The Third Heaven : Apocalypse of Kings

by Donovan Neal

  The archangel smiled as his son left the room: smiled because after he was done with his progeny he would slay him.

  ✽✽✽

  Leto walked out of the rebuilt temple and as he did his armed guards surrounded him. He shooed them away that he might assemble with the people and said. “I have risen from the dead. Do you truly think that mere weapons on earth can harm me now? If you must persist in this fawning over my safety, you will do so at a distance.”

  Several of the soldiers nodded and stood several feet back from the Chancellor. “We are just trying to do our job Chancellor. We are trying to keep you away from harm. We are nearing the habitation of Enoch and Elijah. They have squatted on this area and declared it hallowed territory.”

  Leto shrunk back in irritation. “There is no more need for protection sergeant. It is I who will in all probability be protecting you.” Now step away from me.”

  The guard did as ordered and Leto stepped into a police barricaded area that had been cordoned off to prevent people from arbitrarily entering the compound. Leto approached the men as they sat on the floor. Leto observed a man also sitting next to them and spoke. “You are famous Henel James. Carrier of the words of Enoch and Elijah prophets sent by God. Are you not?”

  Henel James stood to his feet. “I am a simple journalist sir. A man who has happened upon a story and been privileged to be at the right place at the right time.”

  Leto looked at him and eyed him up and down and smiled. “You are an opportunist. Henel James record this. I want the world to see what I am about to do. Heaven already watches, and I will let this serve as an example.”

  Henel replied, “An example of what Chancellor?”

  Leto smiled, “That I am coming for them.”

  Henel replied, “Them sir?”

  Leto nodded, “Yes, all of them.” He then looked at Enoch and Elijah who both were sound asleep napping and he spoke in the angelic tongue. “Elohim ark.ca ah thank chi”

  Immediately two angels appeared one stood in front of the sleeping men and one stood to their rear. Nuriel the guardian of Enoch spoke to Leto. “How does the Abomination know our tongue?”

  Henel immediately set his phone to live stream.

  Leto looked at the angel who was now visible to all and replied. “I have communed with Hell itself. I know the tongues of all humanity and yes the common tongue of Heaven, yeah even the ancient tongue of the Arelim. Thus in respect I speak to you now. Move aside for these two are human are mine. They are of MY house. They have not tasted death. I am here to remedy that. Move aside that my hand be swift. I have much more pressing things to do today than to destroy them and you. Go back to your home and do not set foot on my land again. Go and no harm will come to you. Defy me, and Limbus will have two more residents to add to the Mists.”

  Nuriel turned to his peer Baradiel and laughed, and when he did Enoch and Elijah were roused from their sleep, and stood to their feet. Elijah spoke for them and said, “Leto Alexander. What have we to do with thee?”

  Leto replied, “You will no longer plague my people. You will cease and desist. You will bow down to me, and yea though Lucifer himself would see you killed. I will spare you. IF you acknowledge me as God. Now if you are ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, and harp. Ready when the sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, plays and you fall down and worship my image; well: but if you do not worship, I will burn you alive as you have done to others. And I will do this, this very hour and send you to abide into the realm of the dead; and who is that God that will deliver you out of my hands?”

  Enoch leaned upon a cane, and replied, “We are not slow to answer you Anti-Christ. We know that El can deliver us if he so will. But we will not be moved nor will we bow to you… ever.”

  Leto smiled, “I had hoped you would say that.”

  He then disappeared in prismatic light and reappeared over the shoulders of Nuriel. He placed his hands over the head of the angel and snapped his neck. The Arelim slumped and Leto rode his body as the celestial fell over face first and slammed into the ground.

  Enoch, Elijah and Baradiel were stunned. Baradiel cried out “ARRGGGGGG!!!” and launched himself at the Beast. Leto released a sonic cone of force that projected from his mouth and the invisible beam sliced through the flesh and bone of Baradiel’s neck and severed his head. It fell to the ground as his body collapsed following suite.

  Leto Alexander looked at the dead angelic corpse that lay before him and then locked his eyes at the two humans who had defied him and proceeded to slowly walk over to where the two prophets were.

  Each man opened their mouths and fire immediately erupted around the Beast. His clothes caught fire, and he was emblazoned in orange flame. Enoch and Elijah watched as his flesh burned and began to peel off of him. Yet as rapidly as it fell, it repaired itself almost instantly.

  Leto was a flaming hulk of walking and blistering skin. Flames licked at the Beast’s charring face and pustules burst into weeping bloody sores that revealed bone and sinew. And the monstrosity of Lucifer’s making spoke.

  “Fools, I have been embraced by the lick of Hell herself. The likes of you cannot stop me.”

  Leto walked further towards them and when he got to Enoch, he took the man by the throat and was engulfed in flames. And when he reached for Enoch to touch him Enoch screamed out in screeching pain for the fire burned him, and he struggled to free himself from the grip of Leto’s choke hold.

  Fire spread from Leto to Enoch and the two were awash in flame. Enoch wrestled to remove Leto’s hands from his neck. Striking downward on his wrists in an excruciating struggle to break his hold. Elijah then took his staff and swatted Leto on the back. He opened his mouth and breathed and a wind blew upon both Enoch and Leto and the plumes of fire that lifted from their bodies were put out.

  Leto held fast to the Enoch’s throat and his devilish grin and wide eyes blossomed into euphoria when he pushed his thumbs deeper against into Enoch’s windpipe and felt the organ crush under his hands. Enoch’s eyes grew large, and he gave up the ghost. His body went limp as Leto took his hands from his adversary’s neck and Enoch slumped to the ground.

  Elijah swatted Leto again with his staff and pummeled him. Leto grabbed the oncoming strike and held his grip tight. He kicked the prophet square in the ribs and sent him flying several feet backwards.

  Elijah coughed and held his hands over his chest for the ache that swelled within his breastbone. Leto had now walked towards him and glared at the old man.

  “I should have killed you sooner. Nevertheless, I will remedy that error now.”

  Leto’s hands simmered and exploded in flame. Elijah slid back and leaned his weight upon his staff to stand to his feet. But Leto moved quickly to him and kicked his staff from his hands and the old man fell back into the dirt of the street. Elijah looked up and the last thing he saw was the flaming hands of the Antichrist before his eyes were gouged out, and his own esophagus ripped from his throat.

  Elijah fell over to his side blood draining from his torn throat. His eye sockets charred black from Leto’s hands.

  Soldiers and the royal guard came over to their leader, and Leto was given a towel to wipe his hands.

  Another soldier sought to move the bodies and Leto cried out, “Do not touch them. Let them rot for the world to see. Henel James come here.”

  The report did as directed and cautiously walked towards the Anti-Christ. Eyeing the bodies of the two men he had come to call friends. Leto then spoke.

  “Henel James you will continue in your role as a reporter. But now you will do it for me. Show the world the bodies of these men lying here. Write about it for your paper, and stream it to your audience. But in every platform you use, I want you to make sure you let the message to my enemies be clear: If you attack either myself or my people, there is neither man nor angel, nor corner of Earth or Heaven remote enough to protect you from the reach of my hand. Know that I will see my adversaries undone. Show the bod
ies of these celestials and the traitors of mankind who worked with them. Report on what you saw here today Mr. James. And you had better make sure I like what I read. Or know I will be back to add your body to these four here.”

  Henel James swallowed hard as Leto Alexander walked away from him fully healed from his burns and wiping the blood of Enoch and Elijah from his hands.

  ✽✽✽

  Leto gathered into his offices built into the newly reconstructed Temple. He had built ante-chambers next to the holy of holies allowing him access to the innermost room from any of his offices. Settled into a conference room he stood at a window looking out over the city of Jerusalem and spoke with his back to his chief of staff and the head of his security council.

  “Gentlemen, there are several issues that have risen to the top of my agenda. The first is the progress of the excavation. Is my prize found?”

  General Hagan Chief of Staff answered, “It is done, sir.” He motioned to an attendant who brought a sealed box into the room. It was a lead box and men in hazmat suits placed it on the table and backed away. The rest of the Chancellor’s assembled cabinet did so as well. One of the hazmat men held a Geiger counter in his hand and spoke. “Chancellor you should be warned that it emits a radiation signature that we have not identified. It’s pinging off the charts.”

  Leto turned around and looked at the box and replied. “There are things young man that defy explanation. This item is not one of those. It communicates in the language of energy. Primordial energy. The residual energy that created the big bang itself. Leto looked into the box and the Hazmat soldiers Geiger counter ticked up its pinging to what was now a constant buzz. Leto smiled.

  “Do not be afraid gentlemen.” Leto picked up the stone and looked at it. It was beautiful. A gem that fascinated the eyes of all in the room. A gem that glowed as if it one was looking into refracted mirror. A gem that vibrated and seemed…to be singing.

  General Hagan the celestials can be killed. You have seen me kill two. WE can kill more. We can stop their incursion unto our planet. But to do this we will need the might of our planets armed forces as never before. It is time, gentlemen. Time to execute my plan and attack these beings on their own soil. There is a tear that separates their world from ours. A place where the properties of this gem can be focused and give us a doorway into their world. Gentlemen I have been to Hell. Now I will literally take you to Heaven.”

  General Hagan replied, “We are with you, sir. My joint chiefs and I have been in threat assessment meetings for some time. We don’t have the means to stop these attacks everyone agrees we need to strike back before there is not a planet left to defend. You have our support sir. What is it you require?”

  Leto then turned to his general and spoke, “Bring all nations to Meggido. Every army that can be mustered must be mustered. Every plane, every tank that can be spared, march the troops from China if need be but bring them to Israel, and let all know that we are going on the offensive. Leave back only those forces that might be necessary for planetary defense. Am I clear?”

  General Hagan was taken aback by the scope of the request and replied, “But sir, to move so much men and equipment will take months even years. Nothing has been done on this scale since perhaps world war two.”

  Leto then opened his mouth and when he did, his countenance changed and immediately unclean spirits like frogs came out of his mouth. All the men in the room jumped back startled as they watched the creature emerge from their leader’s mouth and then it hopped unto the conference room table and stared at them. It hissed as a snake then let out a high-pitched shriek as a woman’s scream before it jump from the table and dematerialized through a closed window and disappeared outside.

  “General bring up the orbital feed of the Jezreel Valley now.”

  General Hagan nodded to an attaché in the room and a young man brought up a view screen that gave a live orbital screen shot of the area and spoke into a secured radio link phone. “I have a code auth for a live feed from satellite 32 niner from Mark 666. Copy.”

  Chatter came back on the other side and the young man replied.

  “Yeah bring up all visual assets in the area and feed into Chamber’s conference room. Code: Tango, Zulu, Alpha, Omega, 6, 6, 6. over” He whispered into a com.

  “Orders confirmed, transmissions incoming, feed is live. You are a go Mark666. Roger”

  “Roger that, comms.”

  The young man pressed a button and the Valley of Jezreel came into view on several screens. From satellite above to drone footage that was streaming back live. Everyone in the room could see the green lush valley of Israel.

  General Hagan inquired his commander, “Mr. Chancellor. Why Meggido?”

  Leto replied, “While I was dead I learned some things general. Things were revealed as I communed with dead. The gem I own created a weakness between dimensions a tear so to speak. A tear centered here in the Valley of Jezreel. Here is where we will assault the aliens general. Here will be the stage to our vanguard.”

  Leto touched the stone and suddenly on the television screen a twisting white dust devil appeared of energy. Suddenly a prismatic funnel of light opened, and it was as a tornado a mile wide and stretched miles into the sky. Satellite imagery showed it breached the Earth’s atmosphere curved near the moon and sprinted into the depths of deep space.

  Leto then spoke into the air to Ashtaroth who had stood invisibly by his side and said. “Take me and the general to Meggido now.”

  Ashtaroth bowed and Lathum the Grigori opened a portal. Leto had General Hagan fitted with a communications device. “Come with me general. The rest of you stay behind and assist with the execution of my plan.”

  General Hagan then followed Ashtaroth Leto and Lathum into the Portal and it closed behind him. The two men stood but a footballs field’s length from the great funnel and even from the distance they could feel its winds buffet them.

  Leto then spoke and when he did, his voice was as the voice many speaking as one. Speaking to the Ashtaroth and Lathum that followed him. “Go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

  Both angels disappeared, and two hours later squadrons of men began to appear within the portal Leto had created and he ordered then to come to him, and they did.

  Gather my forces to me general. And do not voice excuse to me again when I give a command. Is that understood?”

  The general nodded, “Crystal sir.”

  ✽✽✽

  Gabriel saw the massive and newly opened portal that swerved over the gateway at the Cliffs of Argoth and turned to Michael, “We cannot stop the Beasts entry into the realm immortal. He possesses a God-stone.”

  “No,” Michael said. “We cannot, but we can prepare for his coming. He has sown to the wind, and will now reap the whirlwind. Let him fulfill the lust he so desires. His pride leads him to destruction. His haughtiness towards his fall. Give them a causeway to gather. And we will see who gathers that think they can unseat the Godhead.”

  And in that moment Gabriel the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

  And when this was done. Mankind was once more incensed at the environmental ravage upon his planet. For all of humanity thought Heaven willfully attacked men in retaliation for making a bridge to combat their attackers. The land of Sino emptied at the command of Leto. Provoked to defend their people and instigated by Lucifer and the Horde to make war with the God of Heaven.

  Michael the prince of heaven watched as one million men from China alone marched over waterways that were now dry. Watched as they traveled to Meggido, Israel. Listened as the Beast spoke blasphemous words that incited mankind to destroy the source of their perceived lot: the source of their unrepentant misery. A misery inflicted planet wide by alleged aliens. The Elohim.

  And the call to mankind was such that b
oth young men and old, offered themselves to go to war and fight the celestial menace that they believed threatened their survival and way of life.

  Michael grimaced at the pending battle he knew was coming: knowing Heaven must once again war on her shores. Grimaced as we watched from heaven as Leto gathered humanity from all nations and tongues to assault his home.

  Watched as the Anti-Christ gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue… Armageddon.

  ✽✽✽

  Meggido Staging Area: Israel

  Leto Alexander was in a tent surveying troop movements when General Hagan came to give a status update to his commander.

  “Chancellor, we have reports that thousands of Jews have fled Israel and are continuously congregating in Petra, Jordan. It’s been established that they believe in the old god Yahweh, some are even considered Messianic Jews. Drone reconnaissance shows none of them bear the Mark ID radio signature that you made mandatory by the populace. Jordan seems to bear some culpability in harboring them. Israel refuses to stop the exodus and also refuses to cooperate with his Chancellors government. What are your orders, sir?”

  Leto looked down at the maps assembled by his men. Grigoric scouts under Lathum’s directions had drawn up maps of Heaven. Maps that showed vulnerabilities when they attack.

  Leto frowned and continued his study. “Lathum are you sure of these markers?”

  The Grigori replied, “Aye young dragon. To the extent that the knowledge is older than much of mankind and that Heaven has not changed. They can be relied upon.”

  General Hagan although could hear Leto he could not see the spirit that he knew occupied the room with them. Some angels revealed themselves but most chose to remain hidden from human eyes. As it was believed that such gave them an advantage to know the true nature of things. Nor did Lucifer command open manifestation at all times.