Nephanos stopped himself and when he did so, all the instruments settled back into their places, and the melody that emanated from each became as a fading memory.
"Each instrument that thou seest is from Camael, the greatest artesian noted among our people."
"But..."Enoch said, "didn't Camael betray your people to Lucifer?"
"Camael..."Nephanos paused, "Wanted something more. For when interrogated for his misdeed, he confessed that he saw in the light that Lucifer created tonal notes to create a sound, unlike anything he had ever heard. There was discordance in him... a tonal quality that fascinated Camael, and Lucifer seduced him that he might create sound from light. So he crafted seven trumpets, trumpets that echoed the heart of the angel Lucifer. Trumpets that when blown, would usher in such judgment upon the recipients that could make one the ruler of all that he surveyed."
"Wait," said Enoch. "Are you saying that Camael crafted weapons? Instruments of war?"
Nephanos turned from Enoch. "Yes. Camael exchanged the trumpets for the Stone of Fire Lucifer stole from the Kiln. With the Stone of Fire, he could create the most powerful and destructive taratantara sounds that, if unleashed in the company of the Kilnstone, could have brought Heaven to ruin."
"But why?" said Enoch. "What profit could be gained by such an exchange?"
"Is the thing not known? For the oldest of all sins is but covetousness," a gruff voice said as a muscular weathered man of fifty entered the room wearing a leather girdle and a garment of camel's hair. He bowed to the king and then looked at Enoch as though examining him. He bent his face toward Enoch and sniffed. "You don't look a day over fifty. You must be Enoch. The Lord said you were coming."
Enoch laughed, for after his long journey he had finally met Elijah.
* * *
Sherkanim and his guards marched Gabriel and Metatron into a large, cylindrical, transparent chamber with two doors attached at each end. The two angels walked in and noted that members of the Seraphim pressed their faces against the exterior chamber to observe them.
"You will not be harmed by the burning, but know that we must remove from thee the contamination of the Withering," said Sherkanim.
Metatron spoke as the captain turned to leave. "How is the thing done?"
Sherkanim turned to face the duo. "No other foundation can be laid than that which is laid by the Lord. He is the form, from which all things of substance and truth and reality come. If anyone would build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble, his work shall be made manifest, for within the confines of this pyre shall it shall be declared. The fire shall reveal the truth of it, and here, Prince of Draco, shall the fire try thy work of what sort it is. If thy work is revealed as true, then, ye shall receive honor. If, however, thy work is burned, ye shall suffer loss, but shall thyself be saved. The fire shall tell the truth of thee. These whose faces now look upon thee shall serve as judge and witness to any dross that weighs you down, and shall see to its removal. Now steel thyself, Elohim of God, for this will not be pleasant."
Sherkanim closed the vaulted door behind him and the locking mechanism turned. Sherkanim stood on the exterior of the chamber across from them, separated by the transparent barrier.
Gabriel looked at him and nodded.
"Let the burning begin," the Seraph commanded.
Immediately, flames lit amidst flames, erupting with a whooshing rush around the cylinder. The heat rose, and the faces of those pressed against the glass slowly disappeared behind the fog that now clung to its surface. Their faces morphed and transformed into hazy blurs of eyes as they stared at one another, and the room grew whiter, hotter until nothing but white could be seen.
"What is happening?" said Metatron.
"I think we are being judged," replied Gabriel.
Both angels looked up at images that materialized above them, and when they did they could no longer see one another, but their thoughts and memories were on display for all to see. Projections on the glass displayed ghostly emergences of mirth and solidarity between Elohim princes and portraits of pride in doing the will of El. The two smiled as they watched and reminisced fondly. The scenes changed swiftly and Metatron in one scene contested with others of his kind in feats of strength and games that made his friends cheer.
The Seraph watched as the Elohim worshiped before El, and legions of their kind erupted in choruses of praise, songs, and acts of dance and displays of reverence toward the King of Kings. Gabriel smiled as he too thought fondly of Heaven, the city, and his command of the Malakim, for his people spanned the cosmos, and he orchestrated their comings and goings that the word of El be spread abroad the universe. Countless numbers of his people rode on griffin-back to see that not one word of El faltered.
The room grew dimmer and dark clouds hung oppressively obscuring all, and Metatron grew anxious.
"Gabriel...what is happening?"
Gabriel's face turned somber as before him, his memories now displayed images of danger, violence, death, and loss. His flight from his brother Talus to escape his rage, and the unflattering scenes played without censor before all. The Seraphimic witnesses saw his battles to destroy his kindred as they launched themselves into madness, touched by the rage that had infected Talus. "The clouds of evil memories hath invaded."
Gabriel watched as he unleashed fire that burnt alive his foes alive, and how his staff, once a token of honor and esteem was made to be a weapon that beat his adversaries into the ground. The eyes of the Seraph beheld Gabriel, Talus and Sariel as they fell upon the heavenly city to fight the rebels that sought to unseat the Eternal One from His throne. Watched as angels on two fronts of battle caused destruction to the very fabric of the universe, as stars exploded, and El...the Almighty God who had rested from His labors for but one day, returned to see that His stewards had run amok. The Seraph watched in horror as they beheld the anger of the Lord and Apollyon's judgment within the creation of Hell. They watched as God in his wrath sentence a third of His children to exile and how He had flung them to the four corners of existence.
On and on the images marched in living color, splayed naked before the eyes of the Seraph. And thus the fires raged about Metatron and Gabriel, revealing for their audience the discernment of thoughts and intents of their captive's hearts.
Metatron recalled how he was forced to march members of his angelic house to do battle with his brethren. Projected images showed him spearheading his people into combat, leading armies that clashed as falling stars and lightning across the skies of Heaven. The Seraph watched the memories of Metatron in ominous silence, memorized as Elohim littered the realms in battle, and in the cinema that paraded for all to see, one memory was especially painful...that of Metatron holding a brother in his arms...a dear brother he had tutored since his exit from the Kiln, a brother, who in times past, was in the same ensemble that offered praise to El on the stringed instruments and the high sounding cymbals...a brother he rocked in his arms, for by his own hand was he forced to do battle and end the life of he whom his soul loved. In the image, Metatron wept sore, and his the blood of his brother dripped from his hands.
And Metatron, reliving the hurts of battles and wounds past, knelt in the large, cylindrical, transparent chamber in which he was judged and cried, "I had no choice. He would not stop, he would not heed, he lifted up arms to destroy...thinking El and all of us were his enemies. And when Gabriel, heard his brother's cries, he followed the sound of his whimpers groping through the fog and light, knelt beside him and embraced him.
The room then burned in greater brilliance and both angels covered their eyes, for the brightness was such to force one's eyes closed. And then both memories coalesced into one, and in that image, all of Heaven stood before El, and Yeshua had committed to the Kenosis and making Himself of no reputation – allowed Himself to be handled by His own children that He might bring rescue to mankind.
The Seraph watched as Gabriel and Metatron flew as a shield to the angel Michael and battled that the Son of God might be made flesh on the Earth. The Seraph watched the nobility of those who sided with El and sacrificed themselves to lure the horde of Lucifer's minions away from Michael that he and Gabriel might accomplish the wish of El. Yea, they even saw the Ophanim come to the cause of the Elohim, and how they helped turn the tide of battle, and when all had seen through Gabriel's eyes that Yeshua left the cupped hands of Michael to nestle into the flesh of a small human child, the flames stopped and they had seen enough.
The brightness retracted to normal levels. The heat subsided. The faces of fiery men smiled through the glass and a door opened at one end and Sherkanim entered. He and all the Seraph saw the two angels holding one another and sobbing, and the whole of the Seraph people understood from the Burning, the thoughts, and intents of their visitor's hearts.
And Sherkanim, Captain of the Guard of the King, spoke for them all.
"Come out clean, Princes of the Most High God. We have judged thee, and find no fault in thee."
* * *
Elijah sat next to Enoch.
"The Lord God hath sent me, Enoch. It is with great honor that we meet. I do not fully know why the Lord hath not let me pass with my fathers, for Moses and the others are housed in Paradise and await the Lord's coming, but He hath shown me in dreams and visions that I would meet with thee and that you would share all that I need to know."
Enoch nodded. "I am not sure how much I can relay, but your dreams – tell me of them."
Elijah's eyes rolled upward and to his right as though recalling.
"I sat before the throne of the living God, and before me were clouds that moved as fish in the sea, and the colors that emanated from the throne were glorious to behold. Seated in the throne was one as the Son of man, and above Him were two cherubim whose wings were spread abroad. Curiously, there were two candlesticks shaped as men before the throne. As I pondered these things, an angel of the Lord spoke to me and said, 'Thee have I set as one of two to be lit in due season. Now go thy way, and I will send my chariot to bring thee to the House of Fire, and let thy light be seen in Heaven, for with the words of thine mouth wilt thou set aflame men of fire.'
"And when I awoke from the dream," Elijah continued, "a chariot of fire took me, and I was taken past a barrier to a far country that I do not know and brought here, and here I have remained to learn from the Seraphim, for they are a noble people, passionate in the things of the Lord and mighty, for this land is awash in flame that does not burn, but the heat is yet present. I do not know how I lack injury, but God hast since my dream called me, and told me whilst I visited him upon a mountain that I must prepare the Seraph for Gabriel's and thy arrival, for it is His will that all Seraph, Ophanim, and Elohim become one, even as the Father and the Son are one. And Yeshua told me, "When Enoch comes to thee, thou shalt go to the Heavenly city for I have commanded him to seek healing for the Schism, for when I return after the resurrection, the Father would have me unseal the book."
Enoch looked puzzled and shook his head. "I do not know the meaning of these things. They are too great, but I will share with thee all that I have been taught from the Elohim. They, too, are a mighty people, but pride hath brought them far from where they were smelted in a kiln of fire. Pride hath seen them fight with one another even to make their habitation with man. When they are noble, they are a light which can never be hid, but when they are dark, worlds shatter and stars fall. But I have learned as we are the Lords, so too are they, and He hath committed them to a plan and a future, for there is one among them who hath lifted himself above all that is called God, and has moved to destroy all things. We must do all we can to remove his presence in the Earth, I see that God would have us help in this regard, but the way is not yet clear."
Elijah nodded. "Then drink with me, and let us pray and seek the face of the Lord and I shall tell thee what I have learned of these flaming men, and thou shalt teach me what thou hast learned from these sons of stars, and perhaps the Lord's will, will be known."
Enoch nodded and two old men, poured each other drinks and talked late into the night.
* * *
Sherkanim and two Seraphim guards escorted Gabriel and Metatron into the audience chamber of the king and opened two towering golden doors bathed in blue flame. The angels gasped as the floors and walls were completely covered in flames, and seated on a throne from which colored vapors emanated was Nephanos.
"My king," Sherkanim said. "I present the Lumazi, Gabriel of House Malakim, and Metatron of House Draco."
Nephanos motioned them forward, and Sherkanim stood to their side that they might come closer to the king.
"Metatron, I have not had the honor to meet thee. It has been some time since a member of the Draco hath adorned these halls. In times past, I would have enjoyed our coming together to create music for El, but, alas, those days are gone for one of thy house is the reason we stand behind the mountain. Tell me, Lord of all Draco, why should the brother of Lucifer be allowed to live?"
Metatron was taken aback by the king's question and stumbled in reply to the king's words. "Uh...my king..."
Gabriel seeing Metatron's discomfort intervened. "Great King, we come in peace and ask thy patience, and if afterward in thy wisdom we should be destroyed, then let dissolution be our lot, but not pray-tell before our petition is made."
Nephanos put his head on his fist and waved his other hand for Gabriel to continue. "Very well. Speak thy petition."
Gabriel stepped forward and then lowered himself to his knees.
"Great King, I stand before you in a great straight. I beg you for the life of my people, for the Withering hath come and runs rampant throughout the Great City. Its presence strips us of awareness of El and saps from us the very life that animates our stone, but it was your people who built the Kiln and by command of God lit it. Thy fires can purge the madness that slowly eats away at our people. We have no more kiln. But if thy people come and lite again the ground of Jerusalem, we shall also be lit, and the Withering shall be burned off and our people saved. Therefore, Great King, wilt thou help us? We come to thee as servants asking a favor. Do this, and the Elohim will forever be in thy debt."
Nephanos was quiet. Stoic even, as He contemplated the words of Gabriel and looked on Metatron. He heaved a sigh and spoke.
"I have seen the images from the burning, and the destruction of the Kiln in thy memory. Who was responsible for its ruin?"
Gabriel swallowed hard. "Chief Prince, Michael destroyed it to prevent the renegade, Lucifer, from possessing the power of the Godstones."
Nephanos stood when he heard this.
"So, the collaborator Michael, who gave suggestion to Lucifer to steal from us, is now in conjunction with the rogue angel responsible for the destruction of the gift our people had given to El? And this, after having crossed the mists of Limbo is what you seek to tell me? And now, because El hath removed Himself and set thy people to discipline. Discipline because the Elohim in pride hast made themselves to tear all things asunder...this is why you come to me? Only to look for us to provide thee with a balm to sooth the welt that El's scourge now levels against thy people?" the King shouted.
Gabriel prostrated himself to the ground and replied, "Mercy, Great King. Do this for our people and whatever debt you would collect from us. Surely we will pay thee all."
Nephanos shook his head. "No, Gabriel, High Prince to thy people. Thou hast once more come to my land, and what king would abide such trespass against his people? Our treaty is clear. We have divorced ourselves from the Elohim and none but El can bring us back into covenant. When He calls, then and only then will we enter into a relationship with thy people."
Gabriel's arms fell to his sides and his eyes glanced downward to the dirt.
"But my King, hath not this worm lowered himself to thee, even beseeched thee to consider that our cause is just? For I bring thee in remembrance that once our peoples walked together, as was the will of El from the beginning, and even now hath sought thee to hear thy servant out for our people are in sore need."
Nephanos laughed to his lieutenants, and then his face became flushed and he clenched his fists in indignation. "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up thy loins, for I will demand and you wilt answer me for thou hast come to me on bended knee because thou hast no choice. Thou comest because the chastisement of the Lord now corrects thy wayward people. Tell me, High Prince, if El had not blighted thy people with plague, wouldst thou be before me now?"
Gabriel swallowed hard and raised his eyes to Nephanos. "No. Yet, I come on orders of the Chief Prince, and not of mine own accord."
Nephanos tilted his head and nodded toward his bound guest. "Spoken truly. At least that is a start. Yet if thy people even now succumb to the Withering, why send an underling to do a leader's bidding? Thou dost beg for the life of thy people, but do not represent thy people, but the life of thy prince. For if he truly led his people, then he himself would stand before me now, and not his adjutant." The king then spoke to his lieutenant. "Sherkanim."
Sherkanim immediately snapped to attention. "Yes, my king?"
"See to their provisions and make their bags ready for travel."
"Yes, my king."
"In the morning, Gabriel, you and this one shall leave my land. Now, therefore, be gone from me, Malakim, or feel my wrath. Tell your Chief Prince that if he would petition for the life of his people, he must beg for it himself. For this reason and to prevent war, I give you my leave to return with this message. Now go, High Prince, and return from whence you came, and never, ever return this way again."