Enraged, Lilith ignored the jungle animals’ pleas. She tightened her grip around the gorilla until she crushed its bones with the immense strength of her tail. She dropped the brute, deprived of existence, on the muddy ground.
Her eyes flashed with fury as she panted. The beings on this planet would receive the same mercy God had showed her when He cast her from Floraison to live among them as an animal.
Other creatures witnessed the torture and brutal slaughter. The terrified animals remained hidden within the dense vegetation until Lilith slithered out of sight. Many beasts that beheld the atrocity would remember and share what came to pass with others.
Lilith forged ahead in the direction of the weeping until she finally exited the jungle. As she entered the open savannah, her body was struck by the immense heat and radiance of the sun’s rays. She paused to get a good reading on the relentless sobs then proceeded toward the source.
She staggered and swayed as she began to wither in the sun. God had bequeathed Gabriel the power to rule over the sun. She was now certain the cloudless sky and burning rays bearing down on her were his doing.
“I shall have my vengeance. I shall have my vengeance––” She repeated over and over. It helped her go on.
In search of relief from the powerful sun, she scanned her surroundings, becoming hopeful when she saw tall grasses, shrubs, and isolated trees scattered about. She hurried past a large herd of hoofed animals grazing on the grass, to a nearby tree. Although the tree’s trunk was thick and rather wide, its branches were too few and too high to offer much protection from the sun.
Lilith spread her four dark wings and placed them together above her head. This shaded her face and body, but her black wings absorbed the sunlight and seemed ablaze.
She dragged herself over the new terrain. She was certain now that the sobs belonged to one of her allies. It was essential she find a friend. “I can not endure this desolate place alone.”
Chapter 2
Gadreel’s Brutal Encounters
Gadreel tumbled from Floraison, bawling all the while. As she fell, she trembled with fear and regret, but still she could not stop thinking about Samael.
Did he still draw breath? If he was yet alive, would she survive to be reunited with him on Earth?
She was still thinking of him when she collided with Earth and lost consciousness.
A pride of lions in the vicinity watched with curiosity as she fell out of the sky. They heard the impact of her arrival on the grasslands. A male lion decided to leave his pride to investigate.
As Gadreel lay lifeless, sprawled on the grass the lion approached her and peered for a long while at the strange winged creature, covered in sod, lying before him. Finally, he passed his coarse, wet tongue over her neck and face.
The sound of a lapping tongue woke Gadreel. Feeling woozy, she cradled her head in her hands and opened her eyes halfway. Little by little she sat upright. She winced and whimpered in pain and wiped saliva off her face with care. The curious beast gazed at her. She squinted in an inquisitive manner.
The lion roared. Her body shook with the tremor of the thunderous sound. She closed her eyes, shielding her ears with her hands, but she was not afraid. She intuited the creature meant her no harm.
The lion pranced away and jumped onto a large boulder. He swished his golden mane several times flaunting its length and thickness. She watched and giggled at his playfulness. She rustled her head of long golden curls at the beast. As the large feline sat upright on the rock, she gawked at his magnificence. He swayed his tail slowly from side to side with pride.
The sun beamed on him like a spotlight, he swiveled and shook his golden mane once more. Gadreel chortled and clapped. “Oh, you put on quite a show. I find you endearing.” The lion jumped off the large rock and proceeded to her.
Its mane glinted in the sunshine, and the elegant and dashing creature fascinated her. She extended her hand to stroke his mane, and he lowered his head, permitting her to do so. She giggled as she caressed the lion’s fur and gently tapped his wet, shiny nose.
Her face twisted in pain as she struggled to her feet. The lion watched her and tilted his head to the side with a curious expression. Full of play, she passed her hands across the cat’s length and tickled her face with his tail. She moved toward his head and stared into his big, bright eyes.
“You are a beautiful and amusing beast.” She put her arms around the its burly neck and cuddled the cat. The embrace was interrupted by a loud, angry growl from behind her.
Startled, she released the lion and turned to look. All the females in the pride were positioned before her, snarling. One large young female stepped forward. The lioness’s face was creased, her small eyes focused on Gadreel. She bared her fangs.
Gadreel trembled and scuttled away from the lion’s side. She fiddled with her hands and toddled toward the lioness, biting her lips.
“I meant no harm.” Gadreel lowered her head. “I did not mean to invade your territory or take what is yours.”
The lioness roared and growled at her. The animal twitched her tail and wiggled her hindquarters, signaling she was about to attack.
Gadreel sensed the lioness’s intentions.
“No! I implore you!” She spun on her heel to flee, but the feline pounced on her, knocking her down face first. The lioness’s claws dug deep into her flesh, Gadreel screamed in agony, as the immense weight of the cat pushed her into the ground. The lioness raised her paw, claws spread to rip Gadreel’s wings apart, but the loud, dominant roar of the male lion immobilized her.
The lion flounced to the lioness, and they growled at each other, seeming to argue. Finally, the lioness padded away from Gadreel, roaring her rage. Without hesitation, the angel rose from the ground, ignoring the pain the lioness had inflicted on her body and ran. She made several attempts to fly, but the lioness had injured her wings.
She ran until she no longer heard the lions’ roars. She sought refuge under a shady tree, and sagged against the trunk to the ground. It was cooler in the shade, away from the burning rays of the sun. Her chest heaved as she squeezed her arms and legs, wincing in pain. She lay down her head and closed her eyes.
Gadreel envisioned Samael’s bright smile. The thought of his smoldering, amber eyes gazing into hers gave her comfort. Her daydream was intruded upon by a peculiar hissing sound.
When she opened her eyes she met the disconcerting stare of a slithering reptile hiding in the tree’s trunk. She gasped and recoiled from the serpent. She observed how the strange, scaly creature moved with its long, limbless body.
The cobra slithered in her direction and lifted its head. The area by its head grew much wider than its body as it opened its hood. The reptile hissed, flicked its tongue, and flashed its sharp fangs. Beginning with its unblinking stare, the snake’s entire aspect was menacing.
“Please do not cause me harm.” Gadreel clambered to her feet and prepared to run away.
The spitting cobra shot venom into her eyes, rendering her temporarily blind. Thrown into darkness, she screamed and clutched at her stinging eyes. The snake launched forth and bit her on the neck.
Gadreel shrieked, staggering about in circles, her outstretched arms reaching in the blackness. She grasped her throat with both hands wheezing and gasping for air until she collapsed, unconscious.
After a while, she awoke kicking her feet and flailing her arms, as if fending off another attack from the legless reptile. In time, she realized the snake was gone. She crumpled in a heap on the grass, her eyes red, her neck swollen, and throbbing. “This planet is as hostile as the forests that surround Guidance Park. Is there no escape?” Her voice was hoarse with a horrified tone.
The day turned into night. Lilith had spoken of her experience with total darkness in Floraison when she was punished in the East Forest and the insects covered her eyes, but Gadreel had never experienced the darkness of night.
The grasslands came to life at night with unfamiliar noises. She h
eard a sharp, thrilling call overhead, the leaping and bounding of fleet-footed creatures avoiding predators on the ground, and all manner of growls, clicks, and hoots. An eerie, cold sensation crept into her bones.
She curled into a tight ball and trembled in the darkness. When the sun rose the following morning, she was astonished she had made it through the night.
The thought of remaining forever alone on this harsh planet made her blanch. She moaned and tears flowed from her painfully irritated eyes. Without any knowledge of what to do or where to go, she despaired.
Chapter 3
Allies reunite
Lilith followed the weeping noises for several long days and short nights until she came to open grassland, where she found her friend lying face down, wailing.
She rushed to her. “Do not lament. You are no longer alone.”
Gadreel lifted her head and saw Lilith’s face. She flipped over, propped herself on her elbows and beamed––until she caught sight of her scaly tail.
Gadreel’s face contorted with aversion and fear. Lilith scowled. “Stand on your feet. Let me look at you.”
Grimacing and moaning because her body still ached, Gadreel got to her feet. Lilith inspected her from head to toe. Gadreel’s delightful curvy figure had not changed. Her clusters of long, untamed blonde curls still glistened in the light. Her heart-shaped face still carried the look of innocence: rosy cheeks, small pouting mouth and big, hooded brown eyes. The only apparent change was in her four wings, which were no longer pure white—they were now comprised of areas both light and dark.
Lilith raised the brow above her blue eye and scowled.
“Lilith, why do you stare at me thus?”
“You have not changed much since we were exiled from Floraison. I merely wondered why that is so, and what it may signify.” She received a streak of black across her wings. That is all. God had punished Lilith so severely, yet spared Gadreel the agony of being a monstrosity. Did she not rebel as Lilith did? Did Gadreel not disobey his laws too?
“What is your meaning?” Gadreel’s lips closed in a grim line.
A lion roared in the distance, which made her jump. Lilith looked around, trying to decide what her next move should be. Gadreel pulled closer to her friend and remained by her side as she glided to and fro, inspecting the land. A large spotted creature hid in the tall grass. Its glittering eyes stared at them. They heard mews, hisses, and growls all around them.
Gadreel glanced through the area, wide-eyed. “Where are we?”
“We are on Earth. Where else would we be?” Lilith rolled her eyes.
“I meant to ask, where on Earth are we?”
Lilith cocked her head. “Quiet! I sensed a powerful disturbance underneath the deep ocean, a great distance from where we stand.” She stared toward the west.
Gadreel nibbled her fingers as she watched Lilith, who seemed to be in a trance.
An earsplitting sound woke Lilith from her trance and caused both angels to shield their ears.
“What is that horrible sound?” Gadreel winced. “It conquers all other sounds and pains my head.”
“I had a vision.” Lilith stared ahead. “I saw a great being struggling in icy waters. I could not distinguish who it was.”
Lilith slithered away in the direction of the sound, leading the way to the unknown.
Gadreel dusted off her naked body and chased after her. “Where are we going?”
Receiving no answer, she asked again in a determined voice, “Where are we headed, Lilith?”
Lilith turned and glared at her. Gadreel flinched. Perceiving the other angel’s fear, Lilith wore a dull smile and explained. “I believe our allies have also been exiled on Earth. The disturbing shrill sound must come from one of our allies–– perhaps Satan––we must follow it to its source. Thus, we are going on a journey to find the others.”
Chapter 4
The Angry Mountain
For many miles, over many long days and short nights, stopping only for rest, Lilith and Gadreel followed the penetrating, high-pitched sound through the grassland. Suddenly, it ceased.
Lilith skittered to and fro, breathing hard, and flattening the high grasses with her heavy tail. Her wide eyes flickered over the expansive plains and at the mountains in the distance.
“The shrill in my head has stopped. Do you hear it?”
“No, I too have ceased to hear it.” Gadreel bit her lower lip and puckered her brow. “Without the shrill to guide us, we shall wander forevermore.”
Lilith saw fear etched on Gadreel’s face. She shut her eyes and inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly. “You and I shall advance in the same direction until the sound returns. We shall rejoin the others for I shall have my vengeance against God, and I cannot do it alone.”
“Perhaps we should not think in terms of revenge.” Gadreel’s voice was soft. “Let us join our friends and find a suitable place to settle and live in peace.”
“Peace?” Lilith’s nostrils flared. “You speak of peace when I am on a quest to destroy those who betrayed me.”
“Betrayed you?” Gadreel’s lips quivered. “We are the disloyal ones. We betrayed God and our brethren.”
“They gave us no choice!” Lilith clenched her fists. “We had to rebel, for we were treated unfairly.”
“Your anger and lust for power have already condemned us to this hostile planet. Please stop speaking of revenge and perhaps our fate shall change.”
Lilith’s eyes narrowed. “I am beginning to see why you were not transformed into a hideous creature as I was. You are an emissary for God and the holy angels!”
Lilith knocked her to the ground with her serpent’s tail. Gadreel lay on her side, cringing and shaking in fear. She rubbed her torso with one hand and held her other arm in front of her head as a shield. “No, no! I am your friend and ally!”
“You are either with me or with them.” She pointed to the sky. “You cannot have it both ways. If your allegiance is to God, then I shall leave you. From this day forth, you shall be my enemy, and my vengeance shall fall upon you, too!”
“No, please do not leave me. I shall not survive without you. I am sorry I have grieved you. I shall do all that you ask. My allegiance is to you.”
“Stand!”
Gadreel stood as hastily as possible.
“Grieve me no more.” Lilith slithered away.
Gadreel nodded and shuffled behind her, head hung low.
As they trudged on, sweltering heat enveloped them, and the sun’s rays made their skin sizzle. Hours went by, and the nearby mountains appeared much closer.
Gadreel staggered and fell to her knees. “There was no sun in Floraison to torture us. We had brillantes, a time of divine light, which was like the warmth of God’s smile. Here on earth, we have to endure days of glaring, fiery light, which stings our bodies and perturbs our minds. In Floraison, we had nightglows when light dimmed to a soft glow, which reminded us that God was still near. Here, we have night––the absence of light when we are left on our own. I miss our home.” She wailed into her hands.
Lilith glared at her. “Floraison is no longer home to us. Earth is our home now and griping shall not change anything.” Gadreel continued to weep. Lilith waved dismissingly. “I am too weary to argue with you.” She coiled into a ball and covered herself with her wings to get some rest.
A thunderous blast jolted them. They sat upright and scanned the area. An enormous gray-black cloud of smoke and ash burst from a mountaintop. They gawked at the smoking mountain.
“Why does the mountain roar?” Gadreel asked in a tremulous voice, eyes open wide with fear.
“It seems the mountain dislikes our presence. Perhaps it desires us gone from this place. I know not where to go, since the shrill sound, which guided us, has ceased.” Lilith stared at the mountain shoulders slumped.
The earth rumbled and shook. Gadreel tottered unsteadily and fell face down. The earth continued to quake and she screamed and clutched the tall gra
sses.
Lilith held her arms out to the sides to balance herself. “My heart thumps so hard against my chest, I am afraid it might burst.” For a moment, she kept balance with her tail, but the earth trembled hard beneath her and soon she, too, tumbled to the ground. When the tremors lessened, she rose and helped Gadreel get to her feet.
Large rifts and fissures began to distort the landscape. Large trees quavered. Elephants, zebras, giraffes, and other creatures fled. The earth opened, swallowing animals and vegetation.
“We must get off the soft land and seek refuge on hard rock before the rifts swallow us as well!” Lilith’s face looked grim. A short distance from them, the grassland began to crack.
“The Earth is opening underneath us! Death comes for us!” Gadreel exploded in a cascade of tears.
“Flap your wings with all your might!” Lilith flapped her black wings. “Rise from the ground!”
“I am unable to fly—the sun has weakened me so.”
Lilith beat her wings and got off the ground. “If you do not act now, you shall surely perish.”
Gadreel saw a fissure slither toward her. Gasping and sobbing, she agitated her wings again and again, with no effect. The gap continued to split in her direction. She extended her wings far apart and beat them furiously until she finally rose from the grass.
Lilith flew to a large, rocky hill nearby and watched Gadreel narrowly escape being devoured by the expanding fissure.
“Come to me!” She beckoned her, who flew only inches above the ground. “You must fly higher!”
“I am using all the power I can muster.” Gadreel panted. When she arrived, she collapsed on the hillside. From their perch, they felt the ground continue to shake. Another explosion rocked the mountain, this one greater than the last. Flares stretched to the Heavens as lightning tore the sky apart. Gadreel dug her fingernails into the rocky ground and held on firmly with both hands.
Lilith watched in horror as the volcano erupted, spilling ash, smoke, and gasses. Bright red lava streamed down the mountain and spread across the plains, igniting everything it touched. Animals stampeded—lions, baboons, antelopes, and gazelles fleeing together from the flowing sea of molten fire.
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