by David Walker
“What's more,” Jacob continued. “The season is late spring, so the Gemini twins will have celestial empowerment, allowing them to significantly strengthen either Aries or Taurus.” The angels stood silent for a moment.
“Should we wait until the next season to attack Aries?” Gideon asked.
“I will leave that up to Rachel. Despite the odds, I believe we can defeat them,” Jacob answered.
“There's no time to waste. We should start as soon as possible,” Rachel said.
Ribbons of colored light spiraled around each angel and wrapped around their bodies. The light transformed into combat armors. Jacob donned armor comprised of pure diamond along with a composite bow and a quiver of elemental arrows. Gideon wore a white-hooded robe over an aquamarine armor and a silver staff. Samson was clad in bright, ruby armor along with a large, spiked mace. Caleb bore emerald armor, a broad sword, and a round, golden shield.
The war room's roof disappeared and four massive, winged creatures: an eagle, horse, lion, and bull, flew overhead. The large, white eagle swooped down next to Jacob. It had piercing, intelligent eyes, and wings that surged with electricity.
“Greetings, Rachel. My name is Nesher. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the eagle said politely.
“Hello,” Rachel replied with a warm smile. She had witnessed so many wonders in heaven that a talking eagle did not seem out of the ordinary.
“My brothers and I are ministering spirits,” Nesher motioned to the lion. “This is Aryeh.”
“Charmed,” Aryeh said, as he casually sat down on his hind-feet and combed his thick, black mane with one of his flaming paws.
“This is Sus,” Nesher said, motioning over to the horse. The white, frosty steed whinnied.
“And this is Baquar,” Nesher said, motioning over to the bull. The black, muscular creature bowed his head toward Rachel.
“We don't have wings, so we rely on our ministering spirit partners to help us get to remote locations,” Jacob said as he mounted the saddle that was on Nesher's back. “And sometimes...we need their help in battle.”
“What's the mission?” Nesher asked.
“We're going up against three Curses, my friend,” Jacob said.
“Well, at least we'll have some fun tonight,” Aryeh said with an eager growl. He stood on his four legs as Samson mounted the saddle on his back. Gideon mounted Sus's saddle while Caleb mounted Baquar's saddle.
Rachel mounted a human-sized seat behind Jacob, on Nesher's saddle. They flew through the cosmos toward the force celestial realm. After what seemed to be ages, they approached an enormous, circular gate on what appeared to be a moon.
Aries, the great ram of the zodiac, emerged out of the gate. He stood full of might and towered like a mountain. Taurus, the mighty ox who was as colossal as Aries, also came out of the gate. Castor and Pollux, the gigantic Gemini twins, rode on top of each of them. The cosmic entities were cloaked with space itself, as stars twinkled within their bodies.
“Jacob, aren't you and your little friends a long way from home?” Castor asked mockingly.
“By order of Ophanim Raphael, Duke of Saturn, we are here to collect the keys to astral gates: force, energy, and harmony. Hand the keys over peacefully or we will be forced to banish you,” Jacob declared. Castor and Pollux cackled with malice.
Castor kicked Aries into a gallop toward Jacob, Rachel, and Nesher. Nesher flew out of Aries's range, narrowly dodging a crushing blow from the Curse's flaming horns. Pollux followed suit kicking Taurus into a charge toward the angels. She drove her massive horns into the ground and wildly swung her head, flinging rocky shards and debris at the angels. One of the larger rocks barreled into Aryeh, injuring the mighty lion and knocking Samson off of his saddle.
Samson recovered and stood in front of Aryeh, deflecting debris that flew his way with his mace. Rachel lifted the Staff of Life in the air and the sapphire gem detached from it. The gem circled around Aryeh, restoring his spirit vitality. Caleb and Baquar rammed into Aries's side, inciting his rage. Aries, no longer heeding the direction of Castor, chased after Caleb and Baquar who ran the enraged ram around in circles.
Meanwhile, Sus galloped on the ground near Taurus, as his icy hooves left streaks of slick ice on the ground. Caleb and Baquar baited Aries onto the patches of ice and the great ram lost his traction. Aries unintentionally rammed his flaming horns full force into Taurus, knocking Pollux off of her back. Taurus was severely weakened by the fiery blow. Samson cracked Taurus's side with a thunderous blow from his mace while Aryeh bit down hard into her neck, draining the last of her spirit vitality.
Gideon lifted up his staff, summoning large icicles that crashed on top of the stunned Aries. Castor abandoned Aries to avoid the icy blows. Sharp, diamond shards encircled Baquar's horns as he impaled Aries in the chest. Caleb dismounted and struck Aries with a finishing blow with his sword. Rachel started channeling gravitational energy into her gem, which was now re-attached to the Staff of Life.
Perhaps sensing imminent defeat, Castor used celestial empowerment on the distant Curse Cancer, as he and Pollux regrouped. Jacob had spent the battle using his Arms Knight Discernment ability on Castor and Pollux, scouting for their weaknesses. He discovered that Castor had a weak, right knee and Pollux was weak near his right shoulder. Jacob shot two dormant, magnetic arrows from his bow right into their weak points.
Nesher flailed his wings and electrified feathers shot down on the Gemini twins like lightning bolts. The electricity activated the arrows' dormant magnetic fields. Castor's right knee and Pollux's right shoulder crashed into each other, as the magnetic force locked the Gemini twins together. Rachel launched her gem at the Gemini twins and it exploded into a miniature black-hole, which violently sucked the twins into a singularity before collapsing.
Rachel saw three gemstones: a jasper, sardius, and topaz, materialize on the top of the Staff of Life, where the large sapphire had once been. The gemstones were her keys to the astral gates of force, energy, and harmony. Rachel now had access to the hidden knowledge of the first three ages of history.
* * *
The Angelic Special Forces led Rachel to the Dome of Time. The dome itself appeared as if it were alive; its top swirled around like a dark whirlpool intermingled with stars. The inside of the dome had twelve square mirrors that were spaced apart and arranged in a circle. The mirrors each faced a large, crystalline dodecahedron that floated mid-air in the center of the dome.
The Dome of Time was ruled by Ramael, Dominion of visions. Unlike most angelic beings, he had spent much time with humans and had a friendly rapport with them. He had curly, auburn hair and wore a bright, electric-blue robe with a golden sash.
“Greetings, Dominion Ramael. This is Rachel,” Jacob said.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Rachel,” Ramael said, with a bow of respect.
“Likewise,” Rachel replied with her own bow.
“Duke Raphael has concluded that she is the scribe of the final age and should have access to the observation realms. She already has the keys to the astral gates: force, energy, and harmony,” Jacob said, handing Ramael sealed orders from his general. Ramael took a moment to review the orders.
“How exciting! We should be able to view a spectacular vision,” Ramael said gleefully.
“Rachel, it is not our place to view what you are about to see. We will leave you in Dominion Ramael's capable hands until it is time to seize another astral key,” Jacob said. Rachel bid her companions farewell.
“Welcome to the Dome of Time. Let me get your access authorized and we can get started,” Ramael said.
“I'm confused. I thought I was already authorized by the Duke.”
“You were authorized by Duke Raphael of Saturn, yes. He is the administrator of the angelic hosts. But we're on the vibrant side of Jupiter, which is under the jurisdiction of Ophanim Uriel, Duke of Jupiter. We will need to confirm your access with the Dominions of the observation realms. It shouldn't be a problem,” Ramael explaine
d. He approached the dodecahedron, touching three of its sides. Three shining faces appeared on three of the mirrors.
“I have an official access request for the observation realms: force, energy, and harmony,” Ramael said, holding up the orders he received from Jacob.
“Access to the observation realm of force is granted,” Melkiel said.
“Access to the observation realm of energy is granted,” Adnarel said.
“Access to the observation realm of harmony is granted,” Heloyaseph said. The Dominions' faces in the mirrors turned into beams of light that shined onto the dodecahedron, transforming it into a rift.
“See, that wasn't too bad,” Ramael said with a smile. “This rift leads to a fusion of the first three observation realms. It will take us into ancient times, allowing us to view the first three ages of history. Since you also have the keys to the first three astral gates, we'll have access to the esoteric knowledge of these ages as well. Note that we are simply observing the past; we will not be able to interact with it in any way.”
“As the scribe of the final age, do I need to write anything down?” Rachel asked.
“That won't be necessary. Everything that you witness will be written on the tablets of your heart. Are you ready to enter the rift?”
Rachel pondered the question for a moment. Ever since her childhood, she had wanted to discover the secrets of the past. Archaeology was her way of fitting together the lost pieces of time. Now, she had the opportunity to view the past for herself. No more theory, speculation, or corruption. This was the real thing. She felt a nervous excitement about what was beyond the rift.
“Let's go,” she said, as she followed Ramael into the rift.
Rachel saw an enormous ball of white, blazing light. After a moment, her eyes adjusted to its brightness. She could see the outline of a human-like figure in the center of the light. Rachel was granted the knowledge that she was looking at the Judge of Heaven. No life existed outside of the ball of light, which was the Judge of Heaven's aura.
Within the Judge of Heaven's aura, directly to his east, was the foundation of life. Reuben the Bull, Upper Cherubim of Earth, stood upon it. Judah the Lion, Upper Cherubim of Fire, dwelt inside the spark of life, to the south of the Judge of Heaven. Aquila the Eagle, Upper Cherubim of Wind, hovered above the breath of life, to the west of the Judge of Heaven. Melchizedek the Priest, Upper Cherubim of Water, held a cistern containing the living waters, to the north of the Judge of Heaven.
The twenty-four Elders of Life sat upon thrones along the outskirts of the Judge of Heaven's aura. The Elders of Life faced him and surrounded him like a halo. The Upper Cherubim of Life also faced him as they aligned with the four brilliant rays of light that emitted from him. Everything within the Judge of Heaven's aura was too bright for Rachel to make out anyone's features. Even so, she knew that she was looking at beings of unimaginable splendor and grace. The Elder of Force stood up from his throne and read from a piece of parchment in his hands.
“Light has been decreed,” the Elder of Force pronounced. Lady Wisdom of Day descended from the Judge of Heaven, leaving his aura. Her presence illuminated the darkness that was outside of his aura.
“Let the Elder Princes of Life come forth,” the Judge of Heaven loudly declared.
Cherubim Melchizedek poured a drop of living water from his cistern. The globule of living water dropped from the Judge of Heaven's aura and stood suspended below it. Cherubim Judah let out a booming roar, causing the spark of life to flare up. Flame surrounded the globule of living water which turned into a solid, frozen core. Cherubim Aquila swooped his mighty wings with a thunderclap, and lightning struck the flaming ball of living water. A cyclone swirled around it before eventually forming into a luminous spirit body. Mastema, Prince of Expression was born.
This process occurred two more times, giving birth to Michael, Prince of Power and Sathar, Prince of Peace. The Elder Princes of Life were the three great lights of life. Prince Mastema was artistic and creative, continuously exploring the possibilities and beauty of life. Prince Michael scrutinized Prince Mastema's seemingly limitless imagination, always concerned about securing the integrity of life. Prince Sathar focused on learning from the Judge of Heaven and Lady Wisdom. The first age ended with the cloak of Lady Lilith of Night.
“Fascinating,” Ramael mused. “Since the very beginning, Prince Michael, our most powerful warrior, was concerned about security. He is truly the embodiment of the force of life. You see, force was always meant to secure life. The integrity of life had to be secured before it could be multiplied.”
“It's a shame how force has been misused since,” Rachel lamented. Ramael hung his head in agreement. Lady Wisdom expelled the darkness of Lady Lilith, bringing in the second age. The Elder of Energy stood up from his throne and read from a piece of parchment in his hands.
“The formation of heaven has been decreed,” the Elder of Energy pronounced.
Cherubim Reuben dug his horns into the foundation of life, stirring up cosmic dust. Cherubim Aquila flapped his wings causing the breath of life to spread the cosmic dust far and wide. Cherubim Reuben stomped his hooves creating a shock-wave that caused the spark of life to erupt into a powerful, far-reaching explosion. Melted cosmic dust coalesced into the glass-like foundation of heaven. The Elder Princes of Life crafted the heavens themselves.
Rachel attempted to process what she had just witnessed. She was quite certain that the explosion that she had seen was what scientists referred to as the 'Big Bang'. However, it was supposed to have occurred fourteen billion years ago. How many years passed in each age? In one sense, it seemed as if billions of years transpired in the ages. In another sense, it seemed as if only hundreds of years transpired in them.
Cherubim Melchizedek poured out living water from his cistern, filling the depths beyond heaven. A portion of the living water was bright and a portion of it was dark. Prince Sathar separated the bright waters from the dark waters. Prince Mastema raised the bright waters above, high into heaven. Prince Michael lowered the dark waters below heaven. Anu, Lower Cherubim of Wind, descended from the breath of life and formed a firmament, encasing the dark waters below.
Lady Lilith's darkness ended the second age. The darkness was once again extinguished by Lady Wisdom's radiance, ushering in the third age. The Elder of Harmony stood up from his throne and read from a piece of parchment in his hands.
“The formation of the earth has been decreed,” the Elder of Harmony pronounced.
“Let the Junior Princes of Life come forth,” the Judge of Heaven loudly declared.
Jaoel, Prince of Design, crafted Eden, a beautiful, garden paradise. With the lessons that he had learned from crafting Eden, Jaoel formed solid landscapes inside of Cherubim Anu's firmament, separating the water from dry land. Metatron, Prince of Dimension, pulled the dense waters down, forming Sheol in the depths. Baal, Prince of Cycles, planted seeds of life inside of the soil of the dry land. Gabriel, Prince of Time, initiated time on the Earth, and the seeds bloomed into luscious plant life of all kinds. The subtle movements in the earth vibrated in harmony with the timeless wonders of heaven above it.
Lady Lilith's twilight dissolved the observation realm fusion, bringing Rachel and Ramael back to the Dome of Time. The first three ages of history were like nothing Rachel had expected them to be. She thought that she would see a number of random processes, but instead, she saw collaborative, creative art. A grin broke out on her face when she thought of what might lay ahead in the next age.
Chapter 8
Matthew spent day and night reading the Annals of Heaven. As he read, the words appeared to come alive, seemingly shifting on the pages. He felt as if he was walking with the King of Heaven himself when he read through his story. He was astonished by the simple, yet irrefutable, wisdom of his king.
As Shade read through the Annals of Heaven in the physical world, he also trained in elemental combat in the spirit world. He developed his own combat styles that wer
e inspired by each element. His earth style used rigid, strong attacks, his water style used fluid, circular attacks, his wind style used momentum-based attacks, and his fire style used aggressive, quick attacks. As Shade familiarized himself with each of the elements, he discovered that his favorite energy to channel was light. He learned how to project it into devastating, piercing beams.
Shade stood on top of one of his crystal castle towers, surveying his heart realm. A radiant figure with four large wings swooped down from the sky next to him. The figure had bright, blue eyes and a full, white beard. He donned a glowing, sapphire armor that was rimmed with silver.
“Greetings, Matthew. My name is Ophanim Uriel, Duke of Jupiter,” the figure said with a bow.
“...Uh, hello Uriel,” Shade replied with a nervous salute. Duke of Jupiter?
“The King of Heaven has told me to give you a tour of the seventeen levels of the spirit world.”
“Seventeen? I thought there were only nine levels in the spirit world?”
“The original spirit world had nine levels, yes. There was a mutiny in heaven and eight shadow levels were forked off from the original, alpha levels. Now, alpha and shadow spirit levels compete with one another over the governance of reality,” Uriel explained. Shade squinted his eyes in confusion.
“Hopefully, this will become clearer once you've seen it for yourself. Are you ready to depart?” Uriel asked.
“Sure,” Shade replied. Uriel's aura expanded large enough to comfortably fit Shade inside of it. The surface of his aura solidified and lifted them both up into the air. They rose out of Shade's heart realm and entered a vast, dark plane. The depths they entered into had a space-like quality to it, yet it also flowed like liquid.
“This is the aether; it is that which lies in-between the spirit levels,” Uriel said. They moved further away from Shade's heart realm and it looked like a small pearl off in the distance. Uriel pointed to it. “Every heart realm takes up a node here in the aether. The heart realm is quite a wonder. The space within it could be practically infinite, yet the realm itself never expands beyond its correlating node, which only takes up a tiny space in the vast sea of aether.”