Alizel's Song (Angel Ward Saga Book 1)

by Pottle, Bill

  The Angelarch was alive with an electrified murmur of conversation. The high stadium walls shone with the reflected light of God’s energy, silken banners of each of the nine orders of angels flapping in the zephyr that came down from Mt. Zion. Each order’s banner matched the color and letter of its sash.

  Alizel glanced around at the hubbub, and suddenly missed Verin and Abbadon’s presence in the seats above him. He hoped desperately that they would be able to return soon.

  Berachiel, the head of the Dominions, seemed to be the most excited, Alizel noticed, the angel’s green eyes sparkling as if he had just suddenly found his purpose. Yet most angels were more nervous or shocked than excited.

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  Silence shot through the crowd as Luciferel rose to speak. If anyone would know what was going on, it would probably be him or one of the Cherubim. He seemed unperturbed, his smile naturally flowing across his face and his platinum hair neat and in place. His blood red wings unfolded gracefully as he rose. Alizel wasn’t sure if his serenity was a good omen or not. If he knew and wasn’t worried, that was a good sign. However, even if he didn’t know, Alizel couldn’t see anything shaking the Seraph’s trust in God.

  “Today is a momentous day,” he began with a huge understatement. “For the Lord God has seen fit to fundamentally change one species of the creatures on Earth. He has chosen to give them part of Himself, an essence unique to each individual creature. This He has called a ‘soul’ and the new race of creatures He has created is the Race of Man. They are to be called ‘humans’ and will have dominion over the Earth just as angels have dominion over Heaven.”

  “Are they really so like us?” Raphael asked. Alizel thought he sounded perturbed. “Is this Earth to be another Heaven?”

  “Certainly not,” Luciferel replied. “They are like us in that each is an autonomous individual, free to make his or her own decisions. But there are many important differences. We are made of the glory of God— Sons of Fire. They are made of the Earth— Sons of Clay. While we have always existed, these humans live and die according to the natural laws of the Universe, just as other creatures do.

  “The creatures die,” Luciferel continued, “but the souls cannot. How can something that is a part of God perish? The Lord has not said what will happen to those souls once their hosts can no longer sustain them. I do not pretend to know what He intends.”

  Alizel sighed. At least the angels now knew what had happened. Although, as always, it seemed the why of it was just beyond their reach.

  “What is the purpose of this dual system?” Eleleth mused. “How will our world and their world interact with each other?”

  “We should not assume that there are only two worlds,” Raphael interjected, looking off toward the Portal. “Perhaps this Earth is only the first. Perhaps the Lord will create many Universes, or place human life in other places in this Universe.”

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  “He may yet,” answered Gabriel, his ash-blond curls bouncing as he turned his head toward his fellow Seraph. “But I do not think this is likely. I believe that two worlds are all He needs to serve His purpose.”

  Alizel tried to drink in the words of the wiser angels. They were giving so many answers and explanations all of a sudden. It didn’t matter that they were little more than supposition, or that God frequently sprung surprises on them. At least the Seraphim were saying what they thought, rather than just keeping it to themselves.

  The whole assembly was in rapt attention. It seemed like just about everyone was there…but something felt off to Alizel. His eyes roamed the crowd, looking for any clue as to why he felt uneasy. He saw Semyaza, an unranked with a square jaw and hard eyes, though Alizel noticed his eyes had softened somewhat now, probably astounded at the beauty God had created on Earth. Alizel also noticed the Dominion Gagiel, awestruck as everyone else. Alizel glanced up at the Powers section, which was surprisingly almost full. That disturbed him somewhat, because that meant…

  The scream echoed through Heaven. Every single angel felt it in their core, a part of the communal bond destroyed.

  A life had been snuffed out, then another, and another.

  The rebels had struck while the others were all occupied, and taken the one place the angels had so foolishly left vulnerable. The one place they needed more than anything.

  They had taken the armory.

  “Angels, hear me now!” Zebub bellowed, sweeping into the arena, a sword held lustily in each hand. He spread his sleek black wings out to their full span. “How much more foolishness will it take? What more do you need to see before you join us?”

  Alizel jumped up. It seemed everyone was scrambling around at once. The revolution had always been something intangible, something that lurked in the shadows and never came out to openly challenge God’s authority. For the first time, they showed themselves at their full strength.

  There were nearly fifty of them, barely noticeable against the thousands and thousands of loyalists, but their advantage was clear. They all had swords now.

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  Alizel scanned their faces, and finally found Verin’s. Abbadon was beside him, and it pained Alizel to see his friends so happily among the rebels. How could they not doubt their plan to usurp God’s rule? How could they accept the destruction of another soul?

  Luciferel’s commanding voice rose above the chaos. “What do you need to see before you give up your foolish ways and return to God?” he challenged. “You cannot defeat us. You cannot go against the power of the Most High!”

  “We cannot?” Verin flew to hover beside his new master, eyes aglow. “Who is anyone here to tell us what we cannot do, when we are the ones holding the swords? We cannot kill you? Watch us.”

  “Then let me be the first.” Azazel’s calm voice seemed out of place with the blinding flash as his sword leapt into his hand. A few of the Seraphim and Powers always wore their weapons. At least they were not totally unprepared.

  He raised his eyebrows. “Well? I’m waiting.”

  Verin and Zebub took a step forward, their eyes aflame. “Stop!” Eleleth threw her body between the two sides, only a

  few meters apart now. There were tears in her eyes. “Surely it has not come to this? Put away your swords, I beg of you.”

  Eleleth was one of the most beloved angels, always kind and gentle. Alizel suddenly realized, clutching the railing where he stood, that she was perhaps their last hope. If anyone could soften hard hearts, it would be her.

  Eleleth searched for her soul mate’s face, and found him in the crowd of rebels behind Verin and Zebub.

  “Abbadon, please. Think of the days we used to walk in the gardens. Think of the sweet flowers we used to smell, the peace that we have lived with. Would you throw that all away?”

  His answer was automatic, almost as if he didn’t trust himself to think about it. “We have put up with peace for too long.” His silver wings snapped out in anger. “It is time for a different way.”

  Eleleth was visibly shaken by Abbadon’s candor. “Azazel,” she turned to the Power. “This is not your task. Please, let us put away your weapons.” It was clear that Eleleth couldn’t bear a grudge after the way that she had forgiven Azazel for asking to make the swords

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  in the first place. The hints came through sometimes, though, in the way she always referred to all the swords as somehow belonging to him.

  “My task has always been to defend Heaven— from all enemies inside and out.” His answer was more automatic than Abbadon’s.

  Eleleth cast her eyes about frantically, trying to appeal to anyone, searching for the faintest crack in the wall that they had thrust up between them. Zebub was obviously not going to listen. She settled on Verin as their last hope. Though intimidating in his own right, of everyone standing there, Verin was probably the weakest.

 
; “Verin, please, convince Zebub. Do not be hasty,” she pleaded, pain on her face. “Let us find another way.”

  His face softened for a minute even as Alizel’s brightened. Perhaps this slaughter could be avoided…

  His face lost the look of compassion as quickly as it had sprung up.” We’ve wasted enough time already.” His sword rang as he drew it from its sheath.

  Abbadon’s did the same even as he cried out, “All who stand in our way shall be destroyed!”

  They swung for Eleleth.

  Luciferel barely had time to dive for her before the blades rent the empty air. With a fierce cry, the fifty lost angels started attacking.

  Even for someone who can journey through the entire Universe with the swiftness of thought, everything started happening at once. The angelic forms were more than a hundred thousand blurs.

  “Powers, fly to me! Others stand behind!” Azazel’s words broke through the din, and Alizel saw several Powers and Seraphim fly off to make the shell of half a sphere. Immediately Alizel understood. They would take the brunt of the assault, and protect the others. If the traitors tried to fly around, they could just rotate the direction the hemisphere was facing.

  Zebub’s minions hacked away right and left at those who were defenseless, their blades striking angels and sending them to the void. Some were caught up and overwhelmed by sheer numbers of brave loyalists, and once their swords were wrestled from their grasps they were either destroyed or bound.

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  On the front lines the battle was fierce. Zebub’s advantage lessened more and more as the loyalists managed to wrest swords away from his fighters. The most trained and powerful angels now stood before him in the half-sphere, and Zebub was at a big numerical disadvantage.

  Zebub concentrated his forces on the center point of the sphere, trying to break through the protective shield. He sent two angels streaking in front of him with swords held forwards, a risky but powerful move. They would try to force an enemy to move out of the way, but if he was swift enough to dodge and counter, the attacker would be caught in a position where he could not easily block the counterattack. The slightest touch from a Heaven’s Blade on any part of the body was enough to send an angel to the Containment. Considering the number and power of the angels holding the front of the half-sphere, it was suicide.

  Luciferel, Michael, and Azazel hovered there, dispatching enemies right and left. They often trained together, and were making use of their combined powers. Even solo, they were the three angels most skilled with the blade in all of Heaven. Combined, no one was a match for them. Michael and Azazel met Zebub’s two guards streaking toward them, and dove to the sides just in time, whipping back and striking them with their blades.

  Zebub drew himself up as he saw his two front guards perish. He looked at the stern-faced angels barring his way, and appeared to be thinking twice about attacking. The silver jewel in the pommel of Luciferel’s sword burned brightly with a holy fury that didn’t cast any shadows on his crimson blade. Raphael drew himself up next to Azazel, as if the head of the Powers needed any more help. Michael’s eyes were ablaze.

  Zebub hadn’t staved off destruction for this long by being foolish. Fear hit his eyes as he turned to fly away, sending two more guards at the trio. The rest of his forces he ordered into a hasty retreat.

  “I’ll handle these,” Azazel said hungrily, a gold and platinum streak that headed for the guards.

  “We’ll catch the rest,” Michael finished, racing off after Zebub. Luciferel followed close behind.

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  Alizel stared steadily at the gentle Raphael, and saw the tears that gleamed in his eyes.

  They did catch them, or at least most of them. Alizel learned that much the following week after the hunt had died down. He was walking through one of the heavenly forests one day, and spotted Gabriel and Luciferel nearby. At the time Alizel didn’t know how important their conversation would be to the future of Heaven— and Earth. When Luciferel began with the words “You may tell the others,” Alizel felt justified in perking his ears up to listen.

  “You may tell the others,” Luciferel said, frowning slightly, “that the revolution is all but broken.” Though the news was good, he seemed to blame himself that it wasn’t perfect. “Zebub,” he spat the name as if bile was in his mouth, “has still eluded us, though most of his companions have been caught or destroyed.”

  Gabriel nodded. As chief messenger, it was his responsibility to manage the flow of information in Heaven. “Excellent work, Bright One of God. It seems only a matter of time, then. After his brashness in attacking the Angelarch, he isn’t likely to get support from anyone.”

  “It was foolish,” Luciferel agreed. “But no more foolish than opposing God in the first place. And their plan of destroying angels until God relinquishes His control over Heaven…it’s laughable. It would never work.”

  “I do not think that there is any plan that could cause God to give up Heaven,” Gabriel chuckled.

  It was good to see Gabriel laugh. There hadn’t been enough of that in Heaven lately.

  “There is one plan…” Luciferel said it softly, almost to himself. “One that I am certain would work.”

  Gabriel raised his eyebrows to encourage him to go on. Alizel, from his hiding spot, unconsciously did the same.

  Now it was Luciferel’s turn to laugh. “I think it would be wise to keep this in the silence of my own heart. You never know where eavesdroppers may be lurking.”

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  Sweat started dripping down Alizel’s brow. Could they see him? What would they do if he was caught? Alizel had seen the way that Luciferel mowed down the traitors. Just as Alizel was thinking of how he could explain that he wasn’t part of the resistance, Gabriel changed the subject and they continued talking.

  “God never ceases to amaze me. To think that He made those creatures, those…humans, using only the natural laws of the Universe, and their intelligence evolved to the point where he could give them souls.” He shook his head in wonder.

  “The Lord is incredible,” Luciferel agreed. “But I must admit that the humans do not impress me. Their only value more than a rock or tree or animal comes from the piece of the Almighty inside of them.”

  “Not a thing to be taken lightly,” Gabriel reminded, folding his snow grey wings closer to his body.

  “Certainly not. But look at them.” Luciferel’s voice took on a hint of disdain. “Their perceptions are constrained by what their senses can tell them. Take their eyes, for instance. They can see only a fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum. And even with what they can see, they can only look for a distance, and only see things on the same scale as themselves. They can no sooner look and see a distant galaxy than they can see the inside of an atom.”

  “Maybe their value lies in their limitations.”

  “You say it like I haven’t heard those rumors.” Luciferel’s mood was turning darker now. Alizel had never seen him like this before. What were the rumors? Why did they bother him so?

  Gabriel held up his hands to distance himself from the conversation that was rapidly turning into an argument. “I’m just saying, what if what we value isn’t always what God values?”

  “It’s not a matter of value! It’s a matter of spending billions of years on a Universe just to produce limited beings.”

  “Maybe they have something that we don’t. Something we can’t comprehend.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Luciferel retorted. His red wings flared. “What could they possibly have that we lack? You can see them too. We’re so much more than they are. They can barely even live for more than a hundred years.”

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  “They may live for longer with the divine spark inside of them,” Gabriel suggested. “We can’t really know how that will affect them.” “There’s no doubt tha
t it will affect them for the better. But anyone who thinks that that will put them on the same level as us is a sheer lunatic. A small breath from God is nothing to underestimate, but our entire beings are fueled by direct energy from the Father.

  There’s no comparison.”

  Gabriel nodded, more for acknowledgement than agreement. “In any event, we must set our sights on cleaning up the last remaining shreds of this resistance and trust to God that He will reveal the place of these humans in His master plan.”