by Vox Day
“It’s okay, I mean, don’t worry about it,” Jami reassured him. The only thing is, though, we’re not really angels.”
“You’re not?” Koser and Havtah cried together in a chorus of astonishment, and Jami saw dismay filled the faces of the people crowding around them.
“Then how are you going to save us?” the old man demanded.
“There’s an army of ten thousand men just outside the walls,” the captain said angrily. “What are you going to do about that?”
“I don’t know,” Holli replied, glancing worriedly at her.
“Me neither. But, um, we’re working on it,” Jami added in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.
Koser threw up his hands.
“This is crazy!” he said angrily, and the crowd noisily agreed with his conclusion.
Even Father Havtah seemed disappointed that they weren’t angels. He was about to say something when a runner came sprinting around the corner, shouting out a warning.
“Matraya’s army… comes… north and west gates!”
The crowd reacted immediately, as officers waved their arms and gathered their troops and townspeople hurried to their assigned posts. It was clear from their speedy response that they’d been preparing for this attack for quite some time.
Jami gulped as Koser turned and glared first at her, then Father Havtah, as if trying to decide who was more at fault. He finally settled on the familiar, wrinkled face of the old man.
“If your prophecy will not defend us, then we shall defend ourselves, just as we always have!”
“The prophecy is not mine, but the Lord’s,” she heard the Father respond mildly, but the captain’s back was already turned and he was running, sword in hand, towards the north gate.
The old man shrugged and turned back to the girls, scratching his bony chin with an age-spotted hand. To Jami’s relief, he seemed disappointed, but not angry.
“If you cannot save the Faithful of your own power, then perhaps you will help us call upon a higher one. Come with me, and together we shall pray for the salvation of this city.”
Jami shot a questioning look at Khasar, who nodded his approval. As the clashing sounds of battle began to ring in the distance, they followed Father Havakh away from the walls, into the center of the city.
By the time night fell, Jami’s knees were aching from the unpadded stones of the temple floor. But she knew from the blowing horns that her prayers and the Father’s sacrifices must have been effective, because they were still alive. A messenger arrived, bringing the good news that the brave men of Chasah had forced Lord Matraya’s mighty army away from their walls, inflicting great losses upon the attackers.
She saw Holli weeping, but she was too spent to cry herself as he told them of a bitter, hard-fought victory. The Promethean plan was to storm the walls using ladders and grappling hooks, but the Chasahan discipline held and they braved the hailstorm of enemy arrows to hurl back the assailants’ ladders and slash their climbing ropes. More of the attackers were killed by falling to the stony ground below than to Chasahan swords, and the deadly aim of the city archers accounted for hundreds more of the enemy.
“It is a miracle!” Father Havakh raised his hands toward the domed ceiling of the temple before warmly embracing the bearer of the good news. The weary young soldier smiled grimly and returned the embrace, but he knew better than to share the giddy joy of the others in the chamber.
“It’s not over yet, good Father. This was just their first try, to see if they could beat us without putting any real effort into it. No siege engines, no war machines, not even any fire arrows. This was just the first test, and the next one will be worse. That’s what the Captain says.”
“I’m sure Koser is right, my young warrior.” The old man smiled beatifically. “But it is better to pass the first test than not pass it, is it not? And if God will answer one prayer, shall we not hope He will answer a second too?”
“I do hope you are right, Father.” The soldier bowed respectfully and left the temple.
“Go with God, my son,” Havtah called after him.
Jami was glad they’d won, but she was too exhausted to celebrate. She glanced at Holli, and saw that her sister was even worse off. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her curls drooped loose and flat around her face. Father Havtah must have noticed too, for he placed a withered hand on Holli’s shoulder.
“Rest now, the two of you. In the outer chamber you will find food and a place to sleep. But place your trust in the Lord. What tomorrow will bring, only He can tell.”
Chapter 20
A Moment of Truth
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
—1John 5:4
Tomorrow came far too soon. Jami felt a hand shake her shoulder and she batted feebly at it, hoping she was dreaming it. But it was all too real, and she groaned when she realized her tormentor was not going to leave her alone. Her back was sore from sleeping on the hard wooden slats of the cottage floor and her knees ached too, from yesterday’s marathon prayer session.
“Ohhhh, what time is it?” she moaned, rubbing her eyes. She opened them cautiously and discovered it was almost pitch black, except for a faint radiance surrounding Khasar, who’d released her, but was still kneeling by her side.
“The sun is not yet risen,” the archon said quietly. “But it is time.”
He looked pretty serious, so Jami swallowed the heartfelt protests that were running through her mind. She grasped the hand he held out to her, and he drew her to her feet.
“Come with me. We must hurry to the east gate.”
“Why?”
“Now is the time,” Khasar repeated.
“Where’s Holli?”
“Right here,” her sister said from behind her. Jami turned around and saw her standing next to a strange male angel. “Jhofor woke me.”
“You’re Jhofor?” Jami said incredulously. She hadn’t really thought about what the grim, quiet archon would look like in human form, but if she had, she wouldn’t have imagined a slender artist who looked as if he’d rather be reading poetry in a coffeehouse.
“I am,” Jhofor answered simply as he walked past her and opened the cottage’s wooden door.
“If you want to talk, do it as we walk,” Khasar said. “You did well yesterday, by the way.”
“We did?” Holli said, sounding pleased. “But where were you?”
“You saw the dark ones yesterday, did you not?” Khasar asked her.
“Well, yeah, if you mean the things that were flying over the bad guys.”
“We prevented them from interceding in the battle on Matraya’s behalf. Prince Gabriel wished me to thank you, for we could not have done it without your prayers.”
“I don’t get it,” Jami said. She hadn’t seen the evil spirits and it made her feel a little left out. “We were just, you know, saying what the old man told us to.”
“Prayer matters,” Jhofor said, and Khasar agreed.
“The more you pray, the more power God permits Himself to unleash His Will through us. You saw the vast size of the shadow, Holli, and yet we were triumphant.”
God permits Himself? Jami knew the Archon had just told her something important, but her mind was too groggy to even start thinking about the implications. She filed the thought away for future reference, and concentrated on following the angels as they reached the end of the street and turned a corner. She could see that they were getting closer to the walls, and wondered what the gate would look like. They were still surrounded by darkness, although the lower edges of the grey horizon were beginning to glow with a pinkish tinge that promised the sun’s rise.
Jami suddenly felt angry. “You know, nobody’s told us what’s going on,” she declared furiously. “You just tell us, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord, but nothing happens! The Lady trusted in the Lord, the people in the Tower trusted in the Lord, and what good did it do them?
”
The two archons looked at each other. Khasar, standing between her and Holli, reached out and put a strong arm around each of them.
“In time, you will understand. All I can tell you now is that we are not allowed to intercede.”
“What!” Jami caught her breath. “Oh, that’s just great! You can’t get us out of this? Why not?”
“It is not permitted,” Jhofor said grimly, in a somber tone that filled both the girls with fear.
Khasar nodded.
“There is a very powerful… spirit, we believe, which is coming here. It is strong in this fallen world, a spirit against whom even Prince Gabriel cannot stand.”
“Oh, jeez,” Jami closed her eyes. Even though her stomach was empty, she felt like getting sick. “So what are we supposed to do?”
“Trust in the Lord,” Jhofor said, with a wry smile on his face.
Jami punched him in the chest.
“Would you shut up with that?” Jami snapped angrily, cradling her bruised hand. “That’s easy for you to say! You can’t get killed and you know all kinds of stuff! Trust in the Lord? I don’t even know Him! I don’t see Him anywhere. I don't even know if He exists!”
“Hey, Jami,” Holli interrupted, placing a gentle hand on her wrist. “You can’t see, like, gravity, but it’s dumb to think it doesn’t exist, right? So maybe God really does exist. I mean, we didn’t see angels before either, you know.”
Holli pointed towards the city walls, and mournfully ran a hand through her long, tangled curls.
“There’s nowhere else to go. Even if we were going to, like, run away, where would we run?”
Jami’s mind was whirling, spinning with fear, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. Still furious and filled with doubt, she nodded mutely, consenting to follow the angels to the east gate.
It did not take them long to reach it. The gate was closed, with a thick iron bar supporting its massive timbers. There were many angels standing before it in two rows on either side of the earthen street. Human soldiers stood there too, staring curiously at her and Holli, but ignoring all of the divine ones. Jami was pretty sure they weren’t being allowed to see the angels. She stared at the gate, knowing, just knowing that she was going to have to walk out through it. Considering what was out there, it would probably be the last thing she did.
“Girls, you do have a choice,” Khasar said unexpectedly. “There is always a choice. If you truly fear to confront this evil, you can choose to ignore it. It may even spare you, if it feels merciful this morning. But the day will come that it will come for you, in a time and a place that will not be of your choosing, when you will not have a city supporting you with their prayers.”
As he spoke, a bell rang in the heart of the city, and its deep gongs resonated seven times throughout Chasah.
“That is the temple bell, summoning the people to pray for you,” Khasar explained. “Lokhael has spoken with Father Havtah, and even now he storms Heaven, interceding for you and calling on the Lord for your protection.” The Archon smiled tenderly and his voice softened. “I know how terrible your fears are, Jami, but I also know that God will not allow you to come to harm. Trust in His promise, child, and all will be well.”
Jami swallowed hard and looked at the angels around her. Although they were outnumbered by the shadows waiting in the darkness outside, there was no fear on any of their faces. They knew more about this strange world than she did, so much more that the unfairness of it all made her want to scream. Obviously they knew something that she didn’t know, and whatever it was kept them from being afraid. She wished she had it herself. But at least she did have her pride, and she was determined not to be a coward in front of everyone.
“All right, I’ll do it,” she said firmly, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. “But Holli stays here, with you.”
“No way!” her sister protested. “If you’re in it, I’m in it!”
“But—”
“No!” Holli put her hands over her ears. “I’m not listening to you! You were the one who told me about the dream, right? There were two birds! So we’re in it together.”
Jami closed her eyes. She didn’t want to face this by herself, but she really didn’t want anything to happen to her baby sister. It was like Holli to want to share the terror, but it just wasn’t necessary. Why should both of them go out into the shadow when one would be enough.
“I can’t… I can’t let you!” she insisted.
“It’s not up to you!” Holli said, looking to the archons for support. She reached out and hugged Jami, so hard that it brought tears to Jami’s eyes. “I know you’re trying to do this for me, but I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Jami whispered, fighting to keep herself from crying. “I’m just so scared!”
“I’m scared too, but it’ll be okay.” Holli squeezed her. “I don’t think angels are supposed to, like, lie, you know? So we’ll be all right.”
Jami couldn’t help smiling at her twin’s ridiculous logic, but before she could say anything, there was an earsplitting crash of thunder, and Lokhael appeared before the gate. His sword was blazing in his hand, his eyes were fierce, and his bronze face was shining so bright that it hurt her eyes to look directly at him.
“The time is now, daughters of the King! Fear no evil, for the Lord of All Creation is with you!”
Lokhael pointed his sword at the gate, and the giant timbers, hewn from solid two-hundred year-old oaks, were blasted outward in ten thousand splintered pieces. The nearby soldiers gasped and cried out with dismay, thinking an evil magic was at work. Horns blew and men shouted as they hastened to reinforce the gaping breach in their defenses.
But Jami paid them no attention, for just as the gate was torn apart, the morning sun rose in splendour above the horizon. As its warm, golden rays spilled over them, Matraya’s army was inspired by its appearance, clashing swords upon shields and shouting skyward to salute the chosen symbol of their master. It was a terrible and fearful noise, but it was not the army that filled her body with a crazed feeling of panic. She felt Holli’s hand creep into her own, and squeezed it in a feeble attempt at reassurance.
From the heart of the rising sun, a shadow appeared, growing larger as it swept over the hills and down into the valley. It was huge, an awesome, majestic prince of the air. Silhouetted against the brightness of the sun, it was impossible to make out any details or even to see what it was. Only its vast wingspread was apparent, so wide that it seemed as if they would obscure the sun.
“What… is… that… thing?” she heard Holli breathe in amazement. “It’s so… big!”
“I’m thinking maybe it’s that second serpent the Lady told me about.” Jami said, her voice cracking with dryness.
“And what did she say we should do?” Holli knitted her eyebrows and looked crossly at her sister. “Like, turn into birds or something? I mean, that really helps.”
“I think it was a simile, or an analogy or something. You know, it’s like we aren’t really supposed to do it.”
“Oh, great,” Holli sighed, her eyes never leaving the looming shadow. “So what are we supposed to do?”
“I have no idea.”
“Think we can still choose not to, like, do whatever?”
Jami looked back at the shattered gate. The soldiers of Chasah were gathering there, but there was nothing they could do about their broken defenses.
“I think it’s too late for that,” she said.
They watched, still holding hands, as the monster flew closer, soaring high over Matraya’s army. The Prometheans hailed it with a rousing chorus, gleefully anticipating its attack on the defenseless city. As the monster reached the battle standards marking Lord Matraya’s front lines, it banked its wings and bellowed out an answering salute, then made a slow effortless circle above the cheering army.
No longer in shadow, Jami saw the sun glinting off the armored scales of a giant d
ragon. It looked a lot like the metal figures that her brother collected, but dwarfing them in the way that an airliner dwarfs a mosquito. It was bigger than any plane that she’d ever seen, with three separate heads extending from the massive torso on three thick, snaky necks. It had four legs which it curled underneath its body, and a barbed tail that was twice as long as its three necks. Its scales were like a rainbow, mostly red but with a scattering of blues and greens, purples and yellows mixed randomly in. The huge wings were a lighter, almost pinkish shade traced with a darker band of black. It was both beautiful and terrible.
As it completed the circle and sailed towards them again, she saw that upon each head were set three horns, with several more ringing each neck. Its six yellow eyes were hard and cruel, but like Lord Bile’s, gleamed with an active intelligence. A lone golden whisker jutted out from behind the unarmored ears of the middle head, but when the whisker moved and pointed itself at her, she realized the dragon had a rider on it.
He was seated behind the neck horns, and what she’d mistaken for a whisker was actually a very long spear. He was a big man, without armor or shield, and his bare chest heaved with the effort of directing the fifty-foot lance which he was holding in both hands. His brown hair was long and flowing in the wind, and his square-jawed face would have been handsome if it weren’t twisted into an angry battle cry. Jami was suddenly struck by the surprising thought that he looked kind of familiar.
Under his direction, the dragon was diving towards them now, with its jaws gaping wide to swallow anything the rider’s wicked lance might miss. The thunderous noise of its violent descent was deafening, and Jami closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more.
“Christopher,” she heard Holli cry over the onrushing wind, and Jami, surprised, opened her eyes. Her sister was jumping up and down like a nut, waving both her arms and shouting at the rider. “Christopher, it’s us!”
Still the dragon dove towards them, bellowing even louder as if trying to drown out the sound of Holli’s voice. The rider himself was still snarling, and his eyes were wild with a greedy appetite for destruction. She knew those eyes. Jami almost fell down in shock when she realized that Holli was right. Despite the impossible steroidal body, it was her brother bearing down on them.