by Leo Ndelle
However, Lithilia had become Kazuk’s bride and Queen of Hell Realm. As such, Chiram could not exact her vengeance on Lithilia without a fallout which might not end well for her. She had to be covert and smart about everything. As such, Chiram stalked Lithilia and schemed, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Her moment would finally come. Chiram noticed Lithilia was by herself in her study chamber and there were no guards around. Chiram teleported into Lithilia’s chamber.
“I have waited for this moment, you thief of essences,” Chiram sneered.
Lithilia spun around in her chair and faced Chiram. She was pleased with the look of confusion on Chiram’s face.
“You do not seem surprised to see me,” Chiram said.
“I’m only surprised it took you this long, Chiram,” Lithilia replied and crossed her legs. “How do you like Hell Realm so far?”
“Wait! You knew I was here all along?” Chiram could not hide her surprise.
“I am the queen of this realm, remember?” Lithilia replied with exasperation. “Would you like to know what I was doing here all by myself?”
Chiram eyed Lithilia with caution and did not reply.
“I was researching on that necklace around your neck,” Lithilia pointed at Chiram’s neck. “But since you’re here, I might as well ask you about it.”
“I do not have moments to waste,” Chiram spat.
“What is that necklace to you?” Lithilia asked, ignoring Chiram’s statement.
“No concern of yours,” Chiram replied and took a menacing step forward.
“I know it is some kind of symbol for your kind and that you are not supposed to be wearing it,” Lithilia said and observed Chiram’s reaction. “I know because I caught snippets of your memory during our last… uh… encounter.”
Chiram growled and readied to pounce.
“Ashram,” Lithilia continued, drawing from a buried memory. “His name is Ashram and he is the rightful bearer of that necklace. You took it from him.”
“He gave it to me!” Chiram rebutted.
“Right,” Lithilia said sarcastically. “Ashram was your leader and you took the necklace from him. Logically, this necklace is of high importance to you.”
Suddenly, Chiram felt her entire body seized by pain and she lost control of her motor functions. She could not even growl. It was the kind of pain that flared at the esoteric level. She collapsed to the ground in a helpless heap as Kazuk slowly manifested into the study, pointing the prisoner’s yoke in his left hand towards her.
Lithilia stood up from her chair and walked towards Chiram. She loomed over Chiram for a few seconds before crouching next to Chiram’s head.
“My husband and I wondered what it would be like having hounds of creation as pets,” Lithilia said and she stroked Chiram’s dark fur. “Well, we only conceived of it when we noticed you lurking around.”
“What do you say… Chirum?” Kazuk asked.
“Chiram,” Lithilia corrected.
“Chiram,” Kazuk reiterated. “What do you say, Chiram?”
The couple watched Chiram desperately trying to react without success.
“How about we keep this for you,” Lithilia said as she removed the necklace from Chiram’s neck. “And you can summon your hound compatriots to Hell.”
She stood up and inspected the necklace before tossing it to Kazuk.
“From now on, you will work for us,” Kazuk said coldly. “And no one else!”
***
“You will tell me where you hid it,” Chiram growled.
“I do not know what you are talking about, “Kazuk teased and grinned.
“I will take your proposition to Metatron, whatever it is,” Chiram said.
“Why do I doubt that?” Kazuk asked rhetorically. “Fair warning, though, do not trifle with Metatron. There’s a lot more to him that you are aware of.”
“Be that as it may, he seems to be a much more reasonable person than you are,” Chiram rebutted. “And right now, he and I share a common interest.”
“What’s that?” Kazuk asked.
“Your head,” Chiram replied and bared her fangs in a grin. “Hounds!”
The growls of many a hound reverberated across this part of Nimbu. Kazuk shook his head and walked backwards until he was back-to-back with Lithilia.
“Final warning, Chiram!” Kazuk offered.
Chiram ignored him as was expected.
“Attack!” Chiram ordered.
A group of hounds charged towards the couple. The couple was ready. Lithilia sparked the ethers into a katana while Kazuk summoned a spiked mace. As the hounds approached, the couple raised their weapons for death blows. But then, the hounds vanished in midair. The couple was slow to react when the hounds emerged out of teleportation and slammed their bodies into the couple, knocking the couple to the ground. But, when the couple executed backward rolls, regained their balance and went in for the counter, the hounds vanished again and repeated their attack sequence.
The new attack sequence seemed to be working. The couple did not know the angles from where an attack would come and no matter what they did, the hounds kept coming harder and faster at them. It was hard trying to react to every attack and on time. Sometimes, the couple was lucky with their random counterattacks but that only delayed a certain inevitability. Even if they tried to teleport away, the hounds would be hot on their trail. The couple was losing and losing fast. Lithilia caught the look of satisfaction on Chiram’s face and wished she could slice it off. She was going to die at the hands of hounds and she did not like that thought in any way, shape or form. Damn Chiram! Damn the bitch!
Lithilia knew Chiram would be the one to deal the last blow. She cursed aloud as she put up a futile fight against the hounds. Her husband was also doing his best, but there was only so much the two of them could do against hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hounds. Lithilia was filled with anger and regret. Her son was alive but he had disowned her. Still, if she was about to meet her end, then her last words would be words of love to her son. Thus, Lithilia called out to Cahen via telepathy, said her peace and severed the telepathic link without even waiting for a reply. She was surprised Cahen had even accepted her telepathic link and did not want to push her luck by expecting a reply.
Suddenly, two flaming human forms crashed into the chaos and unleashed an alien, but very powerful energy blast in the form of green light that fried every hound within the radius of the explosion. As Chiram stared in horror and anger, the two flaming forms were joined by a much bigger orange-yellow flaming form. The decimation of the hounds was quick and with extreme prejudice as the hounds now had to deal with five enemies instead of two. Chiram howled in fury and immediately ordered a retreat knowing that every moment spent in delay spelt an even lower count of her followers. As such, Chiram and what was left of her team teleported back to Hell Realm.
Lithilia rushed towards her son and hugged him tightly as he dismissed the flames from his body. She was weeping for joy against his chest as she healed herself and summoned garments over her body. She disappeared in Cahen’s huge hug as Cahen summoned garments over his body as well.
Miryam and Sarael looked on as they dismissed the flames around their bodies and summoned gowns over their bodies.
Kazuk rose to his feet and kept some distance between himself and the rest of them, not out of fear; just as a precaution.
“I feared you were dead, my love,” Lithilia spoke between sobs. “I feared you were dead. But I was so overjoyed when I picked up your signature.”
Lithilia then turned around to face Sarael and Miryam. She zoomed in on Sarael as she peeled away from Cahen. She took a careful step towards Sarael, as tears streamed down her eyes but proceeded no further. Then, she saw Sarael extend her arms towards her and gave her a slight nod. Lithilia wept some more as she ran into Sarael’s arms and held Sarael in a tight embrace.
“I thought you two were dead,” she said as she kissed Sarael on the cheek and gestured for Cahen
to come closer. “I am sorry, Ahben. I am so, so sorry!”
Lithilia was sobbing for joy and relief as Cahen walked into the group hug. This was a side of Lithilia that Cahen had never experienced before. He bent over a little as his mother reached up to kiss him on the cheek. She said something about him being too tall which made him and Sarael laugh a little. Cahen then met Miryam’s eyes as Miryam stared calmly at the three of them. He nudged his mother and gestured towards Miryam.
Lithilia hesitated, not wanting to turn around for so many reasons: shame, fear, envy, regret, among other feelings. Still, she summoned the courage to turn around and face Miryam. She stood in place, unsure of what was going to happen. This was her enemy, the only creature in Creation she dreaded with every fiber of her being. This was the woman who had sworn to make her pay for what she did to Ahben. And this was the woman who was… opening her arms towards her? Lithilia gaped in shock and froze.
“It’s okay, Lithilia,” Miryam said. “I forgive you.”
It was only until Cahen and Sarael nudged her that Lithilia took the first step towards Miryam’s open arms.
“Can’t hold my arms out much longer now, Lithilia,” Miryam said with a smile.
Lithilia teleported and crashed into Miryam’s arms. She cried, she wailed, and she fell at Miryam’s feet. There were too many ‘I’m sorrys’ and ‘Thank yous’ to count. Lithilia’s felt Miryam’s hands on her shoulders but she shrugged them off, clung to Miryam’s ankles and begged for forgiveness even more. Lithilia was unsure how much time had passed before she felt several pairs of hands gently pry her away from Miryam’s feet.
Kazuk watched Miryam, Sarael, Cahen and Lithilia hold one another in a loving, family hug. It was a beautiful sight to see. He decided it was wise for him to make a quiet exit. He would catch up later with Lithilia. But he stopped as he was about to teleport away when he noticed the group suddenly break away from their group hug.
“When are they supposed to be there?” Miryam asked via telepathy.
“Zukael’s here already,” Eliel replied via telepathy. “And very soon, it’s gon’ rain demons and fallen angels on your realm. Y’all best get over here… NOW!”
CHAPTER TEN
A RAIN OF DEMONS
BEELZEBUB STOOD AT the entrance to his former prison. Why had he come here? Why even bother? This place held no relevance to his current existence anymore; only a trigger to memories most unpleasant. This prison was the symbol to his greatest defeat and ultimate humiliation. It would have been a lot better if Raphael had just cut off his head. There would have been more honor in ending in a battlefield than being locked up in a lower realm. He was free, yes. But was he really? The memories still haunted him; the anger, shattered ego, the debasement, the… everything.
Beelzebub stared blankly at the entrance to this former prison. For too many cycles, he had been chained and left at the mercy of the creatures he despised with every ether of his existence. They had preyed on his essence, draining him at times to the point he wished he could just end it all. But he could not. Those who fed on his essence believed they were worshipping him. They believed they were his followers. They believed they were his servants and that he loved them as much as they were ready to subject themselves to him.
Stupid fools! If only they knew who he really was and who he had become! If only they knew that their concept of his identity was a total aberration of who he really was and who he had become. If only they knew how he regarded them. If only they knew what he wanted to do to them. Beelzebub smirked at his good fortune. Yes, this was good fortune. Those who preyed on his essence, prayed to him, or were aligned in any way to the polarity he was aligned with, will become the instruments of his evil plan for humanity.
Beelzebub reached into the concoction of essences he had imbibed from Lithilia during his temporary possession of her, hoping to find something that could aid in his plan. There was nothing, but that did not bother him. He clenched his jaw, heaved his shoulders once and unclenched his jaw. He came to this place as if drawn to it by an unseen force. But there was no outer force pulling him to his former prison, he realized. The only force pulling him here was that of his psyche, the aspect of his personality construct that constituted his identity as an archangel, and with this realization, Beelzebub knew exactly what he had to do.
Beelzebub walked slowly into his former prison, savoring the feeling of being engulfed by the darkness therein. Michael! He spat the name with vile contempt. Michael was to blame for everything! The humiliation from the notion of him, a high-ranking archangel, becoming a bodyguard for the humans, primitive savages from a lower realm. Raphael had slapped him across the face in front of everyone, only because Michael had allowed it. Therefore, Michael was to blame. Even in his freedom, he really was not free and Michael was still to blame.
Beelzebub screamed and crashed his left fist several times into a wall of his former prison. Enough was enough! He would no longer be a prisoner in his freedom. There was only one thing left to do; he had to completely relinquish his identity as an archangel and fully accept his new status. These primitive humans of Earth Realm were only heralding a future they did not understand when they called him The Beast. But now, they were going to find out exactly who this beast was. There would be no holding back and nothing would tether him to his past anymore. Beelzebub then sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes.
Beelzebub visualized Zukael in all his celestial glory; archangel battle flame, sword and armor. Then, he visualized Beelzebub, the blazing beast freed from prison. The fight between these two visualizations was brief and a headless Zukael fell. Beelzebub dug deep into his psyche until he found two flames that burned with equal brightness. They were the flames of his good and evil sides. He stared at both flames for a moment before extinguishing both of them. There was nothing but darkness. Beelzebub surrendered to that darkness and fell into it.
“What do you want?” a formless voice asked in a deep, uncanny baritone.
“To be!” Beelzebub replied as he continued falling.
“It shall be as you wish!” said the formless voice.
A spark shone out of the darkness. Beelzebub held on to that spark and ceased falling. The first time he fell, he fell into the lowest point his ego could never imagine. But in this second fall, he fell into a new identity that freed him from the confines of his old self and unhinged him at the psychical level. Beelzebub opened his eyes as the spark within him erupted into a flame that burned away his old self and gave life to the new one. He could feel the transmutation of his essence at the etheric level. He stood up from the ground as red-yellow flames erupted from his feet and slowly burned their way upwards towards his thighs, torso, neck and the rest of his body with each step he took towards the exit of his prison. When he was out of his prison, he grinned, summoned a pair of blazing wings and thrust his fist in the air. A bolt of energy shot downwards from the sky like a bolt of lightning and destroyed his former prison.
“Sister,” Beelzebub called out to Luceefa via telepathy.
“Yes, brother,” she replied.
“Release the demons!” Beelzebub commanded.
***
“Hello Shi’mon, this is Eliel,” Eliel said telepathically.
“Oh, hello Archangel Eliel,” Shi’mon greeted back in like manner.
This can’t be good! Shi’mon thought.
“You can drop the ‘archangel’, Shi’mon,” Eliel reminded him. “Eliel or El will do.”
“Sorry. Eliel,” Shi’mon replied.
Shi’mon was going to stick with ‘Eliel’. His inner Jew-ness would not let him address an archangel with one of the many names of Yahweh.
“It’s Eliel,” he whispered to the rest of the team.
Miryam, Sarael and Cahen had left by then.
“How may I be of assistance to you, Eliel?” Shi’mon asked telepathically.
“I’m in your living room,” Eliel replied telepathically. “Bring your team with you.”
“He wants us in the living room,” Shi’mon told the rest of the team.
They teleported into to the living room. A grim-looking Eliel was standing on the right corner of the living room dressed in a red and black plaid shirt, tucked into a pair of fitted, faded blue jeans that tapered over a pair of black boots. The only item of clothing missing from his country look was a hat.
“Yes, Eliel,” Shi’mon said.
“Your kind is in serious trouble,” Eliel said flatly. “The apocalyptic kind.”.
“Courtesy of Lucifer and The Beast, I presume?” Yehuda asked.
“Indeed,” Eliel replied.
He was surprised at how calm Team Shi’mon was at the reception of the news. Or maybe it was surrender?
“We goin’ to war with Hell soon,” Eliel continued. “A swarm of demons should be headed y’all’s way anytime soon.”
“A swarm of demons,” Yochanan reiterated what everyone was thinking. “Can Celestia help us? I mean can’t Michael send some angels to protect us? It’s doable, right?”
“It’s doable, but it ain’t gon’ happen,” Eliel replied bluntly. “Hell will be weaker when they send their demons your way. This presents a great opportunity for us to wipe them out once and for all; an opportunity we can’t pass up on.”
“But you are here!” Shi’mon said.
“Only as a courtesy and much to Michael’s vexation,” Eliel explained. “I’m only here to warn you of what’s to come. Sorry, can’t put it any other way, but Celestia first and I’m obligated to Celestia above all others. It ain’t the best I can do for you, but it’s the best I choose to do and I prioritize Celestia over you.”
Team Shi’mon was lost for words, though they understood Eliel’s point.