problem? I dare say there is! You have allowed a heathen into this fine establishment and I DEMAND that you remove him immediately!”
Noah: “Well, I am sorry you feel that way madam, but I’m here at the behest of management. They asked me to inform you that if you don’t return to your table and leave the Williams’ alone, then you will be asked to pay your bill now and remove yourselves from the premises.”
The woman gaped at the waiter, struck dumb by the simple fact that her demands were not being met! In fact, she was struck dumb simply for her side not being taken and not getting her own way. She ALWAYS got her own way! She sniffed back and stood with her chin(s) held up in an act of supreme righteousness.
Woman: “Fine, then! See if my husband and I ever grace your establishment ever again! You just lost your best customers!”
That being said, and quite proud she had gotten in the last word, she turned and made her way back to her table with said husband. But before she got too far, Kedron cleared his throat.
Kedron Williams: “Ma’am? Before you go?”
She spun around on her heels.
Woman: “What!?”
Kedron set his wine glass down and turned again to address her. By now, several patrons had been watching these proceedings with self entitled interest.
Kedron Williams: “Leviticus 19:19 Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. I believe your dress is silk but the collar is made of faux fur. 1 Peter 3:3 says ‘Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear.’ 1 Tim 2:9 also says, ‘likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.’”
Kedron waved a forefinger in her direction.
Kedron Williams: “Those are lovely earrings, rings on your fingers and my --! Such a diamond encrusted necklace! One would almost assume that you were trying to have people take notice!”
He then looked wistful and tapped his chin.
Kedron Williams: “I also believe that Leviticus 9:10 said ‘All that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.’ You had the lobster, did you not?”
By now, her face was contorted in rage and her body practically trembling. But she could not say anything further or else risk being expunged from the elite clientele of Eternity. So she simply waltzed back to her table with a “Hmph” from her lips and her nose in the air. Noah looked absolutely apologetic to the Williams.
Noah: “I, I am so sorry!”
Rinoa Williams: “Young man, this was not your fault.”
Noah: “Please, at least let us get you free dessert for this?”
Kedron Williams: “If you insist…”
Noah smiled and hurried off to do just that, as Kedron turned back to his wife to see her watching him with a funny expression.
Kedron Williams: “.... What?”
Rinoa Williams: “Well now we know for certain that your soul is your own again. You just spoke Bible verses without going up in flames.”
Kedron Williams: “I know.”
He huffed and sulked playfully like a little boy.
Kedron Williams: “And you promised me there would be no harmful side effects.”
Kedron Williams: “Let's be honest, you didn't see this one coming? From the moment Tiberius first showed up on my doorstep, I pictured an inevitable clash would be in the works. I just did not expect it to take so long. Then again, I had the very same assumption about the Good Shepherds. I had for many moons looked forward to a showdown with Father Gerald or Brother David, but was continuously left wanting. They paid me little to no heed, and instead preferred to focus on their own straying flock or others of an alternative lifestyle that clashed with their limited religious viewpoints. It's strange how I felt vastly let down over this lack of attention. Normally those like me avoided Christians and religious persecutions, yet I somehow crave it. And since I am denied the encounters that I want, what am I given instead?”
“Shepherds-Lite.”
“I read the Bible once, Tiberius. Believe it or not. Rinoa had actually dared me to read it, saying that I couldn’t rightly judge against it unless I had done so. I wish that I had held out against her dare, because once I finished it I had this under deniable urge to gouge out my eyes and pour bleach directly into my brain. Do you know what I found in this Bible that people such as yourself hold in such high regard? A lot of nonsense. I cannot believe that anybody but even the smallest trace of wisdom in their feeble little Minds can read this and take it so seriously!”
“The stories inside of it make the original Grimm Fairy Tales look like the Disney films by comparison. And far less interesting. Stories of long genealogies written by men obsessed with racial Purity. Archaic stories about ancient squabbles over real estate and women. Arcane rituals aimed at pleasing a volatile deity that people claim is a loving God but all evidence in scripture says anything but! A God that the faithful claim is perfect, but his own scripture states that he is a jealous God. Jealousy is a sign of weakness so how can the Lord of your religion be jealous? A Bible that is poorly written, and everything inside of it had been passed down through generations by word of mouth and people that had no skill in writing. Don't we all know what happens with tales and stories when spread over any length of time, days and weeks... Let alone months, years and centuries!”
“Tiberius, your Bible, and the religion that it is based on, would not even be in existence today were it not for a certain Roman Emperor who supposedly had an epiphany and change of heart, changing from his so-called Pagan views of the Roman gods to the Jehovah one. And yet men and women such as yourself that believe their path has been laid out ahead of them by your Lord Almighty I think those like me are the evil ones, the weak ones? Will let me fill you in on a fun little fact.”
“ Christians are some of the biggest Hypocrites that have ever graced this world! One of your biggest Commandments is judge not lest ye be judged, yet every time you turn around, your eyes fall on somebody who you believed to be beneath yourself. You look them in the eye and tell them all the acts they do are wrong, yet is that not judging? Now that favored response by Christians to this is the claim that they are not actually judging anyone. And to that I call bullshit! But hey, whatever makes you sleep better at night after you said your evening prayers. Am I right?”
“I’ve watched you Tiberius, and everything I’ve seen in your matches against men such as Caleb Storms and Stephen Callaway only confirms what I've always believed; that for as much as you call people such as me wicked, you Christians can be some of the most violent sons of bitches by comparison! And when the world saw you grab Caleb’s tights to secure the win?”
Kedron clucked his tongue as if he were reprimanding a school child, rather than a grown man.
Kedron Williams: “Your God is watching you Tiberius oh, and I can't imagine that use of such tactics would please him. But then again, it's not altogether that's surprising. It's like I said, for all the bravado of a Christian, at heart you are some of the biggest perverts and most violent and sadistic creatures that walk the face of this Earth! Take a look at your own path or that of those like you! It was men like you that condemned thousands of innocent men and women to their deaths during the Salem and European witch-hunts! Men who listen to the ramblings of foolish little girls, and feared any, especially women, who might surpass them in strength and stature of the time.”
“‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Live.’ Exodus 22:18. That is the scripture that fool such as yourself used to justify murder. There is no denying it, so please don't insult the intelligence of either one of us. Because your Bible also has a passage that reads ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill.’ so which is it, because you can't have it both ways. I would like to think that these Hypocrites are currently burning in the very same hell that they believed they had condemned all of these men and women to. How foolish are they if they were to only realize that the real witches, the true Children of the Earth, we're standing right there the entire time, watching these burning is but for safety sake, holding their tongues?”
“I imagine their shame and humiliation would rank right up there when there is actually a witch mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The Witch of Endor? Does that ring a bell Tiberius? She was a woman that Saul had consulted to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel in the 28th chapter of the first book of Samuel. He did this to receive advice against the Philistines in battle after his prior attempts to consult your precious Lord Almighty had failed. Now what does it say when the first king of the United Kingdom of Israel actually sought the help of a witch?”
“I’ll tell you what it says; it says that Christians we're so troubled by this passage as it appeared to imply that the witch had some of the spirit of Samuel and therefore necromancy and Magic were not only possible, but perhaps even condone! That would certainly be the case where Solomon, the great king and son of David who slew himself a giant Goliath, would be concerned. After all, it was he who and perhaps the most famous grimoires in the history of mankind, the Key of Solomon. A fabulous Tome of knowledge that, among other things and great workings, held knowledge on how to summon angels and bind demons. It's books that contain knowledge of conjurations, invocations and curses. Rites that describe how to find stolen items, how to become invisible, gain favor and love along with so much more! And to think that Solomon claimed and believed that his spell work was empowered by God himself!”
“It kind of throws that whole ‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Live’ ideology out the window, does it not? I mean, if God was empowering basically the first warlock in the history of… Christianity? But then again, if you take half of what the Bible says under scrutiny, you'd grow to understand just how wasted your life has been.”
“But that is why I am here, Tiberius. And why I am so greatly looking forward to this encounter between ourselves. Let it be a lesson plan, if you will, to open your mind and broaden your horizons. Christians believe that the world can be seen in nothing but black and white, Good and Evil. And while I will admit that the wicked such as myself have even a touch of good in them, the opposite is also true. Even those with the best of intentions in the noblest of Hearts, have a trace of evil in them. It's just a matter of which side gets nurtured.”
“Now, I never claimed to be of the noblest of hearts. I have had my dealings with Devil's, and I have done some things that those very same devils might even cringe upon. But I am also whole once more, and my soul is my own. I make no assumptions about where I will go when I'm no longer walking this Earth, even if I am not so presumptuous or arrogant. I'll leave that to you and your ilk. Me?”
“I never really saw myself as good or evil, although my wife might have an opinion on that matter. Then again, Ben Jordan might also. I have done things, terrible things. But things begin a new, and in a matter of weeks I have a date with destiny to prove that I am the man that my beloved Rinoa believes me to be. I will not allow you, or anyone else for that matter, to come between me and the fact. The fact that you are just another bible-thumping, hypocritical Christian?”
“That is just icing on the cake.”
