Pillars of Fire

by Laurice Elehwany Molinari

  Now it made sense to Vero why when he had asked the Dominion about his scepter, the angel hadn’t replied. Vero knew about cloistered monks and nuns who had taken vows of silence, sacrificing their voices for contemplative prayer instead.

  “But today I speak! On behalf of my fellow angels, we celebrate the Angel Trials along with you. We participate in the competition to honor God with the talents and gifts He’s given us. We shall use those talents to win the Trials.” As Charoum said this, all the Dominions put one hand over their hearts, bowed their heads, and thumped their scepters on the floor in their version of boisterous applause.

  Charoum took a step back and put his hands on a young angel’s shoulders, moving him front and center. Vero instantly recognized the angel as the one who had not answered him earlier.

  “This is young Dumah. As quiet as a shadow, he will represent the Dominions.”

  Dumah bowed his head in reverence, and, once again, the thumping of the Dominions’ scepters shook the amphitheater.

  Suddenly, a lioness leapt up onto the stage. Vero saw it was one of the sphinx-like angels. She moved like the great African cats he had seen in videos running across the vast desert plains — ​with a quick, graceful stealth. Her powerfully built body and tasseled tail of poisonous stingers spoke of danger and strength. Yet, her pretty teenage face was completely human looking. Vero was admiring her movie-star good looks when a larger sphinx-like angel with an older male face and a full mane pounced up on the stage next to her.

  “I am Camael,” the male angel told the crowd. “We Powers were blessed with the strength to resist evil. We were also blessed with healing abilities, and we are the keepers of history. And this is Ariel, lioness of God. With the prowess of a lion and the curative powers of a doctor, she will represent the Powers. Ariel shall bring honor to God with her talents and win the Angel Trials.” With that, every Power in the place curled their tails high above their backs and shook them. Loud rattling sounds, like the shaking of a million maracas, emanated from their tails as they cheered for Ariel.

  Ariel bowed her head in reverence.

  Kane turned to Uriel. “Am I next? Should I get up on the stage?”

  The nervous fledglings waited for a reply, but Uriel shook his head. “The Virtues are next.”

  “Where are they?” Vero asked, scanning the amphitheater for some type of angel he had not yet noticed.

  “They’re there.” Uriel said. “You just have not seen them.”

  Vero looked back to the stage, confused. He saw only the Powers and the Dominions. But then a light began to glow next to Ariel. It started as the size of a baseball then stretched longer and longer until it reached the shape of a guardian angel. But it remained a translucent figure with no physical body. Vero had seen images of angels that people had sometimes caught on film — ​a silhouette of light — ​and these angels looked very similar. He could make out wings and a head and a body but no discernible facial features. Vero imagined that if he were to try to grab this angel, his hand would probably pass right through. Another one of these transparent angels floated forward. The voice that came forth from his luminous head was fainter than a whisper, yet Vero could clearly hear every word.

  “I am the angel Vangelis. As Virtues, God has bestowed upon us great intellect along with the ability to see the future. And this is Melchor. With great stealth and foresight, Melchor shall represent us in honoring God and winning the Angel Trials!”

  As he said this, a gentle ring filled the amphitheater. The high-pitched sound reminded Vero of the noise he would make every year on Thanksgiving when he ran his wet finger around the edge of his mother’s good crystal glasses. As the ringing sound grew louder and louder, hundreds of baseball-sized spheres of light floating all around the amphitheater illuminated for Melchor, who bowed his head in acknowledgement.

  Together with the glowing lights, the melodic ring was very comforting to Vero, and he watched them in amazement. But the sights and sounds had the opposite effect on Greer.

  “Invisible, plus they can see the future? Face it, this is over before it’s even begun.” She sighed heavily.

  Uriel tapped Kane’s shoulder and motioned to climb the stairs to the stage. Kane leapt up to the first step when Uriel grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  “Wait for the others,” Uriel instructed him. “Go up as a team.”

  The other fledglings lined up behind Kane, and when everyone was ready, they ascended to the stage as one unit. Uriel followed them and stood next to Kane.

  Vero watched as Ariel turned to Camael just a few yards away.

  “Why six of them? And I am only one?” Ariel complained.

  “To make the competition as fair as possible,” Camael hushed.

  “How is that fair?”

  “It’s fair because your gifts far exceed those of the guardians.” Camael’s eyes rested on Vero.

  Feeling caught, Vero quickly looked away. Maybe Greer was right.

  “These are the guardians. Those closest to man,” Uriel said to the audience. “They are blessed with a great love for humans.”

  Kane turned to X. “That’s our big talent?” he grumbled.

  Uriel placed his hand over Kane’s head as if administering a blessing.

  “Kane.” Uriel proceeded down the line extending his hand over each fledgling. “X, Pax, Ada, Greer, . . . Vero.” As Uriel looked into Vero’s eyes, Vero desperately searched them, looking for some sort of encouragement, a wink, anything. But Uriel only frowned and spun back around to the crowd. “With their gift of love, they vow to honor God by winning the Angel Trials.”

  Every archangel and angel clapped his hands and cheered. It was so loud that it sounded like one long sonic boom. Vero thought his eardrums would explode.

  Once the applause had died down, Uriel raised his hands to the crowd. “May God’s will be done.”

  The entire audience of angels of every sphere bowed their heads in reverence upon hearing Uriel’s words. After a moment of silence, several doves sprang forth from behind the half-dome backdrop of the stage. With their wings spread wide, they flew wingtip-to-wingtip, forming a perfect ring above the candidates. X squinted as he counted them.

  “There’re nine of them. Same number as angels competing,” X told his group.

  Ada looked up at the doves in reverence. “The ancient Greeks used to release doves at their Olympics as a symbol of peace,” she said.

  “Well, are we supposed to hold hands with these guys and sing ‘Kumbaya’ or whip their butts in this competition?” Greer asked. “It’s getting confusing.”

  Ada shrugged. “Maybe it’s like what Raziel told us before our first training,” she said. “That a little healthy competition will push us to be the best we can be.”

  Greer shook her head. She looked up at the doves and watched as they rose higher and higher into the clouds before vanishing from sight — ​just like her chances of winning the competition, she thought — ​flying farther and farther away. The trumpets blared once more, and Uriel spoke.

  “God appeared as a pillar of fire in Exodus to light the way for His people. You, too, are called to be pillars of fire . . . to be that guiding light in the darkness,” Uriel said while looking to the nine competitors. “Remember that as you begin this competition.”

  Uriel nodded to Charoum, who moved front and center.

  “The clue for the first task is . . .”

  Vero leaned in. He didn’t want to miss a single word.

  “They laughed at me, mocked me, and called me an ass.

  However, today they cower should I ever pass.

  They have felt my strength — ​one thousand men strong —

  When I was called to settle a terrible wrong.

  Yet, there is no rest beyond the clouds.

  No rest for me, ’till I be shroud.”

  Vero watched as the light that was Melchor suddenly dimmed and vanished. Ariel, the sphinx angel, sprouted wings and flew from the amphitheater. Vero
thought she was so cool — ​a flying lion. Dumah walked away, not making a single sound. No wonder, because when Vero looked closer, he saw that Dumah’s feet did not touch the ground as he walked.

  With a surge of panic, Ada shook Vero. “What do they know that we don’t?” She nodded at Dumah and Ariel.

  “Everything, apparently . . .” Pax looked frazzled.

  “Everything you need to know is in the riddle,” Uriel told the group. “You must solve it and do as it asks of you to complete the first challenge.”

  “But, Uriel,” X said. “It doesn’t make much sense. I wouldn’t know where to begin. The first line especially — the riddle wouldn’t just use that word.”

  “Use your strengths . . . There are six of you while each other team has only one. Unlike them, you can be in more than one place at a time.” Uriel looked around at the confused fledglings. “Yes, your competitors were blessed with a higher intellect. However, there is a way to become their intellectual equal.”

  “How?” Pax asked.

  “You’ll have to figure that out for yourselves,” Uriel answered.

  Greer stomped. “But apparently we’re too stupid to do that!”

  Uriel smiled at her, amused, then wrapped himself up in his wings and disappeared.

  “I hate when he does that,” Pax sighed.

  Spinning around to face the others, Greer balled her hands into fists. “So let me get this straight. We need to be smart enough to figure out how to get smarter?” She shook her head and added sarcastically, “Makes perfect sense.”

  X chuckled. “I guess so.”

  “There has to be a way,” Ada said. “Let’s think it through.”

  Ada sat down on the stage, dangling her legs over the side. Greer slumped next to her.

  “I know how,” Greer said. “I say we capture that invisible light angel in a mason jar, like a firefly, and we won’t take the lid off until he tells us everything he knows.”

  Everyone shot Greer a harsh look.

  “Sure, as if you all weren’t thinking the exact same thing,” she huffed.

  “Come on, we’re losing time here,” Kane said.

  “Maybe it’s as simple as listening to our Vox Dei,” Pax said.

  Vox Dei, God’s voice, Vero thought. It had always been there for him.

  “That’s a part of it,” Ada said, nodding. “Vox Dei will guide us, but I don’t think it will solve the riddle for us.”

  X joined Ada and Greer on the edge of the stage. “I wish there was a scroll in the library that could tell us all these answers,” he sighed.

  Kane’s eyes lit up. “That’s it!”

  “What’s it?” X asked.

  “All the knowledge we need is in the library! Everything we need to solve the riddle would probably be there. That’s how we become their intellectual equals.”

  “But Uriel said we should be in more than one place at a time . . .” Ada said, her brow furrowed.

  “We can be, if we split up,” Vero said. “Station two of us in the library and the rest out trying to complete it.”

  Pax looked hesitant. “But we’re a team,” he said.

  Vero was getting more and more excited by the idea. “We’ll still remain a team. We’ll just be at different locations.”

  Greer narrowed her eyes. “Okay, let’s say by some miracle, we figure it out. How will the people at the library be able to tell the rest of us what to do?” She put her hands on her hips. “I don’t see any cell phone towers in the Ether.” She nodded to Kane. “And apparently, you’re the only one who owns one anyway.”

  “Pax can communicate telepathically,” X said. “He should stay in the library.”

  “But none of us can communicate with him,” Ada said. “So what good is it?”

  “Vero can do it,” Pax said, stepping forward.

  Vero looked at Pax and felt the blood rush to his face. He never thought he’d need to use his new skill so soon. “I’m not that great at it.”

  “You’re our best shot,” Pax said.

  “Then Vero stays behind, and, Pax, you come with us,” Kane said.

  “No,” X shook his head. “Vero proved himself with the maltures, and he found the unicorns. We’re going to need him.”

  “I think he’d be better off in the library,” Kane insisted.

  As Vero looked back and forth between Kane and X, he felt a knot growing in his stomach. It didn’t make sense to Vero that Kane would want him in the library. Was there another reason why Kane didn’t want him to go along?

  “You’re wrong,” X said matter-of-factly.

  “Then you think it should be me?” Kane asked. “Don’t forget. I’m the one with the blessing, so I should be out there on the front lines.”

  It was a standoff. The fledglings eyed one another, waiting to see if anyone would volunteer to stay and research.

  X finally stepped forward. “I’ll stay behind in the library with Pax.”

  No one objected, but Kane shook his head at Vero. Vero stared back at him, refusing to drop his gaze.

  X cleared his throat, returning the fledglings to their most immediate problem. “So does anybody have any clue what the riddle means?”

  “Whoever it is, is powerful,” Ada said. “And lives somewhere beyond the clouds.”

  Greer looked up to the sky. There were fluffy clouds as far as she could see. “That definitely narrows it down,” she replied.

  “They’re not happy,” Ada continued, ignoring her. “There is no rest for them. If I understand correctly, there won’t be any peace until they’re properly buried.”

  “Where did you come up with that?” Kane asked.

  “Yet, there is no rest beyond the clouds. No rest for me, ’till I be shroud,” Ada recited. “To shroud something is to wrap it for burial.”

  “So is this guy like a ghost?” Vero asked.

  “Maybe,” Ada answered. “But maybe not.”

  Pax squinted at the sky. “What’s beyond the clouds? Because I think that’s where you guys need to go.”

  “Even if we do that,” Kane said, “we don’t know who we’re supposed to look for.” He shook his head in frustration.

  The group was silent for a moment, considering their options. “Standing around here is pointless,” X said at last. “Pax and I will start researching in the library, and at the same time, you can let us know what you find beyond the clouds. Maybe something you see can help narrow down our research.”

  “What if there’s nothing but clouds up there?” Greer said.

  Vero sighed, afraid she could be right.

  8

  ARIEL THE POWER

  There seemed to be no break in the clouds. No matter how high Vero and the others flew, they remained obscured by heavy mist. With every flap of their wings, the fledglings grew more discouraged as they could barely see each other in the fog.

  “C’mon guys,” Kane called. “We’ve got to keep going. Eventually, we’ll get out of these clouds.”

  “Vero, are you picking anything up from Pax?” Greer asked.

  Vero tightly closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, he reopened them. “Nothing.”

  “What are they doing in that library?” Greer said angrily. Her wings were heavy with mist and were beating less and less rapidly as she grew tired.

  Before the angels ever got above them, the clouds finally broke. Kane was the first to shoot out into clear blue air. “Hey!” he shouted, pointing. “I can see land! Look down there!”

  When Vero broke out of the clouds, he could see why Kane was excited. There appeared to be an island, but there wasn’t any water surrounding the landmass. It was simply floating in the sky below them. As he flew closer to the island, Vero saw it was green, thick with heavy foliage.

  “Should we check it out?” Vero asked the others.

  “What do you think, Captain Obvious?” Greer said. “I can’t fly anymore!” With the singlemindedness of a peregrine falcon after its prey, Greer nosed
ived for the green patch of land.

  “I guess we’re going down,” Vero said and followed Greer.

  As the angels flew closer to the island, Greer pointed out a flat mossy patch of land growing right up to the rocky edge of the floating island. Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she retracted her wings. The other fledglings also landed safely. The moment they reached the island, light rain began to fall. Kane looked up.

  “Well, this can’t be the right place because we’re definitely not beyond the clouds anymore,” Kane said discouraged.

  “How do you know?” Greer asked.

  “Because it’s raining on us,” Kane answered. “Rain comes from clouds. Didn’t you ever pay attention in science class?”

  “No. Why? Are you planning to be a meteorologist someday?”

  “She makes a good point,” Vero said. “I mean, don’t you sometimes feel ripped off that we still have to do all that human stuff that we’re never going to need? Study for tests, practice piano, eat brussel sprouts, shower . . .”

  “Gross! You don’t like to shower?” Ada said with a wrinkled nose.

  Vero shrugged.

  “You’re disgusting. Go stand over there.” Greer waved one hand while holding her nose with the other. “I thought someone smelled.”

  Vero stepped a few feet away from Greer, but he bumped into Ada who was holding her hand over the edge of the island. Vero watched as Ada flexed her hand toward her body then moved it back over the edge. She looked like she was doing some sort of experiment.

  “What are you doing?” Vero asked.

  “Look.” Ada wiggled her fingers. “It’s not raining on my outstretched hand, but it’s raining directly over us.”

  Vero noticed it was true. He extended his hand over the edge of the island. The rain did not touch it.

  “Weird. It’s only raining right over the island,” Vero observed.

  “That’s great, but we’re wasting time being here,” Kane told them. “Whatever we’re supposed to find is still beyond the clouds. And we’re not.”

  “But the Ether is so completely different from the earth,” Greer grumbled. “Maybe rain doesn’t come from clouds here? ’Cause remember? There is no sun in the Ether, only God’s light. It’s not the same as the earth. Besides, the riddle said beyond the clouds . . . not necessarily above the clouds.”