Read In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III) Online
Authors: John J Higgins
OBSERVATIONS
Damiel and Mammonael landed in the trees in the forest near Adam and Eve’s cave. Luciferael had assigned them to watch the Humans and especially the children. There had been a long discussion among the Auxilium about these creatures after they had decided to keep Lillith prisoner in the Seventh Pit of Hell earlier that morning. Mammonael had suggested that they just attack these creatures and destroy them. The Almighty had sentenced the parents to age and die as they were cast out of the Garden of Eden many years before, even before the rebellion in the Heavens.
“It’s time to destroy them once and for all!” Mammonael had said as he addressed the Auxilium. “If the Almighty won’t do it, then we should. Every time I see or hear of these Humans or Simians on the Earth, it reminds me of how we were defeated and lost our status in the Heavens.”
Damiel was able to calm Mammonael’s fury when he said, “I believe the lord Luciferael has a better purpose for these creatures. Before long they will become our play toys, Mammonael!”
“Well, I don’t want to play with these creatures, my lords!” Mammonael had responded. “I want to go back to simpler times, when we ruled the Heavens and the Earth without competition from these creatures made of dirt.”
“Their time will come, Mammonael,” Luciferael had responded. “It all takes time. You and Sammuael both need to learn patience.”
“Is there anything we can do to move their destruction along, my lord Luciferael?” Beelzebael had asked. “Perhaps if Mammonael had something to do about these creatures he would feel like he is accomplishing something?”
Mammonael had nodded his head. “Yes, my lord, give me something to do. I am not good at this waiting forever.”
Luciferael had laughed. “All right, my impatient Archangels. This is what I need to know. What do these Humans enjoy doing? Something I can tempt them with. Just as I tempted Eve originally. It became clear that she would want to be as powerful or know as much as the Almighty. What is it that I could give these Humans, or promise to give them, that would make them betray one another or even the Almighty?”
That is why we are here outside Adam’s cave,
Mammonael thought to himself. Damiel volunteered to accompany him, and Luciferael was delighted. Damiel would be able to make sure that Mammonael did not do anything to threaten their future plans with the Humans.
It did not take long for Damiel and Mammonael to see the Humans come out of the cave. The two rebel Archangels had both been afraid that the Humans would stay inside today, as it was so soon after the battle between the Angels. Only a day had passed, in fact.
But at least they knew they had not wasted their time in coming to seek Adam out. They quickly turned themselves invisible and followed the Humans on the ground as they walked away from the cave. Adam led the three boys who walked along together in a row behind Adam. They headed towards the fields near the cave, fields that had both sheep in one section and plants neatly arranged in rows with fruit hanging off the branches.
As they watched, they saw the one child make sure that the animals had water and food. Then this child took the time to pet each one of them. Over at the other end of the fields, the second boy played in the dirt and watered the plants growing there, walking through the rows of plants and looking at the leaves and whatever was growing off the branches. They also watched the third boy in the middle of the field, who was much more handsome, run between the two boys, helping each of them as needed. After he grew tired of running between the other two boys, he took off some tree bark and then sat himself on the ground, running a rock or something over the surface of the bark. All the while the older Human, that problem named Adam, just stayed there sitting on the ground as the boys moved around and played.
Not much to report back,
Mammonael thought.
Another time waster, there must be a better way to deal with these Humans!
Off in the distance there was a scattering of dust picked up by the wind that caught all of their attention, Angels and Humans alike. Out of the little cloud there were two female creatures that emerged. Simians from what Mammonael could tell, two small ones, children no doubt. Mammonael remembered these Simian creatures as very primitive and not very handsome or beautiful as far as Angels or even Humans went. But these two small girls had a beauty to them. The worst features of the Simians had softened with these two children. One was distinctly more beautiful than the other though, stunningly so.
When the girls approached the field, Mammonael watched as two of the Human boys ran over to them. It looked as though each of the boys was trying to get the prettier girl’s attention by grabbing her by the hand and trying to drag her off to either part of the field. One boy succeeded in pulling the girl away and brought her over to where his animals were grazing, and showed her how she could pet the creatures. The other Human boy became angry and walked off to where he had been playing in the dirt, while the other girl laughed at them at first and then followed the second boy over and joined him playing in the dirt. The older Human, Adam, just watched and laughed. The third boy just looked over at the scene for a moment or two, then he went back to making marks on the tree bark.
A wave of emotion passed through Mammonael and Damiel that came from the boy playing in the dirt. It was powerful, and dark. They both felt it and it invigorated each of the Archangels.
Perhaps this visit wasn’t a waste of time at all,
Mammonael thought as he stood there.
Maybe there is something here that the rebels can use against the Humans.
Damiel looked over at Mammonael and nodded and smiled. It was clear that he had felt the same thing, and knew that this would be something powerful to use against the Humans.
Now they could leave; they had something to report and knew that Luciferael and the Auxilium would be pleased with their observations.
MEMORIES RESTORED
Recaptured yet again, Lillith was held in the main assembly room and awaited her fate before Luciferael and his Auxilium. She had struggled as best she could against the much larger and stronger rebel Angel guards, but failed to escape. She could only think about returning to Earth and to her mate and son.
The Auxilium assembled itself around her, with Luciferael the last to arrive.
As she glared back at each of the individual rebel Archangels, she realized that many of Luciferael’s Auxilium were looking at her with lust in their eyes. She overheard them whispering among themselves that she had signed a contract seven years earlier, in which she exchanged most of her future for the ability to raise her child through his tender years and stay on the Earth.
“I see you have awoken out of Beelzebael’s trance, Lillith. Still full of fire and spunk too!” Luciferael said, laughing. “Give her a chair so she can sit and be more comfortable,” he said while indicating for the guards to move a chair behind her.
“I do not want to sit here!” Lillith said defiantly.
“Be seated!” Luciferael bellowed at her, the sound from his voice physically driving her backward and down into the seat. “This is not a negotiation, Lillith!”
She sat in her seat silently, afraid of what Luciferael would do to her if she did not stay quiet or refused to obey.
“I am sure you do not remember this, but seven years ago I allowed you access to the surface, for the purpose of you giving birth to your child and permitting you to raise him on the Earth, for the first seven years of his life. Do you remember this now?” Luciferael said as he stepped off his throne and then touched her on her forehead, reopening her memories.
A moment later Lillith responded, “Yes, my lord, I now remember.”
“You signed a contract,” Luciferael said as he pointed over towards Beelzebael, who held up the sheepskin she had signed in blood.
“You are now ours!” Sammuael said. “And as you had agreed, you also have to ‘breed’ for us. You shall give each of us in the Auxilium children. Beginning with the lord Luciferael!”
Lillith shuddered at the thought of making babies with each of these rebel Angels and then she began to cry. Worst of all, she had agreed to it! She remembered how upsetting it was for Jarahmael when she inadvertently told him that she had slept with Luciferael. He appeared hurt even though she explained she had only done so when she thought Jarahmael had been destroyed early in the rebellion.
Jarahmael would never understand her agreeing to do that again. How could he ever forgive her for agreeing to sleep with all of his enemies, including Luciferael? No, Jarahmael would never come for her once he knew that; she was all on her own now.
Through her tears, she saw that her sadness only appeared to delight the Auxilium even more. They smiled at her pain, some even laughed. The only consolation she had was that without having entered into this agreement with Luciferael, Enoch would have been raised here in Hell and not known his father, or worse. Besides, the time she had spent with Jarahmael and Enoch was worth her sacrifice. It had been a terrible choice, and she was thankful she had not remembered it for the past seven years. She did not know how she would ever be able to stay here for all of eternity. A wave of black dread surged through her body as she resolved herself to her fate and continued to cry. Worst of all she knew that she would have to abandon all hope of escape.
SEARCHING FOR
AN EXPLANATION
Cerebriel and Raphael arrived on the Earth as the sun was in its midday position, accompanied by a squadron of loyal Cherubim. They were more cautious after the recent attack and scanned the skies and ground below searching for any of the rebel Angels, but could not see any.
“It’s a good sign,” Cerebriel said to Raphael as they descended. “I was worried that yesterday’s attack was the precursor to another attack on the Heavens.”
“Yes, things are quiet today. Looks like just another normal day on Earth,” Raphael replied.
“Let’s fly over and see how things look at Adam and Eve’s cave,” Cerebriel said as he aimed in that direction.
Raphael followed behind and observed the bands of Simians on the ground as they flew towards the caves.
When they arrived at Adam and Eve’s cave, they saw Adam and the three children along with him. The one child still had a peculiar set of lumps on his back under the tunic, more clearly seen from above. Raphael pointed at a spot along the path where the Humans were walking, indicating to Cerebriel that they should land there, just before he turned invisible. Cerebriel followed his lead and did the same.
Invisibly perched on the tree at the end of the fields, they watched as Adam and the three children came into view. Two of the children were very similar in looks, brown haired and brown eyed, and almost the same in height, one looking slightly older than the other. The third child looked younger that both the other two, although he was already taller, brown haired, with very blue eyes. Intensely blue eyes that reminded both Raphael and Cerebriel of Jarahmael’s. The protrusions on the child’s back stuck out slightly as though they were tied down, but both were in the correct places for an Archangel’s wings.
Adam called the older boy Cain and the next oldest boy, Abel. The more Angelic child he addressed as Enoch, but even more revealing was the child asking if his father Jarahmael had returned yet with his mother Lillith.
Pleased with themselves, Raphael and Cerebriel flew upwards again and turned visible as they landed in a cloud, obscured from the Humans below.
“That solves one mystery!” Raphael declared proudly. “Now at least we know which child is which. Jarahmael’s son is named Enoch, and those must be some form of wing growth on him. Whether the child can fly or not, we shall have to see.”
“Yes, my lord Raphael. I am concerned that Luciferael and his rebels may want to seize Jarahmael’s son Enoch, and they may have tried yesterday. But he seems to be safe and sound there with Adam, Cain and Abel, at least for today,” Cerebriel said as he pointed down towards them.
“I am not sure the rebel Angels have given up their pursuit of Jarahmael and his family, Cerebriel.” Raphael said as the two sat on the cloud high above the Humans.
“I agree, it’s not like Luciferael to give up. I still feel that he has some other scheme.” Cerebriel added.
“Here come Guline’s and Noriem’s daughters, Gaela and Borea. I have watched them since they were born.” Raphael said as he pointed out the two Simian girls. “The Almighty’s plan for developing the Simians is working as well. Look how much more beautiful the children look than their parents!”
“Yes, the procreation process with the Simians is beginning to have many beautiful outcomes. I can imagine the day will come when they and the Humans are all the same,” Cerebriel said while he admired the girls. “I still want to find out what the attack yesterday was all about.”
With the Humans below appearing to be safe, Cerebriel and Raphael decided to fly over to the valley where the battle had been fought the day before, searching for any reason that the attack occurred. It was strange because there had not been any more battles since the end of the rebellion over seven years ago.
As they approached the mountains, Dubriel flew up to Cerebriel and Raphael.
“We have found something, my lords. It looks like a rupture in the side of the mountain, unusual though, as it is part of a mirage or mirror image.”
“I don’t understand what you are describing,” said Cerebriel, puzzled.
“It’s best if you come with me and I can show you, my lord,” Dubriel said as he turned in mid-flight and headed down towards the side of the mountain. From above nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when they flew straight and level about a thousand feet from the ground towards the face of the mountain, they could see a disjointed image of the mountainside with a hole off to the one side.
“That is very odd,” Cerebriel said as he approached the hole in the mountain, unsheathing his sword as he got closer.
Dubriel and four other Cherubim fell into line behind Cerebriel as he flew into the hole.
Once they were inside they saw it was a cave that had been carved into the mountainside, rock cut by laser it looked like. Cautiously, they landed. Cerebriel grabbed one of the other Cherubim guards and said, “Go back and get the rest of the squadron. Have them join us here. This may be one of the entrances into the Underworld that we have been searching for. Hurry!”
Cerebriel looked at the others and said, “Let’s go and see where this leads us.” He nodded to Raphael as he saw him draw his sword as well, and they all moved forward inside.
There were a number of rooms off a central winding hallway. Some of the rooms wound around and connected with one another, which would have allowed someone to defend themselves within by going in one entrance and then coming back out further along the hallway.
It was a great defensive tactic; by moving quickly one could catch their pursuer unawares from behind if they moved quickly enough,
Cerebriel thought to himself.
They continued deeper through the winding maze. But it was only at the end of the hallway that they found a small number of rooms that were used for living. A room with some clothing that was strewn about: tunics and coverings that looked like they could fit a creature the size of an Archangel, an adult Human female and a small child, one that had extra cloth for its back. A room with a very large bed that was a good ten feet long, and another room that had another bed which was about six feet long. A fourth room made for the occupants to sit with some chairs and straw on the floor. A fifth room that had a tree within it growing fruit.
By this time Dubriel returned with the remainder of the Cherubim squadron and they were working their way cautiously through the maze themselves.
Cerebriel grabbed Raphael’s arm and said, “This must be Jarahmael’s home for his family. But there are no signs here of Jarahmael or Lillith nor any sign of a struggle.” He also thought about how different this home was compared to Jarahmael’s beautiful mansion in the Seventh Heaven and it saddened him to think of his friend having to live like this.
“But why is their boy over in the field there with Adam?” Raphael asked, as the two of them were walking past the other Cherubim guards in the hallway and out of their hearing range.
“It’s strange that Jarahmael would not have kept the boy with him and Lillith. Unless it was the only way to keep the child safe,” Cerebriel conjectured.
“Do you think Luciferael and his rebels have captured Jarahmael and found out the location of the Almighty’s Books?” Raphael asked, now growing very concerned. “It would explain their brazenness in beginning armed attacks again, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, it certainly would,” nodded Cerebriel. Then he thought for a few moments. “But then why would they have broken off the attack and make the whole rebel legion disappear? If anything, Raphael, they would have increased their attacks. No, there was something else that happened here. They may have captured Lillith or Jarahmael.”
“What about Jarahmael’s child?” Raphael asked. “Do you think the child will be safe with Adam and his family?”
“I am concerned about that too, Raphael. If Jarahmael has been unable to keep himself and Lillith safe from Luciferael and the rest of the rebel Angels, the Humans will not stand a chance in protecting the child.”
“It’s a shame that the Almighty imposed the non-interference commandment on us,” Raphael said, looking more concerned.
“Agreed, my lord Archangel. I have been wondering if we should remove portions of Enoch’s earlier memories so that he would believe that he was born of Adam and Eve. At the same time we can check to see if he has any knowledge of where Jarahmael hid the Books. That way the rebel Angels would have no reason to take the child for his memories”
“Hmm.” Raphael paused while he thought about those implications. “Well, we would not be giving the Humans more knowledge, rather we would be removing it and it would be for the protection of the child and the Heavens. And you know I am all for the protection of the Simians and the Humans, Cerebriel, not to mention the Heavens.”
“We should also remove the adult Humans’ and their children’s memories about Enoch being Jarahmael’s son, otherwise they would also be at risk,” Cerebriel added.
“You and I can come back after dark after everyone else is asleep, Cerebriel. That way no one will know we altered the Humans’ memories. I think it best to keep this to ourselves and not even let any of your Cherubim know either.”
“Of course not. That sounds like the best plan,” Cerebriel said.
Raphael had a concerned look appear on his face. “But what if the rebel Angels want to destroy the child or hold it hostage?”
“I have an idea on how to handle that as well, my lord.” Cerebriel then motioned over to Dubriel to rejoin the two of them and said to him. “I want you to select four of our best guards and assign them to watch the taller child that is with Adam and Eve. They are to remain invisible and concealed unless rebel Angels make an attempt to seize any of the children. They are to protect that child first and foremost. If there is an attack they are to grab the boy and take him away with them into the Heavens using the pyramid in Aegyptus to transport him to the Garden of Eden. That way they will only be vulnerable getting him to Aegyptus, and after that the rebel Angels will not be able to interfere.”
Dubriel nodded that he understood.
“Now Dubriel, disperse the remaining Cherubim guards again and have them search the rest of the mountains here and see if we can find anything else. We need to find Jarahmael and Lillith before Luciferael does.”
As soon as Dubriel left, Raphael turned to Cerebriel. “Wasn’t your instruction to Dubriel about protecting the boy a violation of the non-interference commandment Cerebriel?”
“I do not care what Michael thinks about the interference if that occurs. I will take my chances with the Almighty if it ever comes to that. He is the child of my best friend and I owe Jarahmael that much.” Cerebriel responded with conviction in his voice.
“I am going to act as if I did not hear that course of action, my dear Cherubim,” Raphael said, his face and body relaxing. “All right, now we must return to our search.”