by A. Joseph
“There are ways to speak and see spirits William,”
John replied getting some grapes from the fruit basket. “But
you"ll have to learn properly how to do it in time. Don"t
concern yourself about it for now, build your strength first.” “Who were those people that attacked us?” William
asked unable to remove the memories.
“They are called the damned ones, they are men like
you and me who have succumbed to a particular deadly sin
thus achieving the capacity to summon and control
archdemons. Those are the creatures you saw with them.”
John replied standing up.
He realized William really needs some of his
questions answered to move forward. Perhaps ideas on the
things he saw will be enough.
“How about those beings that my mother
summoned?” William asked.
He cannot forget those bright beings that helped him
escape, without them he might have died as well.
“Those on the other hand are archangels and they can
only be summoned by enlightened men and women who have
achieved truly any of the cardinal virtues,” John replied
opening the wooden cabinet at the corner.
“Then that means my mother has achieved that?”
William asked looking at John “Why didn"t they tell me?” “Yes both your mom and dad did and they were
supposed to tell you about it,” John replied getting something
at the cabinet. “That"s why you were scheduled to go up the
mountain on your birthday where at the top you will be
educated about enlightenment,” as John threw a multi-colored
towel to William.
“What enlightenment?” William asked picking up the
towel.
“Enlightenment is about knowing the reality about
good and evil. Knowing the reality of good and evil is also
knowing about virtues and sins, angels and demons,” John
replied closing the cabinet.
“One of the men that attacked us said that I should not
have the chance to wish, what does that mean?” William
asked.
“The damned ones try their best to hinder the chance
for The God Wish for thousands of years already. It has been
passed on for generations now that whoever acquires all seven
major archangels of heaven who embody the seven cardinal
virtues would be granted a wish by God,” John replied as he
opened up the curtains making the sunlight shine through the
multi-colored windows.
“You, among the generation of men and women who
have tried might be the closest to achieving this goal.” “Why me?” asked William, surprised at the idea. “For your mother and father combined were able to
acquire all the seven major archangels,” John replied. He drew a sign on the air and said “Haziel” and his
eye turned to bright yellow.
HAZIEL Out of the same blinding light that he experienced that night a being emerged.
“This is my archangel,” John said “the name is Haziel, the bringer of light,” and the being bowed.
William saw the same type of being he saw that night with bright wings at the back. It was dressed in robes as well but this time it was less illuminated than that of his mom. The being looked more like a girl with its long yellow hair unlike the masculine features of the beings of his mother.
“Is she a girl?” William asked.
Angels do not have gender like we do,” John said, “although some might look feminine or masculine,” he continued thanking the archangel as it disappeared like vapor in the air.
“You see the one who summons a divine being acquires also their gift. The first of course is the gift of sight. Whatever the summoned creature sees would be seen by the one who summoned it as well. You might have seen it with our eyes as it brightens whenever we summon these archangels.
“Yes! I did see that,” as William remembered his mom and that tragic night.
“That is also why you have the capacity to acquire the seven major archangels because you inherited both your mother and father"s eyes,” as John looked at his eyes.
“But, my archangel is only a minor archangel, for there are only seven major archangels,” John continued.
“And my parents have those seven?” William asked confused.
“Yes, your father was able to acquire four of the major archangels while your mother was able to acquire three. And as their son you basically inherit both your mother and father"s capability as seen in your eyes,” John replied as he pulled out William from the bed urging him to stand up already.
“But the eyes had nothing to do with any capacity to acquire virtues,” William said. “I have their eyes but I never had their looks nor their wisdom or skills.
“Indeed! But you are raised by two people who have those virtues and it is also true that virtues are not about how you look or your skills.” John replied, happy that William understood how virtues work.
„There is hope," he said to himself.
“But, you are their son and in a way or another you experienced their virtues and don"t you wish to acquire those virtues to make them proud?” John replied pointing to him the bathroom urging him to take a shower.
“I do,” William replied. “Did my father or mother have parents who had archangels as well?” William asked as he goes to the bathroom.
“Our father was only capable of controlling two archangels and only one of those was a major archangel. Our mother cannot summon an archangel although she can summon a Cherub. You"re mother on the other hand had both her parents able to control an archangel. Her father had a minor one, while her mother had a major one,” as John took an apple in the basket. “But being raised by our parents helped Peter achieve his archangels and I believe the same goes for Sarah as well.”
“But that also means that I may not achieve to have all the seven major archangels right?” William asked before he enters the bathroom. “This task is for all right? Which means others can get them as well and maybe even more qualified to achieve this God Wish?”
“True! Since your mom and dad no longer have the major archangels, others can have them now maybe even before you can.” John replied. “Your parents were supposed to relinquish one after the other once you have acquired the necessary virtue for you to have the archangel. Since, that is no longer possible you must now acquire them on your own and that makes it more difficult.”
The series of questions makes John hungry as he gets another apple but at least it diverts William"s thoughts from remembering the death of his parents.
“But wouldn"t you like to have them instead? Your parents hoped you would as the first of all humans,” John replied.
“Can I do it?” asked William.
“That is yours to find out,” and John stood up instead of taking another apple.
“All in due time William, for virtues are not like lessons to be learned immediately they are acquired through experience, reason, personal choice, commitment and followed at all times, ” John said as he fixes the bed and got some dress for William at the cabinet.
“Sometimes, people are given a chance, an opportunity for a purpose greater than them. Sometimes even the hope of a generation rest on their shoulders. Unimaginable sorrows and hardships are given to them to achieve something no other person has achieved before and they become examples for generations to come,” John continued placing William"s clothes at the bed.
“That is the gift given to you and the chance for you to do something great not only for yourself but also for others,” John added as he closed the door of the bathroom.
“Now take a bath and do not concern yourself for the things that are unclear to you. Take a bath fi
rst the water here will help you and I"ll show you where you are and perhaps it might lift your spirits up and give you hope for the things to come,” as John left the room to prevent William from asking more questions.
William noticed the walls are filled with the same multi-colored glass but the design looked like flowing water. As he took his shower he experienced the cleanest water he had ever felt in his entire life. It"s so refreshing that he wished he could just take a bath forever. The way it washed his skin felt like energy was being given to him. It renewed his strength like it washing away his sorrows. It smelled like fresh spring that he did not want to stop being soaked under the shower. But knowing John has left already he decided he should get going as well.
When he went out of the bathroom he saw his bed already fixed with an abstract colored robe on top of it like what John was wearing. It fitted him well and after hanging the towel back in the bathroom he went out of the room. He then saw a large circular room with John sitting on a wooden chair like a small tree growing from the very ground where it stood facing a hallway and a large door at the end that seemed to be the entrance but only a curtain covers it. The room seems to be like a throne room and John looked like a king sitting on a throne.
“The water is really great. What is this? Your throne room?” William asked.
“We call the water here Aqua. You might say it"s something like that,” John replied, standing up.
“This is the room of Hope, or Spei in source speech. And we don"t use the term ruler, rather we call them „guide."”
“And you are the guide?” William asked.
“Yes, I am,” John replied.
“What is source speech? What are those?” asked William, pointing at the different framed abstract colored glasses surrounding the ceiling of room.
“Source speech is the language accepted by the divine beings. While those are the hopes and dreams of great people that have lived here we call it „the voice of the heart" and I believe some of them might interest you.”
William looked at each framed mosaic of glass with such abstract design that he had never seen before. “They seem to be abstract but they seem to be showing something. It feels like each is telling a story,” he said.
“Indeed, for to see hopes and dreams, one must look with the heart and not the eyes,” John said smiling at him. “Now which of the glass works do you like? Those that lift your spirit up?”
“Hmmmm…. Well I like that one there filled with hues of blue, white, yellow and green. It looks like a simple home in the mountains,” as William pointed on the glass at the upper left side past the chair.
“I assumed you would, for that is your mother"s work,” John replied looking at the glass picture as well.
“So they have been here already?” asked William.
“Yes! They have,” John smiled. “Your father and I were born here, but he decided to live in the visual world, the one where you came from.”
“So I was meant to be brought here today?” William asked.
“Yes! Your parents were to bring you here for your first education on the enlightenment,” John said.
“After your hike on your birthday you would go here and spend the rest of your vacation here but it did not happen that way unfortunately.” John said shaking off the sad face and instead asking William again. “Now what are the other glass works that you like?”
“I also like the one beside it on the left,” William replied pointing out on the glass work beside it with hues of violet, blue, yellow, and white. It looks like a person travelling.”
“That is made by your father,” John said smiling back. “He always loves to travel. I never thought he would settle down with Sarah but from the moment he saw her he never left her.”
“So I guess they did not meet in a university where dad asked her for help translating runes?” William asked.
“Hahahaha! So that"s what they told you,” John said laughing. “But that in a way is also true. Your dad actually asked help from your mom translating some symbols but they met actually in Igris, one of the enlightened cities.”
“So the symbols engraved in the cabin do have some purpose?” William asked.
“Yes they do. They are means to protect those inside and we are sorry for not telling you that time, but it was just too early for you to know them. Your mom and dad wished that you would have a normal childhood,” John replied looking at Sarah and Peter"s glass mosaics. “Now what are the other glass mosaics that you like?”
William knew they were lying that time but he also knew his parents had their reason and knowing them now makes him miss them more.
“The one that seems to move me the most is that one,” William said pointing on a glass work on the right side past the mosaics of his parents.
It had hues of red, orange, yellow, blue, green and black.
“That glass work makes me believe like it"s the best of all the ones in here,” William added.
“It has that nature indeed,” as John looked at the glass work. “That is made by one of the brightest person here in Inchora that is before your mom came off course.”
“Before she came? Where exactly did she come from?” William asked. “Isn"t dad the brightest here before?”
“She came from Sylva one of the seven enlightened cities,” as John held his shoulders and steered his sight away from the glass picture for he seemed to have been hypnotized by its beauty. “Yes, Peter was also smart but there was one person smarter than him here before.”
“I always thought dad was smarter than mom,” William said looking at John.
“Well, she never brags about it but she"s the most brilliant person I have ever known, creative and imaginative in ways you"ll never expect,” John said laughing as he remembers their memories together and urged William to walk with him.
“What are the enlightened cities?” William asked as they walk towards the large door.
“That you will learn in your class,” John replied.
“You mean I"ll go to school here?” William replied surprised at the idea of going to school again.
“Something like that but we often use the term „awakening" rather than studying,” and John gave a loud chuckle as if mocking him of the idea of going to school. “But you"ll enjoy it, it"s not like the normal schooling that you experienced after all,” smiling at William. “For now, I bet you would like to know where you are,” and John opened the large door in front of them.
William saw a magnificent large tree and a lake filled with crystal clear waters that even at their distance he can see the large fishes swimming in the water and surrounding it are wooden cottages. In every cottage shines bright colored light illuminated by the abstract glass designs just like the ones he saw in the room. It was the most beautiful sight he has ever seen in his entire life like a sparkling rainbow city.
“Welcome to Inchora William,” John said.
CHAPTER 5
AFTER THE RAIN
“Where is the child Paul?” Seth said walking towards him with his archdemon Belzebur on his side.
“He"s gone Seth, carried by an archangel,” Paul said looking at the river. The rain has stopped and the river is calm again but earlier it was raging wild. He never knew the powers of Isaac to be that strong.
“… and how about Sarah?” Seth asked annoyed at the idea that the boy escaped.
“She died already, burned to ashes while blocking the fireballs that I threw to the boy,” Paul replied looking back at Seth.
“Pity, I should have killed her myself,” Seth said giving back a malicious smile.
“You can"t even if you try,” Paul said.
“And what do you mean by that damned one? Do you think you"re powerful than me?” Seth shouted and the archdemon Belzebur"s eyes burned with rage.
“Stop this!” Rachel shouted as she unsummons the archdemon Belphegor beside her. “We must focus on killing the boy than fighting with each other.”
“Tell that to this
weakling!” Seth shouted back as he unsummoned his archdemon Belzebur. “As for me, this day is done, if there was someone who should chase the boy - I believe weakling would suffice,” looking at Paul.
“He"s the one responsible for letting the boy escape after all,” as Seth left the two and disappeared to the woods.
“You should not have stopped him Rachel,” Paul said as he walks back to the burning cottage.
“I do not wish to see you hurt,” Rachel said. “You are after all still family,” walking beside him.
“Spare me your seduction,” Paul said as they went inside the burning cottage unhurt by the burning flames. Every corner of the cottage now is burning to ashes.
„It seems the fire of Belzebur really burns everything to ashes," Paul said to himself as he sees the fires continuously burning every part of the house even though Seth has already left.
„Considering his nature, I guess even his fire would devour too," and the thought of Seth made his blood boil as they went out of the cottage past the burning walls.
The scenery outside is worse than the burning cottage. The car is crushed and the pine trees around are destroyed as everything is being consumed by a blue burning fire. Some parts of the ground have holes already as if a meteor had hit the entire place. They saw Isaac standing at the center of it all.
As they reach him they saw him standing in front of a burned ground like someone had just been burned on that spot.
“Your brother Rachel exists no more,” Isaac said as all the blue fires around them died down.
“As long as you are around I"m not lonely,” Rachel said as he approached Isaac and kissed him.
“How about the boy?” Isaac asked looking at Rachel and Paul.
“He escaped carried by an archangel to the river,” Paul replied.
“I believe it is your fault. You gave your word that you"ll handle Sarah and she outsmarted you,” Isaac said.
CHAPTER 5
“Follow the boy Paul I believe you still remember the place. You might have failed before but you cannot fail this time or I would make sure you suffer the same fate as your granddaughter and her husband,” looking at Paul.
“He will follow the boy my love, as of now I believe you need to rest,” Rachel said hugging Isaac"s arms.