Read In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III) Online
Authors: John J Higgins
FINDING A FRIEND AGAIN
Cerebriel assigned Faumiel to take a small force down near Guline’s cave while he took the main force in the direction of the village known as Nod. Adam and Eve’s cave was about the midpoint between those two locations. This area was becoming one of the major gathering places for the Simians as well as the fledgling Humans.
All the loyal Angels were instructed to remain invisible and to conceal themselves as best as possible during this assignment. They did not want to violate the Almighty’s policy of non-interference and it would be very tempting for the Simians and Humans to try to speak with the rank and file loyal Angels if they were visible.
Once the larger force was in position, Cerebriel decided to take a small squadron of his Cherubim along with him directly to the area of the village of Nod, to see if they could secretly locate his friend Jarahmael. As they approached for landing, Cerebriel dispersed them all around the area of the market place, reiterating his strict instructions to observe and not interfere. As Cerebriel surveyed the area for a final time from above he could feel a strong presence of other hidden Angels in the area and he had a foreboding that something bad was going to happen soon.
He flew over just in time to watch a tall Simian and three children walking away from the village. It struck him odd that all four of them were hooded and cloaked as it was a warm day, but the Simians and Humans could be a strange lot. Cerebriel did not know everything about the Humans and Simians, even though he and Raphael had been assigned to keep an eye on them. He thought it best to keep more of a distance from the Humans after Jarahmael violated the Almighty’s commandment and disappeared. It was a frustrating and difficult task to try to protect the Humans while at the same time not being able to make their presence known. Jarahmael’s violation and its consequences made Cerebriel, Raphael and any other observing loyal Angels much more cautious; none of them wanted to be placed in Jarahmael’s position.
Cerebriel gave a signal for his squad to regain altitude and they followed the Simian and the three children from the air, remaining high enough that they could not been seen or felt, but close enough that they always maintained visual contact with the four creatures.
The Simian and the children walked quite a distance away and then entered a cave in the side of the mountain. A familiar place to Cerebriel, it was Adam and Eve’s Cave of Treasures. This was where the two Humans had been placed after being cast out of the Garden of Eden. Cerebriel remembered that the Almighty had assigned Gabriel and Ariel to provide the Humans with some tools that could assist them in surviving on the planet at the time.
Cerebriel noticed that there were fields that had been cleared of trees near the cave, and now there were crops of food stuffs for Humans that had been planted and were growing
. I wonder if Jarahmael provided them with more information from the Book of Creation,
Cerebriel thought to himself. Then he saw that off in the far fields there were herds of animals that were being moved about by Adam. Jarahmael must have also shown the Humans how to raise and keep animals.
This was a good sign, Cerebriel thought. Jarahmael must be around here, or at least his home would be close-by. Maybe they would be fortunate this day and find Jarahmael, Lillith and their child before the rebel Angels captured them.
Cerebriel landed in a tree a small distance from the entrance into Adam and Eve’s cave and watched the four figures walk inside. He also saw that the small group was greeted by Eve, the female responsible for the Humans being cast out of Eden. He wanted to walk into the cave himself but was concerned that Jarahmael may sense his presence even if he remained invisible because they were very close and spent a lot of time in one another’s company.
Cerebriel also still felt a strange presence outside the cave, but did not see anyone. He waited for a time for the four figures to re-emerge from the cave, but instead, he saw an Archangel fly out of the cave, his blue tipped friend, who was now headed towards the side of a mountain off in the distance.
Cerebriel saw that Jarahmael was unarmed.
That’s really taking a risk,
he thought. Jarahmael must know that Luciferael and the other rebel Angels were still looking for him. Cerebriel decided to remain invisible for now; he would fly and catch up to his friend as he got closer to the mountain.
Then out of the corner of his eye, Cerebriel saw the black tipped wings of Sammuael appear in hot pursuit, his sword out of its scabbard, at the ready and pointed at Jarahmael.
AN INCONVENIENT BUMP
Sammuael could not restrain himself when he saw Jarahmael fly out of Adam and Eve’s cave. Not being able to attack while he was invisible, Sammuael slowed his body’s energy down and became solid again and flew upwards towards Jarahmael. He did not care at all if someone saw him. Finally, he had Jarahmael in his sights and was going to capture him once and for all. Luciferael and the others could focus on the hybrid child and Lillith. He wanted revenge and the glory of capturing the great fugitive Jarahmael.
Jarahmael naturally moved quickly when he flew. He had been able to avoid being seen in the sky for many years now, and had developed a technique of flying upwards very quickly, flexing his wings in large and fast strokes that sent him to great heights. Once at altitude, he would then roll forward, pull his wings behind him and aim towards wherever he was going, descending at a speed that was just below making a sonic boom. Having done this technique for all these years, his strength was well developed and it would be difficult for anyone to keep up with him.
Sammuael found that out quickly as he was not used to flying at great speeds, as there was little need to travel like that in the Underworld. In a few minutes Jarahmael was far above Sammuael, and try as he might he was still falling further behind.
Suddenly, the rebel Archangel felt himself hit broadside by a heavier Cherubim. Sammuael was so focused on chasing Jarahmael that he never saw it coming, and his sword popped out of his outstretched arm as he began to tumble earthwards. Dropping now out of the sky, his sword was falling faster towards the ground, Sammuael’s wings slowing his descent just by their air displacement. By the time he caught up to his sword he was barely above the ground, just outside the Humans’ cave. With his sword in hand and now infuriated, he glared again upwards, trying to find which Cherubim had struck him, but the culprit was already gone.
Sammuael continued to scan the sky for the Cherubim but noticed he had also lost Jarahmael and any indication as to where he was headed. He flew up to one of the clouds passing by about two thousand feet up, and landed on its fluffy white water vapored floor, looking around at the ground to see if he could find any clues as to where Jarahmael had gone.
Luciferael appeared next to him, making himself solid and visible. “That was not necessary, Sammuael. Why did you do that? You risked the entire operation going after Jarahmael like that!”
“Apologies, my lord. I did not want Jarahmael to get away again. We have had such few opportunities to capture him,” Sammuael said, bowing before Luciferael subserviently.
“I want to recapture Lillith and that hybrid child as well. You have to get your personal hatred out of this until we have all three of them,” Luciferael admonished.
“Again, I am sorry, my lord. I lost him as he ascended. I don’t know who struck me from the side other than it seemed like it was a Cherubim by the Being’s mass,” Sammuael said, rubbing his side.
“I did not see who struck you, Sammuael, as I was focused on Jarahmael’s ascent,” Luciferael added.
“I am so sorry we lost Jarahmael and don’t know where he was headed, my lord,” Sammuael repeated.
“Who said we lost him and do not know where he was headed?” Luciferael responded, another of his grins erupting on his face.
FOREBODING
Jarahmael aimed his body at his home from far above the clouds and glided directly at the entranceway, pulling his wings slightly back to allow all the air to pass directly over his wings, not building up back pressure, which enabled him to dive faster. He would appear as a blur at best, if any Human or Simian happened to be looking up at the sky. Just above the ground he arched his back as he straightened and extended his wings, cupping the air, as he braked causing his speed to diminish.
He touched down lightly in his entranceway, hidden from outside view by the trees, bushes and boulders that hid his cave. He walked into his home looking for Lillith and found her sitting up asleep in their bedroom.
“Wake up Lillith!” Jarahmael called out to her.
She slowly opened her eyes, still appearing very sleepy to Jarahmael. “Are you alright, Lillith?” he asked.
“Yes, I am fine,” she replied automatically. “What time is it?”
“It’s a little past midday,” the Archangel answered as he leaned down and kissed her. “I thought you may like to come with me and the boys up to the snow covered mountaintop. It’s a great way to stay cool,” he answered. He looked at her and noticed that she still seemed to be in a daze. “Come on Lillith, it may do you good to come outside.”
“You promise to never leave me?” she asked, suddenly becoming more aware.
“Of course, Lillith. I searched all over for you the last time. I will never leave you, and if you ever did get lost, I will find you once again. I promise!” Jarahmael said as he reached down and gave her a kiss.
He never tired of looking at her. She was one of the Almighty’s most beautiful creatures. He did not know why she was becoming more withdrawn of late; he thought raising Enoch was becoming easier as the boy was growing. Perhaps it was her longing for her existence back in the Garden of Eden, but this area of the Earth was beautiful in its own right.
Lillith kissed him back and surprised him when she embraced him, holding on like she would never let go. They stayed like that until he leaned his head back and smiled at her, looking deep in her eyes.
“I want to make you happy, what else can I do for you?” he asked. He could smell her hair and loved how she felt up against his body. But they would not have time to make love again.
“Nothing, my Archangel,” she answered. “I have just had feelings of foreboding and I don’t know why. I want to stay safe and secure here in our home.”
“Come with me, Lillith. I have three boys who are waiting on us,” Jarahmael said, moving her around to his back so he could fly back to Adam and Eve’s cave.
He carried her to the entranceway to their home and looked up as he was ready to push himself upwards and fly off with Lillith on his back. Then he saw Angels flying down out of the clouds in the distance heading precisely in his direction.
They have found me!
his thoughts screamed at him.
Are they also looking for Enoch and Lillith? They must have followed me here!
Jarahmael went into a protective mode, spun around, placed Lillith back in the cave and motioned for her to get further back inside.
“Hide Lillith!” he whispered. “I will make the cave invisible. Don’t move until I get back!”
He slid off to the side and called out “Verto Invisible” and the opening to the cave disappeared, hidden in the camouflage of the trees and shrubbery in front. Lillith would be safe for now, concealed within the mountain. But he knew that Enoch would be vulnerable in the cave of Adam and Eve without any protection.
He did not have his weapons on him, and he also knew that none of the Humans where he had left his weapons would be capable of fighting these Angels. They were the most skilled of the rebel Cherubim warriors, by the looks of them!
With no time to waste, he turned himself invisible and took off upwards so he could figure out how best to deal with these attacking Angels.