Alessa fidgeted nervously as she was now in the spotlight, but Marcus grunted and nodded and that seemed to calm her down. Maybe it was some kind of ooga booga way of encouragement.
“The Glory are the only angels with a direct line to God Himself,” she said proudly, her voice overflowing with joy. “We are not skilled in either offense or defense, but we can still hold our own in battle. However, if we come up against a particularly hard opponent or situation, we can call on God and ask for His help in settling the matter. At that point, it doesn’t matter who or what we are facing.”
“So it’s chance,” I said flatly. Alessa scowled and poked a very threatening index finger at my breastplate.
“It is not chance,” she said firmly. “We connect to God Himself every single time.”
“But He’s not a summon,” I stated. “He’s not a genie you just call on when you need Him. He’s not a pet. He’s almighty God, and your explanation of the Glory proves it. You specifically said that you ‘ask for His help’ meaning – He doesn’t have to comply. Maybe you get to talk to Him every time, and He’s more likely to help you – because of your class ability. Either way, He probably won’t help you every single time – which gives us some valuable insight. It means that Rufus’s strength will not be above Marcus’s nor will his defense be above…uh, who has defense?”
“What makes you think someone specializes in defense?” Farah asked but Cadence raised a hand in the air.
“I’m a Guard,” he said militaristically. “It’s what I do. I take hits.”
“That’s hilarious,” Alessa said. “You take hits? You?” Alessa made a point of looking up and down Cadence’s lanky limbs.
“It’s not a surprise,” he said. “You’ve been abusing me ever since I met you. Maybe God sent you my way to prepare me for this.”
“Then I guess a thank you is in order.”
Cadence rolled his eyes as Farah placed a hand over Alessa’s mouth.
“Lysander, can you please continue? I’m actually curious to hear more. I’m impressed!”
“Okay,” I nodded, trying to downplay Farah’s compliment. “If Cadence is a Guard, then that means Rufus will not have his level of defense. Isn’t this better than blindly going in to face him?”
“Still no plan,” Marcus grunted, rolling his eyes. Alessa nodded in agreement.
“Well,” I started, hoping the words would just flow on their own, “I’m sure he’ll expect Marcus to go out first because he’s our powerhouse, so we have to save him for absolute last. We have to be sure Marcus will connect his strike before we send him in or we’ll just lose our advantage. I’m thinking we do this…”
Even as I spoke, I couldn’t believe what I was doing - planning strategy with my friends, teaming up with four other classifications of angels, ready to overcome a test to get the prize of being in God’s presence forever. I had only been taken from the island, what, minutes ago? Hours? There was no telling what I would learn in the next few days, weeks, even years. God did not waste time training us for the future, and I hoped our future was connected to Him.
Invigorated by the prospects, I detailed my plan as carefully and simply as possible; knowing that it would be detrimental if the test began before I finished explaining it entirely. I had already relayed most of it to the group when Rufus raised a hand in the air and yelled out an unraveling “TIME’S UP! LET’S BEGIN!”
Rufus was serious about his time limit for as soon as the word “begin” left his lips, he was halfway across the room, swinging his right arm toward Cadence. Until Marcus, the only real threat to him stepped in; he would work on our Guard, chipping his “shield.” But as I watched Cadence defend himself the best he could, I realized that I had no time to dwell on what the others were doing. I had to trust that they would carry out the plan I outlined while I continued to watch for any potential problems. I had to stay focused – stay alert. If I was ever to show the group that I contributed, it was now. I would not fail them.
I focused harder as I watched Rufus’s fist hit Cadence’s shield a couple times. It didn’t matter that Cadence was the “armored tank.” Rufus would eventually get a critical hit in.
So far, our Guard was carrying out his job adequately, dodging the little he could and taking the rest, but his angelic armor and pressure were also noticeably diminishing before our very eyes - his frame becoming more rag doll-like with each surpassing blow. As Marcus waited patiently next to me, and Farah flew around the room like an irritating housefly, Alessa prayed. I had saved her role for last because I knew there was no guarantee her contribution would help, but we had to cover all our bases.
So, following my advice, she prayed for the Lord to grant Farah more strength.
Because I had figured out something.
See, God was omnipotent, meaning He knew everything about the past, present and future. And He wouldn’t grant a ridiculous request that would significantly alter His plans or the balance of His creations’ lives. A prayer to simply knock out Rufus was unlikely to work, as we would probably rely on the same prayer in the future, and God wanted us to learn for ourselves, not rely on Him like a crutch to fight every battle for us. The fact that we were all pulled away from His magnificence, our first memory, was proof of that. The key word was “learn” – which, knocking out Rufus effortlessly, wouldn’t help us do. So I would save the big prayers for a more pressing occasion.
This time, I would stick to something a little more economical – in short, give Farah great strength. Rufus was obviously keeping an eye on Marcus like a hawk, but Farah? He barely batted an eyelash. So Alessa prayed, and whether our request would be granted or not, our plan would work.
For not only did we have Alessa’s prayer, but Farah also had a score to settle. Small, petite, squeaky in voice and cuddly in stature – she was a walking underestimation. For what she lacked in base strength, defense and strategy – she made up for in faith. Simple, illogical, old-fashioned faith. She had guts, and grit, and more resolve to rush into battle than the rest of us combined. She didn’t care what the odds were – her God was greater than them, and surely, He would give her the tools she needed to win…
Cadence was swaying now, taking one hit too many, and Alessa had finished praying. I sent her in to help Cadence, knowing full well her combat skills were as average as his. It didn’t matter, for the grand finale was upon us. I charged in.
And I saw Rufus smile, because he thought he had us figured out. His eyes locked on Marcus behind me – the hulking angel bumbling like a rhinoceros, picking up momentum and staggering like a train beyond its threshold. Rufus dug deep within his angelic pressure and swatted both Alessa and Cadence away with a casual fling of his arm and met me head on. We were meaningless to him now for he was confident that his victory would be secured in Marcus’s defeat. I stopped and stepped to the side, letting the rhinoceros charge ahead, his muscles rippling with raw energy, his animalistic nature taking over, a war cry fueling him forward.
Rufus laughed heartily over the thrill of battle as he rushed ahead to reach Marcus, and Marcus, the powerhouse, did the one thing no one would expect a Godhand to do – he held back, and folded. Rufus’s expression was priceless as his eyes swelled – Marcus now rolling into the shape of a ball and tumbling past his attack. But we couldn’t give Rufus time to recover from the surprise now, could we?
With impeccable timing, Farah buzzed in front of Rufus’s lunging fist, dodged it with a hummingbird shuffle, reared back with her tiny body, and delivered a fist full of angelic pressure, releasing every ounce she could muster from within, and hopefully an extra boost from Alessa’s prayer and the Almighty Himself.
Rufus shrieked in pain as he clutched his face in blistering agony, and Farah puffed out a mini sigh - half flying, half collapsing backward from sheer exertion. I caught her and held her in my arms as I screamed out for someone with enough energy to put Rufus down.
And Marcus answered the call.
Still unharme
d and crackling with power, he stomped over to Rufus, and pulled his hands away from his injured face. Seeing the end before me, I might have asked for Marcus to go easy on Rufus, but he had carried out his part in the plan so well, and he had been so patient – I let him do his thing the Marcus way.
With hands pulled away, and cries still escaping his lips, Rufus didn’t see – and only barely felt Marcus’s tree of an arm slam into his countenance, sending him flying across the hall and literally into the floor. Rufus’s limp body twitched for a moment and then rested.
We were contemplative while we picked ourselves up, replaying the feat we had just accomplished. I let Farah back into the air, wondering how it had all gone so perfectly. Marcus was frowning because he had only gotten to swing one arm and Alessa and Cadence were laughing over their respective exhaustion. I did my very best not to cheer prematurely, waiting for confirmation that Rufus was indeed finished.
And then the clapping began, only one set of hands, but still ever so resounding and satisfying amidst the gigantic hall, and when we saw the source, we were invigorated, feeling alive and united as a family, forever bonded as a group that could never be broken. Raphael clapped fervently and only stopped when we heard Rufus groan. Raphael was vigilant as we clamored over to Rufus’s limp body, inspecting his spiritual state. He only had one eye open, and the way his mouth moved, it was like his throat was parched, and his lips dry.
“How?” Rufus muttered, his head moving side to side deliriously.
“You didn’t take us seriously, while we refused to underestimate you,” Cadence replied. Rufus squinted in misunderstanding.
“I should have won. You’re…so young.”
“Maybe you should’ve,” I said back to him, “but you forgot something. God is our Creator, and He doesn’t fashion things haphazardly. We were all established for His will and none of us are to be belittled. We didn’t prove our strength when we beat you. We simply showed that all of God’s creations can reveal his. ”
“Lysander,” he coughed. “Yes, I see that now…I apologize…for being so aggressive. It should have been a test, and nothing more.”
“So your group,” I inquired, “the one that serves God beyond measure. Does this mean we’re in?”
“Our leader…probably knows of your victory. He’ll contact you soon, I’m sure…but if he doesn’t show, inquire about him…all of Heaven’s host knows who he is.”
“Then in that case, I’ll need to know his name.”
“It’s Lucifer,” Rufus said as a disturbing, rejuvenating smile crept upon his lips. The very mention of this name was restoring his lost energy.
“Thank you,” I replied. “We’ll be waiting for him.”
CHAPTER 6: In Heavenly Places
“I am proud of you,” Raphael beamed as we walked away from the soon-to-be unconscious Rufus.
“We would say we are too,” Alessa smiled slyly, “but then we might find ourselves on a path of destruction.”
Raphael laughed despite himself.
“I didn’t think you would take my words so gravely.”
“Not all of them,” I said as Alessa shot me a disapproving look. “We fought in that test like joining Lucifer’s club was the only thing that mattered.”
“We still plan on checking it out,” Cadence confirmed for the rest of us as Raphael’s sunny disposition began to wane. One of his wings twitched again.
“I would have fought no differently myself,” he said. “You needed to win – if for no other reasons than to confirm your abilities, solidify your teamwork…I can understand that. But this group Lucifer has started – it doesn’t sound appropriate. Heaven is not a place of secret societies and hidden truths. Everything is open. You will see what I mean when you step outside the hall.”
“The two of you don’t get along, do you?” Farah asked innocently and Raphael shook his head “no.”
“Saying we are not fond of each other would be a gross understatement, but I don’t want you to alter your perception of him based upon my opinions alone. Talk to him for yourself.”
“Why don’t you want to go into detail?” Farah asked again but Raphael folded his arms, adamant in his stance. I was curious myself. Wasn’t Heaven a perfect world? Or was I just being naïve? I couldn’t imagine a relationship getting to the point that dislike or even hate could fester.
Could it? Come to think of it, the Absent could have easily succumbed to these destructive emotions. It’s not like I ever took the time to interview one of them. There was no way of knowing what went on inside their heads.
So did that mean Heaven was plagued with the same problems? Was our fight with Raphael and our test with Rufus a preview of what we would have to face, the true purpose behind God’s commandment that we were to be taught how to fight? I’ll admit, I was excited when we were huddled together, discussing our plan. Even the execution of it wasn’t all that distasteful, but I was still resolved to live the life of a pacifist to the best of my ability. I liked how Raphael had kept silent when Lucifer had gone too far in their conversation. I was sure Raphael had wanted to strike him, and that this wasn’t the first time they had exchanged harmful words, but he had kept his composure and left Lucifer’s words to simply that: words. No fighting ensued, no violence, or name-calling on his end. I wanted to feel that peace and composure in every situation.
“There are times when we must learn for ourselves,” Raphael said to us - his next words echoing with importance. “Only through tribulation does one truly grasp how strong their faith is in the Lord. Keep watch over Lucifer’s group and no matter what – do not forget your first memory.”
His last statement silenced us all as we had already begun to pile the dust upon our first memory. Marcus cleared his throat absent-mindedly, breaking the spell over us all, but I couldn’t shake the thought of God now that it had taken hold upon me once more. Had God seen our battle? Was He proud of the way I had fared? It was true that I had fought with all that was within me, for Lucifer’s group sounded like it was where I belonged. But there was no way to know for sure. I wanted to trust Raphael completely. He had quite a bit of knowledge. And surely he had been placed as a “mentor” over us for a reason.
But he hadn’t made it into Lucifer’s group, and I had to consider why. Was it that he was unworthy, or was the test too difficult for him? Why hadn’t God allowed his passage? I didn’t know if that meant his words weren’t to be trusted, but it did give me pause.
Nevertheless, there was little time to dwell on trivial matters, for to us, there were more important things to consider: like our new home. Already we had spent too much time inside Raphael’s hall, and now we were restless. Nothing short of exploration and good old-fashioned fun could cure it.
But of course, before we left, our surrogate father had one more thing to say.
“I’m sure you cannot wait to spread your wings and jump the nest, but I have one more surprise for you.”
“Is it a shield?” Alessa asked, eyeing Cadence’s. Cadence scowled at her and hugged his shield tight.
“No, but he will be a great asset to your team, which will now be six in number…Vergil? Can you come out here please?”
Down the hall, opposite from the entrance – a medium-sized, stocky angel peeked his head out from around the corner. His “hair” was alive, and each strand moved of its own free will. Some of the sunshine-golden threads played with one another, while others simply swayed in the breeze. His countenance was glowing, but nothing near Lucifer’s level. It was a faint, tepid glow – as if he were constantly blushing. His “skin” was porcelain in composition, and his face was round and fat, with a bowl-like chin that jutted out like a frog’s. The stature he possessed was chiseled but not intimidating because of his average height and less than imposing countenance. The fact that he wore no armor, but instead donned a white, silky, flowing robe, made me suspicious, although I couldn’t quite put a finger on why.
At first, I didn’t know what he was
classification-wise – until he flew to meet us. One second he was down the hall, the next – he was shaking a very confused Cadence’s hand. The rest of us dropped our mouths in unison and took a step back instinctively as the newcomer looked from one to the next, wondering why we were acting so strangely. We had all seen each other in battle only once, but you didn’t need to be a Messenger to get a basic understanding of our strengths and speeds. This angel was on a level far beyond ours. And it was blatantly obvious. None of us could match his velocity. No one could imagine fighting without our armor to help protect us. What type of angel was this?
“If you didn’t figure it out already, then I’ll tell you,” Raphael laughed. “He’s an Archangel.”
“Wow,” Farah awed, star-struck. Unashamed, she began wiping her fingers along his luxurious butterfly wings, a gorgeous blue and purple bordered by green and black vines intertwined along the edges. Vergil giggled as if Farah’s touch tickled him and he glanced down at her.
“Now I can’t fly anymore,” he said and her eyes widened in alarm.
“Really? I thought-”
“- I still can,” he laughed, interrupting her justification. “I was just making a joke based on butterflies, how it’s hard for them to fly if their wings tear.”
“Oooookay,” Farah said in a low tone, backing away from him. The rest of us weren’t impressed either.
“So, he’s like Lucifer?” Alessa wondered.
“No,” Raphael said emotionlessly. “Not like him.”
“Apparently,” Alessa said. “I can actually see him.”
“Needs wax,” Marcus said. “Shine him up.”
“I want you to take him with you and let him be a part of the team.”
“Why he no fight?” Marcus asked. A very good question.
“I asked him to stay out of it so each of you could learn how to harness your abilities and use them adequately. It was a true test to see if you had put your pride aside and embraced the help of others.”
The Works of Julius St. Clair - 2017 Edition (Includes 3 full novels and more) Page 68