Eladrin spoke with all four of his faces as one. Their voices blended choral majesty.
"We present to his majesty, Chief Prince, Head of the Lumazi Council – Michael of the Kortai. We have ferried him here at his request, and now stand as mediator between thy people and his."
Michael bowed his head and spoke. "Great King Nephanos, High King to the Seraphim, this lowly prince of all Elohim bids you and your people peace and honor." Michael lifted his sword above him as a sign of submission.
Camael looked at Eladrin, cocked his head to the side and grinned nodding. He stared at the Prince of Angels as though he had witnessed a joke. He clapped his hands slowly and loudly in feigned applause.
"Well done, Chief Prince. Well done, indeed."
Michael bit his lip and looked down at the ground, remembering the many lessons of protocol he had learned from his brother, Lucifer.
"You have committed such a grand display of power, Michael of the Kortai. Yea, Chief Prince, impressive is both thine entrance and the weapon with which you yield. I do not recognize its maker. Intriguing.
"Eladrin, by what article that binds us dost thou bring this person in my sight? In so doing, thou hast strained our friendship through this act. Tell me why I should even acknowledge this prince with a response?"
"He is deserving of honor," the bear face of Eladrin said
"He hath been chosen by El," the eagle face said.
"Wouldst thou so lightly dismiss one of the three leaders of Heaven?" the man's face said.
All then spoke as one and the voice rippled. "The time of reconciliation is nigh for Lucifer hath made himself an enemy of God, and if the image of God is brought to bear against us by Lucifer, we are all dead. I have honored this one with my own gear and know that I have aligned my people to the cause of God and His servants. My people and I are at the Prince of Elohim's disposal, even if it means war. The time for past squabbling must come to an end."
Camael was taken aback by Eladrin's words. "What? Thou would take the side of this one against us?" Camael said. "We who were the victims of schemes birthed by this one? Thou wouldst make war, against us?"
Camael looked at Michael who remained silent, knee still bowed and his arms yet raised, unmoved in the gifted gesture of his sword, still awaiting acknowledgment. Camael walked around Michael, inspecting him, eying him suspiciously as the crowd waited with bated breath. Not since the birth of The Schism were all three races of heaven together, and now two ambassadors from mankind were also assembled in treaty.
Camael rubbed his chin and finally broke the silence.
"It is with much interest, Chief Prince, that I would hear how Eladrin, King of the Ophanim, would hold such a one in high regard, for he implies that he would do battle against me if I were to invoke our rights. Thou hast come from across the great mountain and through the fiery plains of my land to speak to me." Camael then took his seat and leaned deep within his throne. "Speak, therefore, and say thy peace."
Michael lowered his arms and stood, sheathing his sword. He bowed his head in a further act of respect and spoke.
"Great King, it is with sore distress for my people and the cause of El that I stand before you now. For the Godking Himself commissioned Enoch to seek out another alleged to be in Heaven. A human, I see, who now stands next to thee. And who am I but a servant to our king? Nay, who are we all but servants to our Lord El? Therefore, I ordered two of the Lumazi council to accompany him, each purposed to assure his safe passage under the mount. Three in total were ultimately assigned to this task and now I see but two, for one is not. Thus, they came at cost of life to see Enoch safe to thy shores but know that we are not moved for we trust in the word of El. El is life. My princes were also charged also to see if they might bring balm from thy people to heal my own. And if not to heal, then perhaps to soothe the ravages of the plague that assails us through choices I have made.
And now I come to see to my people's welfare, and behold, my ambassadors are surrounded by thy people and chained! Yet for what crime I do not know – nor do I need to know for I trust Gabriel and Metatron with my life, knowing they would happily endure dissolution to ensure peace between our people. Therefore, I come on bended knee, oh great king, to appeal on behalf of all Elohim. If it is my people's blood that thou dost seek, then know that I offer my life in exchange for theirs for I have learned that greater love hath no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friend. Therefore, I call the Seraphim friend, and Elohim friend, and Ophanim friend. If for honor's sake, or justice's sake a life must be given to reconcile the offense between our people..." Michael then kneeled and opened his robes to reveal his kilnstone, "then let the life you take be mine."
"No!" cried Gabriel.
"Michael, what are you doing?" Metatron yelled.
Sherkanim tugged on their chains to silence them.
Camael eyed Michael, his face smug. Without moving his eyes from the Prince, he barked, "Sherkanim, Chief of the Guard!"
Sherkanim snapped to attention. "My lord?"
"The Chief Prince would be my guest. Bind the Kortai in fetters of iron."
Sherkanim frowned. "But my king..." Sherkanim spoke in protest.
Camael roared at his lieutenant. "Would you switch roles with the prince and have me see thee burned in his stead? Obey my word!"
Sherkanim replied wimpishly, "As you command, my lord."
Michael allowed himself to be shackled and Eladrin watched on as each of his four faces showed anger, dismay, outrage, and grief all at once. Camael saw his ruling peer's expression and spoke in warning.
"Do not interfere, great one. The power to command the Kiln's flame is ours by right of treaty and I invoke this right now. I will make an example of these Elohim...a lesson to be learned by all angelic kind. To never trouble the people of Aseir again with folly. If you interfere, know that once more schism will be created in Heaven, and you wilt be responsible. A breach between, not two, but all three races. Do this to thine own hurt if you must. But the right to exact judgment from broken covenant is mine by divine right. I will, therefore, release none – for all shall surely die!"
Eladrin held his peace. Michael looked at Enoch and nodded to Elijah as Sherkanim shackled him. The people gasped and some groaned to see such nobility put to death. Whispers grew into murmurs as Sherkanim lined up all three men to the entrance of the tube of burning.
Enoch was about to intervene when Elijah held him by his arm. "Not yet," Elijah said. "But soon."
Enoch nodded. "I am ready when you are." Elijah also nodded, and the two men watched as Metatron entered the tube of burning first, followed by Gabriel, then Michael. Sherkanim shut and sealed the door behind them. Gabriel smiled at Michael and reached out to hold his hand. "I will always love you, brother. Thank you for your leadership, for you did not forsake us but came to see of our welfare. Let it be said that we have fought the good fight."
Metatron then immediately chimed in. "Aye, we have indeed finished our course."
Michael followed suit. "We have kept the faith."
The three looked on in pride knowing that their lives would assure the life of their people, each lifted up their chins and waited for the fires that they knew would smelt their stones back to their base metals.
Sherkanim had never seen such honor in all his days. Even from his own king. He hesitated as he opened the seals that would allow the people of fire to enter and execute their king's punishment.
"Chief Guard!" roared Camael, "complete the task for which ye are assigned!"
Sherkanim turned the connected wheel outside the chamber and small air ducts opened to allow the Seraph entrance, but when all the air ducts opened, none of the populace moved. None took their true form to enter as living flame.
Camael looked at his people in frustration. "Let the burning commence!"
Still, no one moved.
He frowned and said, "Very well. If it is distasteful for thee to destroy them – I will bear this burden as thy king and release them from this life."
The king rose and both humans stood to stop him, but his body blazed so that neither could come near. The monarch swaggered toward the tube as his soldiers parted before him and Camael eyed the three angels with intent to do them evil.
Sherkanim noted his people's confusion. Their faces agonized as the king drew near. Had they not already judged them and found them pure?
The Chief Guard stared into the crazed eyes of his master...and then the eyes of the people, and in that moment he knew their leader was lost to reason. Lost to serve his people. And if he was not stopped, war with the Elohim would not be far behind.
The king's guard stared at the beautiful trumpet of Israel crafted by Camael himself and gifted to the head of House Malakim so long ago. Sherkanim felt its warm metal against his hands and closed his eyes in prayer.
Please, Lord God, do not let my action see our people to the door of war. What I do now, I do to honor thee and my people.
Sherkanim gripped the golden Horn of Malakim and raised it to his lips, and from the depths of his being blew into the instrument.
Camael immediately stopped his approach to the tube of burning face screwed in horror and rage. For when the music danced on the gentle breeze, the king's body blazed aglow in color, his body matched the color of the flames that erupted from the horns sigil. A sigil that exposed Camael as its maker.
Seeing all distracted, Elijah ducked out from the platform and raced to parts unknown. Enoch also left the dais, running hard after him.
The trumpet's sound dashed through the air like racehorses into the golden skies. The ears of all burst, torn asunder by the blast of so powerful a sound that they fell to the ground, stunned and dazed; and in the moments that occurred between the bat of an eye, the clouds rolled open and the sky boiled into a putrid green.
For ladders now burst across the lid of Heaven, and Eladrin knew that his people had made causeway, as was their purpose, and thunderous booms littered the peaceful skies while lightning strokes raced across the firmament to embrace each other for upon winged gryphons rode legions of mighty Malakim. Thousands with unsheathed swords and spears descending upon them all.
Gabriel looked up in both relief and fear, for with the arrival of his people could come war. For never since the Schism had so many Elohim entered Aseir, and now in a matter of minutes, legions now filled the skies and threatened to do battle.
Michael seeing his people assemble cried out. "No!" His halo burst in gleaming shimmers of bronze across the emporium as he transformed into a ladder. The restraints he willingly wore fell to the ground as he lifted himself to meet the army of descending soldiers, hoping against hope that he might avert war.
Flying upward the sky opened up before him, as thousands of his people portaled through the skies, descending upon the populace upon gryphon-back. Michael positioned him before all and he hovered in their path, raising both arms.
"Hold, warriors of House Malakim, for thou hast not been called by one of your house. Hold in abeyance and do these no harm."
Thousands of Malakim griffins filled the skies, as Eladrin's people held the portals open. Legions of griffins and Malakim warriors poured through, each wondering about the welfare of the Lord of their house, each ready to do battle, and each assessing the situation as they came through. And Michael, using the power of his halo, laddered as the Ophanim across the skies and kept the warriors from accosting the people below. Like living lightning, the great Prince crackled across the sky moving hither and thither to keep his people at bay.
Seraphim warriors mustered their forces in response and rose like great flaming birds of prey into the skies. The lower atmosphere sizzled as their heat from their numbers began to raise the temperature throughout the land. And thus, two great forces were stalemated as one lone angel moved with the gift of omniscience moved throughout the angelic ranks to keep all in a state of calm. And it was in those moments as the kindling of war waited to be sparked that the gruff voice of a human boomed across the throng.
"Enough!" Elijah cried.
The atmosphere, dense with thousands of warriors almost stacked on top of one another, changed immediately when the grizzled prophet pointed to Enoch who held within his hands a glowing Trumpet of Judgment.
* * *
Camael stood dumbfounded, for he glowed from Sherkanim having blown the horn of Malakim. Camael and the horn, as well as the trumpet held by Enoch, all glowed as one...each scintillating off the vibrations emanating from the other...each aflame and matching the emblazoned sigil of Camael. The gathered crowd pointed to the colors that sparkled from the palace, and all heard the sounds of instruments that blasted from its midst.
"Behold, the trumpet of judgment!" Enoch said. "See how the horn flames! Witness the Horn of Malakim. See the fires that surround it! And look about you and behold with thine own eyes – the answer for all. Who amongst your people hath made these?"
Confusion washed through the people like a wave crashing over shores, but the flames were indisputably the color of Camael's sigil. Not Nephanos.
"But only Camael hast made these instruments," one said.
"Then...is Nephanos, Camael?" another said.
"Nay. Nephanos is not Camael. That is not possible."
"We have been deceived."
"Deceiver! Deceiver!" surfaced throughout.
Murmurs grew louder.
"But where is King Nephanos?"
"Where is our King?"
"Did he kill our King?"
And Camael was exposed, for all could see that he was the crafter of the horn of judgment.
Camael surveyed the rowdy group and paraded in front of them with disdain, and head held high. He retraced his steps to Elijah and spoke loudly above the crowd.
"And what wilt thou do with the vessel made to unleash El's wrath? Wilt thou blow into it thereof and release the fury of God on Heaven itself?"
Elijah stood in front of Enoch who held tightly to the golden trumpet and replied. "Nay, collaborator of Satan. But verily saith the Lord, 'Thou hast been weighed in the balances and found wanting.'"
"ARRGGHH!!!" Camael screamed in vehement rage, and immediately lost his humanoid form and all beheld the true form of Camael the Seraphim, for he became as living fire, and as a cloud ablaze. Camael scorched the platform. Then moved to destroy Enoch and Elijah. All that he touched was consumed in a conflagration of fire, as the would-be king turned on the humans to consume the men alive.
Michael looked on, helpless, as Camael's fires roared hungrily to devour his friends. Shoots of flames advanced on Enoch and Elijah and Michael knew that from his position he could not intervene in time.
Screaming, Gabriel, and Metatron watched from the incineration chamber, beating against their glass confines for Sherkanim to release them, but the guard's thoughts were elsewhere as he erupted in flames and raced to stop the king's madness.
Enoch and Elijah stood their ground unmoved by Camael's fog of fire that jetted towards them. Enoch dropped the Trumpet of Judgment to the ground and quickly tossed his cloak toward the oncoming cloud of fire that was Camael. Elijah prayed as the shawl flew through the air and transformed before the eyes of all, bursting into a floating wall of rushing water. The rolling wave of living water moved as a thing alive and crashed into the oncoming Camael. Bursts of heated steam blasted the platform, knocking both Enoch and Elijah to the ground.
Throngs above and below stared as Camael, as living fire, did battle against streams of living water. The two opposing elements twisted and turned around each other, coiling as entwined vines that wrestled for supremacy. Camael bloomed in searing heat...his body extending like a flare to snare the two humans that had fallen to the ground. But the living water prevailed against him, walling off Enoch and Elijah, and the more Camael steamed the water into vapor, the more water materialized from nothing. Camael reformed into his humanoid form, Camael bent over and wheezed from exertion.
Sherkanim retrieved the Trumpet of Judgment that had fallen to the ground and assisted Enoch and Elijah.
Elijah stood and was wroth and spoke to the king so that Aseir might hear.
"Did I not tell thee that Yeshua, the Lord God, hath commanded that I go with Enoch? And who art thou to frustrate the grace of God? Ye, who troubleth Heaven and refuseth to forgive? For thus saith the Lord, 'Did not I have compassion on thee and forgave thee, and let thee steward as king for thy brother's sake? For as I liveth,' saith the Lord, 'because thou hast done this thing, I will not release thee from the bitterness of unforgiveness that assails thee, and now you shall be delivered into torment."
Camael coughed as he panted to regain his strength. The waters of Enoch's cloak still stood as a standard against him. And when Elijah had spoken, Camael scoffed. "Thou...wouldst judge ME? Who art thou, to dare pass judgment over me!"
But Elijah stood silent and merely pointed behind him in the distance. A dark, cauliflower-like cloud appeared in the sky, and it grew and was at first akin to the size of a man's hand. Then a flash of lightning streaked across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead.
The people then turned their head and saw the sky slowly darken. Enoch watched also for he too saw clouds forming into larger and darker columns into the sky and he said to Elijah, "But what of the people?"
Elijah then eyed the crowd and spoke to them all. "Thy pride would have thee mimic us in appearance. For many days, thou hast thought thyself above others as to not show thy true form. But know this--huddle as one people, in the form given thee by birth, and be seen in the nakedness of who thou art. Or be stiff-necked, and see the waters that come erase thee from this side of Heaven. For on this day, through either thine obedience or disobedience to my word, The Schism between heaven's people will end."
Elijah then turned to Sherkanim and said, "Hurry, take us to the Heavenly City that the rain stop thee not."
Sherkanim recalled the Seraphim warriors and commanded them to cluster with their people to endure the waters that were to come. Guards released Gabriel and Metatron, and the two flew to Enoch's and Elijah's side.
Thunder roared over the skies, and a streaming blanket of water appeared in the distance racing across the land. Sherkanim called for his chariot, and the Aithon flew to him in fire. Gabriel, Metatron, and the two humans hustled aboard.
"Here," Sherkanim said, handing the horn of Malakim to Gabriel. "I believe this belongs to you."
Gabriel smiled. "Thank you, my friend."
"To the Temple, Eladrin...quickly!" Michael cried out to Eladrin,
Eladrin glowed and shot into the air. Michael followed. Sherkanim snapped the cords to the Aithon and they too bucked and flew, trailing fire behind them. Eladrin rotated in creaking gyration and opened a portal above them all. Gabriel blew his horn and the whole of house Malakim followed their prince through it.
Legions of the House Malakim followed as the rain descended on all. Lightning blanketed the sky in staggering sheets and sharp crackles that zigzagged their way to Earth, but the door to the portal stood calm, serene and inviting. The lit skies of the Heavenly city beckoned and the dark, ashen skies of Aseir lay in thick cumulus clouds that pelted the land with torrential rains.
As they disappeared from view, the living clouds of Heaven assembled themselves together. Flocks of flaming birds and Aithons fled before the storm and all the citizens cast a wary eye as the clouds blanketed the land in darkness. Voices moaned from the living clouds of Heaven, and each spoke aloud to one another and their words were heard on this wise:
Woe! Woe! Woe!
Judgment, O son of bitterness
For mercy hath now escaped thee!
Thy bill El now recoups
O'non-forgiver of other's debts.
Thine own payments hath now come due!
Alas, recompense befalls thee
Waters to wash away
Acrimony and hurt of past misdeeds
'Remove this king,' He says
As the rain slammed to the ground and lightning lit the Heavens, and the voices of the living clouds crashed across the skies, the fires of Aseir went out, as did all the flaming spires. Panic gripped the people as all were made of living fire, and rain sizzled upon them like acid. The warrior Seraphim retreated to the ground to assemble with their people that they might remain alight in the midst of the pouring rain.
And a great mist rose throughout the land, from the boundaries of the city's burbs to the flaming plains where Aithon roamed. The mist reached up and the skies reached down until none could tell the difference between the living clouds and the rolling fog that now crept atop the land.
And when the clouds had finished speaking, the portal that took the legions and Enoch and Elijah away closed behind them, and when it did, the twelve angels of God's judgment, the Shanun-tea'll, appeared in the sky. Mavet, chief of their number, hovered on wings of black and settled to the ground. He walked forward to apprehend Camael, who like all his people, huddled together to keep themselves alight against the pouring rain.
But Camael would not be taken, and he lifted his hand to fend for his freedom. Camael issued sound waves that projected in a focused burst from his hand...a sound that sliced through flesh and ruptured eardrums, but Mavet absorbed it into his person, never slowing in his step, continuing his undeterred march forward toward the would-be king.
Camael then shot bursts of flame from his hands, and Mavet stood enkindled, awash in a conflagration of fire and brimstone, yet covered from the falling rains, but again the Angel of Judgment passed through the rain, fire, and steam, and trod steadily forward, unflinching in the king's attempts to halt him.
When Camael perceived that inescapable judgment was now upon him, he attempted to run, and all that stood near moved from his path. When he sought to turn to the left, a Shaun-tea'll barred his way, and when he tried to flee to his right, a Shanu-tea'll barred his way, and when he turned to his rearward, Mavet was there and overshadowed him and passed through him like a ghost. And when he did so, the spirit of the king visibly separated from his body, and it became as smoke and floated that all could see. His body instantly crumpled to the ground as a puppet whose strings had been cut...a celestial corpse no longer animated by the breath of life.
The dense fog that hovered above the ground extinguished all eddies of fires across Aseir until nothing but the fog saturated the land, and voices and movement of creatures could be heard within it. Voices that pleaded to be fed. And in that moment, all knew that God had allowed the Mists to enter the land. The shroud of fog crawled over the physical body of Camael and wrapped itself around him. The spirit of Camael screamed, and the two merged with the Mist. Echoes of his voice could be heard within the Mist pleading to God for mercy, but none was given. The king was given over to the tormentors, and the figure of Camael could be seen within the Mist struggling against hands that dragged him into the shroud until he could be seen no more in the gloom.
And a great wind then came from the south and blew against the fog, and when it had dissipated, nothing but ignitable fumes and a hissing sound remained. Fumes seeped from the ground. A thunderbolt then fell from the sky, and ignited the gas, and a great whooshing sound then blasted into the ears of all. An explosive burst of fire rushed and the fires of the Aesir burned once again, and the cities of fire could once more be seen again in the sky.
And all the people breathed in relief that they had survived the judgment. The people lifted themselves to worship El. Thanking God, and waiting for Sherkanim to return from the other side of the mountain with word from El.