In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II) (14 page)
Read In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II) Online
Authors: John J. Higgins
“What will that do?” asked Beelzebael. “Those walls haven’t yielded to anything we have tried and we did try the horns, hammers, swords, spears, mace, and even the harps.”
“You will see!” said Luciferael. Now pleased with himself that he could once again show his superiority over the other Archangels, he continued, “Beelzebael, Suriel, Mephistophael get your legions ready. I want to attack forthwith once these defenses fall. I suspect that the remaining Dominion Angels and Principalities who are preparing to defend the Third Heaven feel secure that these defenses will hold. Once we break through into the Third Heaven, the loyal Angels will be in disarray and we should be able to sweep ourselves right down through the Heavens — maybe take a slight breather in the Second Heaven. Then it’s off to conquer the First Heaven and the Earth. We should be there far ahead of the Almighty’s return, and will be established with our own defenses by then.”
Beelzebael took off and flew over his legions as did the other two Archangels, and the body of the army slowly straightened itself up in anticipation of what was to come next.
Luciferael flapped his wings a few times and shot up into the sky and watched as his army of rebel Angels strengthened itself. He thought it was magnificent to behold.
Confident that his army was ready, he folded his wings along his sides and walked in the tunnel with the trumpet before him, the red and green faced orbs bobbing in the space behind him
, stacked on top of one another
.
A number of minutes later, confident that he was well within the walled defense of the Dominions' Fourth Heaven, he brought the trumpet up.
“Power me up now!” Luciferael commanded the Potentate Angels.
Rays of energy flew off each of the Potentates and into Luciferael's shining body of light. It became brighter and brighter as he waited patiently for it to build within him. He could feel the energy flowing fully into him, strengthening him, radiating off his skin. When he felt that it could not get any stronger, he raised the trumpet and blew with all of his amplified energy and force.
For Beelzebael and the first rows of his legion, the sound was beyond deafening. It shattered the walls and dispersed them into a flash of light, and
bouncing off the defenses’ walls as they crumbled the sound waves ricocheted backwards,
knock
ing
down Beelzebael and his front ranks.
Similarly, the sound from the horn went through to the loyal Dominion Angels in the Third Heaven, hitting those who had been manning the walls of the defenses and fighting the rebel Cherubim as they came through. The sound threw many of the loyal Angels back down from the edges of the Fourth Heaven into the Third Heaven. It also displaced the ranks of those Principal
ities
who were acting as reserves and assembled on the uppermost clouds of the Third Heaven. They, too, were knocked back off their clouds and cast down to the grounds of the Third Heaven.
As the Principalities were falling, they could see the rush of the rebel Angels pouring through from the Fourth Heaven into their Heaven. The sound remained deafening as Luciferael did not stop blowing the horn even after the walls had dissolved,
aiming the sounds at the Third Heaven below
to ensure the loyal Angels could not assemble a counterattack.
The rush of the attack took the Dominions and Principalities by surprise. For although the Order of the Principalities Angels tried to hold their Heaven, they could not defend themselves without weapons, and the torrent of rebel Angels was so fast and furious there was no way that they could hold their ground. For those Angels who still could move, the remaining Dominions and Principalities headed into the Second Heaven, knowing that they had better retreat to the First Heaven and regroup there.
The loyal Potentate Angels at first did not realize what had happened as they watched the loyal defenders of the Dominions and Principalities rout right through their Heaven, fleeing to get to the First Heaven. It was clear that the loyal Angels had not been able to hold back the rebel Angels. No one of the loyal Angels knew how the rebel Angels had blasted through the massive defenses that the Dominions had assembled in their Heaven. As far as they knew all of the Heavens above belonged to the rebel Angels.
The only option for the Potentates who were still loyal to the Almighty was to flee along with the other two orders of Angels. Better to flee now and come back to fight another day. Abrackus, the leader of the Potentate Angels in the Second Heaven, transmitted instructions by thought to those Potentate Angels still there.
"Downward! Downward!" he ordered.
Racquie, the next highest ranking Potentate Angel brought up the rear of those remaining, and as he looked back at his beautiful Heaven, he could see Luciferael and the rebel army, coming through the Second Heaven. Upset that his Heaven was now being overrun for a reason he did not know or understand, he felt terrible that the Potentates were unable to escape and became captives.
Luciferael caught the glowing orb of a Potentate and when he looked into the Angel's face he could see the anger within its eyes glaring at him.
Rather than make Luciferael feel badly, it gave him strength and empowered him. “Hate me if you must, but I will be the next Almighty,” he said aloud to no one in particular as he flew with strong, broad stretches of his wings. Immensely pleased with himself, Luciferael had now managed to conquer the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Heavens. The First and Seventh Heavens were there now just his for the taking. It had been a good day.
Chapter 18
Michael woke up the next morning and it took a second for him to remember where he was. He had never slept outside his own palace before. The other Angels were still asleep around him except for Volac. As Michael got to his feet he saw that Volac was already up and looking upwards towards the Heavens.
“Morning Volac. See anything we should be worried about this morning?” Michael asked.
Volac appeared to have been weeping.
“I am concerned for my Dominion colleagues. We were being overrun yesterday. I don't know if they were able to hold and protect our beautiful Fourth Heaven,” Volac said, on the verge of tears again. “Perhaps you and I could take a quick flight up and see how things are in my home. Later, you can prepare for war,” Volac pleaded.
“I understand,” Michael responded. “I need to know what's going on in the upper Heavens too.”
Michael walked over to Gabriel and gently woke him. “I need to go up to where the fighting is and see what we can do to stop this. Keep preparing here on Earth. Collect whatever tools are available and have the Cherubim turn them into weapons if they can. I hope to return before midday — tonight at the latest. Tell
lord
Cerebriel I will return and to keep organizing the Angel work crews from the pyramids. If the rebel Angels aren't stopped in Heaven I am sure we will be attacked here.”
Raziel had awoken and he jumped up. “I am coming with you, Michael.”
“Your company and assistance would be most welcomed,” Michael said. “Volac, are you ready now?”
“Yes, more than ready!” he said. Michael walked over to the entrance of the pyramid, where a pile of lasers used for cutting rock were laying. He gave one to each of his companions and strapped one on himself.
“These may not be the best weapons but they are better than nothing,” Michael said as he began to fly off into the Heavens.
Raziel and Volac followed, strapping on their weapons, and they were soon in flight too.
They passed into the First Heaven. Michael and his two companions stopped when Michael saw Gaardrael organizing his Angels into legions and separate ranks.
“Greetings
lord
Gaardrael! Any news from the Heavens above?” Michael asked the head of the Guardian Angels.
“Not anything that we can confirm, my
l
ord Michael. I thought I saw a squad of Cherubim pass through carrying some sleds, and being pursued by another group of Cherubim. They disappeared not long ago, below on the Earth. We could certainly use some weapons here. I know that the Dominions and Principalities have been struggling to hold back the rebel army of Angels. The rebel Angels have been led by Beelzebael from what I have heard.”
Gaardrael recognized Volac and Raziel and nodded to both of them. “Volac, didn't you come through from the Dominions’ defenses just yesterday?” he asked.
“Yes, it was Beelzebael who was attacking us. Suriel and Jarahmael were along in separate legions, but it was definitely Beelzebael's legions in the forefront. We barely got the protective walls up.”
“Have the Dominions continued to hold?” Volac asked Gaardrael.
“Can't tell from here. All I know is that the rebel Angels haven’t broken through the Second Heaven above us. I don't know how the Potentates can defend themselves even if they did have the weapons the Cherubim created for the rest of us Angels. I am afraid that if Beelzebael breaks through the last defenses at the gateway into the Fourth Heaven, they will come easily through both the Third and Second Heavens in a large force and my Guardian Angels will be the last line to try to hold them back in the Heavens. We may be smaller in stature than the higher Orders of Angels but there are more of us. Get us the weapons and we will fight!” Gaardrael added with determination.
Raziel asked Gaardrael, “Have you seen
l
ord Ariel?”
“No
,
lord
Raziel, I haven’t seen him. Last I knew
lord
Ariel passed through the First Heaven on the way up with you. My Angels told me you came back without him. True?”
“Yes
,
Gaardrael, we had gone to the upper Heavens together and he remained behind in the Fifth Heaven to see what was going on while Luciferael was assembling the main army. He was supposed to join me back on the Earth once he had the information. I have a bad feeling that something has happened to him,” Raziel said with concern.
“
Too many strange things have occurred over the past couple of days!”
exclaimed
Gaardrael, shaking his head.
“Has anyone spoken to the Almighty since this began?” Michael asked.
“Not that I know of, and I was one of the last Angels up in the Seventh Heaven. The Almighty was not in the Throne Room when I was up there with Ariel. . .” Raziel said.
Michael interrupted. “We had better get up through the other Heavens, see if we can find out how well or poorly things are going.”
“Agreed,” said Raziel.
Volac nodded his head and said, “Follow me!”
“Talk to you when we come back,
lord
Gaardrael. Keep up the good work!” Michael said to him.
Up and away they flew again. They entered and passed through the Second Heaven where the Potentate Angels were clustering together. A formation of the floating orbs with round faces seemed odd; they seemed to float and bob and weave. Michael had never seen them form into a solid core. But there had never been a need for such a thing before. Their formation only increased his curiosity about them. Perhaps they gained even more strength collected together like that.
The three Angels entered the Third Heaven just as Luciferael's horn began blasting through the Dominions’ Fourth Heaven defenses. The mad rush of Angels began to pass through as Dominions and Principal alike routed through the Third Heaven. Raziel took off to try to stop the rout and Michael was about to fly off and do the same, when he felt the laser cutting tool against his back.
Volac commanded, “Do not move,
l
ord Michael, or I will laser you!”
Michael was shocked. He did not know what to do. “Never expected you to be a rebel Dominion Angel,” Michael said. His head was pushed forward when he attempted to turn around and look Volac in the eye.
“Yes, you will be quite the prize,
l
ord Michael! You are considered to be the lead Angel of the loyal Archangels. I am sure that Luciferael or Sammuael will provide a high reward for capturing you.”
Michael looked around him hoping for some kind of assistance. But with the panic having set in among the defending loyal Angels, none of the loyal Angels were focused on him or the Dominion behind him as they were all flying to the next safe place.
Volac reached over and removed Michael's laser cutter, and threw it away into the cloud.
“Let’s go!” Volac said, as he pushed Michael to fly in front of him towards one of the clouds off to the eastern side of the main traffic of fleeing Angels. Volac knew that Beelzebael and his legions would be coming soon in hot pursuit of the loyal Angels.
After a few minutes the panicked loyal Angels had passed by the two of them and they could see the leading ranks of the rebel Angels charging through the gateway. They moved fast and loudly, the sound of the trumpet still deafening.
Volac and Michael noticed
l
ord Luciferael leading a legion, too far to the west for Volac and his prisoner to be noticed.
Beelzebael's legion came through next and moved parallel to Luciferael's legion. Beelzebael was closer, but as Volac thought about it, why he should bring the prize of the day to a lesser Angel? He should bring it to the Prince of the Heavens,
lord
Luciferael. He just may have to be patient until Luciferael returned through this Heaven.
“Where are we going?” asked Michael, surprised that Volac hadn't turned him over as a prisoner immediately and now forced him to sit on one of the more solid clouds near the entrance to the Fourth Heaven.
“We shall go up into the Fifth Heaven and wait for Luciferael there. In the meantime, you are to be under constant guard.” A small squad of
rebel
Cherubim Angels passing through were stopped by Volac. They surrounded Michael as Volac spoke to their leader. After he was done they all began to move in unison towards the upper Heavens, Michael in the center of them all.
“Why have you captured me, Volac? I thought you were a loyal Dominion Angel,” Michael asked Volac.
Volac responded proudly, “I intend to be in the upper ranks of the Heavens once Luciferael becomes the Almighty. Capturing and turning you over will remove any organized resistance to Luciferael and I am sure he will reward me greatly for assisting him conquer the Heavens and the Earth.”
“Take him to the Hall of the Virtues,” Volac said to the Cherubim guards, “we can keep him with Ariel, one of the other Archangels.”
Volac turned to Michael and said, “I am sure
l
ord Luciferael will give you the opportunity to serve him rather than the Almighty. Although I can't imagine that you would willingly serve Luciferael when he becomes the Almighty.”
“Truer words were never spoken!” Michael said to Volac. “I will remember this day, Volac, as should you. I intend
to make sure
that it will haunt you for a long, long time.”
Raziel had been unable to stop the rout and realized that Michael and Volac had not followed him. As he searched the sky to find them, he noticed a group of rebel Cherubim Angels ascending through the entrance into the Fourth Heaven with Michael surrounded by them. The Cherubim’s weapons were aimed at Michael, with Volac flying alongside. Raziel wanted to attack the Cherubim guards and set Michael free, but there were ten of them and they were all properly armed. He wouldn't stand a chance to free Michael. Raziel decided to surreptitiously follow to find out where they were taking Michael. Then, he would try to assemble a group of loyal Angels to free him.
Raziel followed them as they ascended up through the Fourth Heaven and then into the Fifth Heaven, home of the Virtues. This is where he had left Ariel. Maybe he could find out what happened to Ariel as well. Raziel watched as the Cherubim guards remained with Michael and placed him within the Hall of the Virtues. Not too far away, he saw that Ariel was also a captive, watched by four of the rebel Cherubim, yet far enough so Michael and Ariel could not speak to one another.
Raziel needed help to free them. But how can he get back and forth between the Earth, where the majority loyal Angels were, and here? At least two of the Heavens below Raziel were under the control of Luciferael. They would easily pick off any squad that Raziel could bring. Raziel thought about his options. If he could not succeed in heading downward in the Heavens, what about heading above? Having been up in the upper Heavens only a couple of days before, Raziel knew there were not a lot of Angels who remained in the Sixth and Seventh Heavens. But he also was not sure if any of the loyal Angels remained free and would be able to assist him.
The only Angel he knew to be up this high in the Heavens and loyal would be Jarahmael. He should be around somewhere. Raziel knew that Jarahmael would try to get his hands on the Crystal Prisms now hidden within his mirrors. And the risk of the rebel Angels taking over the Heavens would repulse Jarahmael.
Jarahmael may be my only hope
, Raziel thought. He needed to find him soon, as the loyal army was now without a proper head.
Who knows what will happen to the loyal Angel armies on the Earth, once they find out that Michael is a prisoner or destroyed? They haven’t even assembled themselves into a functional fighting force, and without weapons and leadership, Luciferael will be the next Almighty, unopposed.