Nephilim

by Christopher Charles

  “Argh.” He let out a sigh of pain which was then followed by a half-hearted pant of relief, as there were no signs of blood on his palms. This feeling quickly left him however and was replaced by a deep sense of impending doom as the sky above him quickly filled with darkness.

  Andrew scurried up against the tree, trying to regain steadiness, as the figure circled the airspace above then swiftly dived headfirst towards the ground, then landing with authority, a few inches from his feet. The ground shuddered and cracked under the force. Loose debris of leaves, stones, branches and twigs were thrown through the air in every direction as the sheer force of its landing sent a shockwave of pressure over the land. Azazel was an extremely powerful being to behold.

  “So this is what they would have me do now,” said a disgruntled, scratchy voice. “You are merely a child, nothing more! They waste my talents on such feeble duties!”

  I’m 18?! Thought Andrew, as visions of how the situation he was in was going to end passed through his concussed head. Amongst the blurs, Andrew tried to make out where he was.

  Azazel was on one knee. A bony, long finger nailed hand planted steadfast in the earth. His wings seemed to totally envelop the shoulders and arms. That was, until he rose to stand. Slowly, he began to grow in size until he was statuesque in height, with an imposingly evil demeanour. Andrew watched as the demon warlord wings then recoiled, seemingly and comfortably behind his back, out of sight, as if never present to begin with. What was left was a very dark man in a black ensemble, with rigid, tough, skin and long, black hair. His eyes were a tarnished yellow and feral in nature.

  As he tried to piece together what to do next the fear of what was to come gripped him.

  “You insult me.” He focused his gaze to the heavens, arms flung apart and with a sense of brashness exclaimed, “Is this really HIM?!” He bellowed. “REALLY?! THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME, I AM BETTER THAN THIS!”

  Turning his gaze towards Andrew, the man advanced with an evil intention in his eyes. As he neared him, the figure extended his arm and took grip of his throat. Andrew could feel the ground escape from underneath him as he felt himself hoisted up, his throat tightening from the clamp of this murderous creature’s grip. Andrew was now fighting for his life as each breath became shorter and shorter. Mustering up all the energy he could, he threw a wild and desperate punch, directly at his attackers face. His aim was anything but precise, but it was enough to make his foe release him and catch his breath. Azazel threw him into a tree with a convincing wallop.

  “HOW DARE YOU!” the creature proclaimed, as it spat out blood from its lips. He recoiled in pain. The expression on its face as it clutched its jaw was one of disbelief and shock. “YOU DARE PLACE YOUR HANDS ON ME!” He started towards Andrew again, with merciless intent in each step. By this time Andrew, was an exhausted heap on the floor, a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. The creature stood over him, raised its hand slowly, clinically, all four fingers pointed, with sharp talon like nails extended, ready to deliver the killing blow with precision and malice.

  Andrew slowly looked up. Concussed and physically spent, he awaited his inevitable end.

  The ordeal had taken too much out of him and as the creature delivered the execution, his vision slowly faded to darkness.

  CHAPTER 16

  Azazel stood, poised to strike. His focus was aimed at Andrew’s most vital organ. With hand positioned high above his head, Azazel steadied his feet and proceeded to bring his claw down swiftly and deftly into Andrew’s chest, penetrating his heart and causing him to bleed to death.

  As his hand travelled downwards, making its pre-intended destructive journey, the forest fell deadly silent, as if the universe was observing the immoral display of ceremonial malice, an exhibition of awe and horror. The definitive act of death during conflict taking place was something of a spectacle. Time seemed to slow down as Azazel’s razor sharp claws neared closer and closer to Andrew’s chest. The scent of injustice filled the air and it was as if the animals could even sense the villainous work at hand as they fearfully scurried away into the crevices of the green land.

  Andrew was a sitting duck. Completely helpless and defenceless, Azazel’s arm flew precise and proficiently, closing in on its target. But as the killing blow was about to make contact the prestigious sound of a war horn trumpeted through the air, ripping through the malevolent silence. Looking around frantically Azazel’s reaction was one of worry. He seemed to recognize the noise that was bellowing in the atmosphere. He quickly transformed back into full armour and readied himself. The trumpet blew 7 times, vibrating the forest with its regal tone. Then as quick as the silence was interrupted it returned. Azazel grew erratic and began to turn his head in every direction, hysterically searching the forest. He snarled silently to himself and began to smell the air.

  “Show yourself. I know you are here!” he shouted but was only met with more stillness. He grew agitated and began to circle on the spot. Suddenly an arrow zipped covertly through the air, slicing through the wind at speeds untraceable with the normal eye. At the last second, Azazel noticed it and dodged the projectile by narrowly jumping and rolling out of the way. It lodged itself deeply inside a tree. Azazel gave the arrow a quick glimpse. The point and shaft were comprised of pure gold. It’s fletching was moulded into the shape of wings. But before he had time to recover another arrow came flying towards him, followed by a dozen more. Using his sharp reflexes, Azazel dodged as many as he could but one caught him in the shoulder and he retreated behind a tree for cover. Pulling the arrow free from his body he roared with pain and frustration.

  “Show yourself dammit!” he shrieked, searching through the trees for some unknown assailant. As he scanned the woods his eyes fell upon the lethargic state of Andrew’s body and he grinned wickedly. Calling out to the atmosphere he beckoned a warning,

  “If you wish to stay in the shadows then so be it. But you can’t protect the boy from there.” He began running towards to Andrew with full speed. As he picked up momentum he summoned his double edged axe into his hands and took a monstrous jump into the air.

  With the weapon raised above his head with two hands, he swung the axe and aimed to bring it down over Andrew’s skull.

  The blade was only a few feet from splitting the boy in half but all of a sudden a cyclone of resplendent light appeared out of nowhere. It whirl winded furiously, with bolts of dazzling illumination flying everywhere.

  Something began to manifest from it but Azazel wasn’t to be deterred and followed through with his attack, adamant that whatever was in the way of his axe and Andrew would be cut down in the process too.

  The blade came crashing down, but the sound of flesh tearing didn’t produce from the impact. Instead, a loud deflective noise rang out in the forest. It was extremely high in a pitch and sounded like two pieces of metal rebounding off each other violently. The noise was so deafening that it even momentarily woke Andrew up.

  His eyes still blurry and squinting from taking in the ultraviolet rays of the morning sun, Andrew found it hard to make out what was before him. From what he could make out someone was protecting him. The figure stood tall, was broad and powerful enough to repel Azazel’s attack with little to no effort. Their weapons clanged and were locked in a stalemate as the unidentified protector pushed Azazel back from his advancing attack. Clad head to toe in magnificent gold and platinum armour, Andrew mistook his unknown saviour for Coach Stevens, “Sean? Is that you?” he whimpered, but on closer inspection he noticed something very different about this mysterious warrior.

  Are those…wings? He thought to himself before again succumbing to his injuries and passing out under a mighty oak tree.

  CHAPTER 17

  Andrew sprang up startled. Looking around frantically he instinctively took cover. His mind was still so enveloped in the conflict he was having with Azazel that he didn’t even notice he was hiding behind a king size poster bed and using the duvet as a shield. Once he realised he was no longer in d
anger he gathered himself. Examining his surroundings he realised he was in a very luxurious room. It looked like an expensive hotel suite. The walls were draped in beautiful gold trimmings and décor. Clean, crisp white walls encompassed the room and were adorned with precious gems that illuminated the open spaces. Looking down he could see the floor was made of marble and heated under the touch of his toes. Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Even the duvet Andrew was holding was made out of the finest Egyptian cotton with the hem being produced from expensive silk, shimmering with a gold finish. The room was very minimalistic in style, with only a few furnishings present but what it lacked in fittings it made up for with stunning beauty and appearance.

  Warm and comforting in nature he began taking in the overwhelming features and finally began examining himself and noticed all his wounds were gone. Running over to a nearby mirror he began to check his features and noticed the battle damaged, bruised and lacerated skin was now untouched, superbly smooth and glistening.

  Looking down, he realised he was dressed in long flowing white silk trousers that caressed his legs softly. His eyes were shining abundantly, the colour of his angelic nature.

  He tried to revert them back to his human form but could not. Accepting he was somehow stuck in this form he suddenly panicked as the realization of not knowing where he was coupled with the unknown status of his friends came to a head.

  Trying to piece together the events that had led him to his current location he searched the room for answers. His eyes fell on the entrance to the room. Two gigantic, adjacent doors towered from the floor to the ceiling and were grand in stature. Made from precious gold the door had carvings of cherubs playfully posing, blowing trumpets in rejoicing. Exquisite stones and jewels embellished the frame and the craftsmanship was pure elegance all the way down to the door handle. Andrew rushed over to it. He reluctantly placed his hand on the door handle as he didn’t know what awaited him, but it was his only way out. Turning the handle slowly, he slid the door open cautiously. Checking to see if the coast was clear he stepped foot carefully into a hallway and turned to shut the door behind him.

  “Nice to see you’re awake, Master Robertson.”

  The voice made Andrew jump out of his skin and he quickly turned back around to the unfamiliar but captivating sight of two identical females. Both had a flawless caramel complexion and possessed the same eyes that Andrew did. Long, white flowing gowns garnished their strong but feminine, toned physiques. Their hair was full and bountiful, flowing down their backs and shining with a healthy glow. They were immensely beautiful.

  “Ummm. Hi.” He stuttered as the perfect grace of both women had him momentarily stunned. “Errr, where am I and how do you know my name?”

  Both females smiled calmly. For some reason, Andrew felt in his spirit that they were no threat to him. They spoke in unison, as if with one mind, continuing and finishing each other’s sentences,

  “We are Etherlyn and Marie. But you can call us Ying and Yang.” They said simultaneously. “Our commander will be happy to see you are up and in one piece Master Robertson.” Andrew interrupted them, “Just call me Andrew or A.R. Master Robertson sounds weird.”

  They asked for him to follow them and walked down the corridor, each step identical in placement. As they walked down hallway, Andrew looked at all the portraits that were placed on the walls. Many of them were saints and other holy figures of great faith. Switching from one side of the corridor to the other, he looked at the view from the windows.

  Outside was picturesque in nature. From his view, Andrew deciphered he was quite high up as he overlooked a cliff side leading onto a beach. The sky was a royal blue but as you looked deeper, it blended into a universal darkness, with the cosmos seeming like it was a stone’s throw away. A shooting star shot across the sky and on the horizon, to Andrew’s amazement, he could see the many unknown planets of the galaxy, accompanied by moons and stars. He rubbed his eyes in astonishment and had to double take. Outside looked like a beautiful renaissance landscape painting. Sunlight pushed through the windows and something unexpectedly caught his eye. As Etherlyn and Marie walked ahead, every time the light hit them, their backs would dazzle with a sparkling light. Becoming intrigued he tried to peer closer but was interrupted when the duo stopped suddenly.

  Standing at a glass door, they turned back round to face Andrew and smiled. Each of them grabbed a door handle and opened it. A flooding of light rushed into the corridor and radiated Andrew’s face. He was speechless and in wonderment of the tremendous, overbearing sight that befell his eyes.

  The door opened up to a balcony. It had a patio paved with diamonds, with steps leading down to freshly cut grass, with the scent of dozens of different and rare breeds of flowers aromatizing the air. In the middle of the grass was a table and chairs cut perfectly from granite and priceless minerals. On the table was a gold pouring jug, glasses and a bowl of fruit.

  Marie gestured for Andrew to take a seat on the grass. He followed her invitation and walked out onto the diamond floor. It was smooth, without a flaw. The sun reflected naturally off of it but also warmed it to the perfect temperature. He was barefoot and with every step taken, a new sensation was created. He moved onto the grass and had never felt anything like it in his entire life. Staring down at his toes he wriggled them within the precisely cut greenery, taking in the experience as much as he could. Walking to the edge of the balcony he had an unrivalled view that was unlike anything he had witnessed before. Leaning over he was quickly impressed by a waterfall that was presently flowing underneath the balcony and into a courtyard below. Looking down, he could see different types of wildlife, from tigers to peacocks, happily roaming the grounds care free. In the distance, he could make out people on the beach. Everything was so serene and peaceful.

  The twins could tell he was overwhelmed by his new surroundings but revelled in his reaction.

  “Make yourself at home Andy. Our commander will be with you shortly,” said the girls as they departed from him.

  “Wait,” shouted Andrew. “Where is home?” he said pondering on where this utopia could be.

  “Where you belong.” Said Etherlyn.

  “This is Heaven.” said Marie, shutting the door behind them.

  Andrew was knocked for six by this revelation. His mouth dropped, wide open and he fell back onto a chair. Gathering himself he questioned the words he had just heard.

  “Heaven? But when? How?”

  He began to try and piece things together but only made himself worry even more.

  “Wait, does that mean Azazel killed me? Am I dead?”

  He rubbed his head with his hands and decided he needed to calm down. Reaching for the cup and jug he went to pour himself a drink but the pitcher was empty.

  “I guess someone forgot to refill it. Could have really used some juice, though.”

  Frustrated he went to place it back on the table but noticed the weight of the jug had gotten heavier. Looking down to his surprise the pitcher was full to the brim with fruit juice. Pouring himself a glass he quenched his thirst and sat pondering what was to come next. He grew nervous and began eating a bunch of grapes from the bowl. They were perfect in shape, ripeness and flavour.

  After 5 minutes of stuffing his face with the delectable fruit he placed the bunch back into the bowl, only to find that the grapes he had eaten were still present among the cluster. He smiled to himself.

  “This is so cool. I wish the team could see this,” he said to himself.

  The thoughts of his team’s well-being began to flood through his head and he became more and more worried. Standing up he walked over to the edge of the balcony and stared onto the skyline. As amazing as heaven was he gathered that he couldn’t stay as he needed to get back to his friends. Before he could ponder anymore on his thoughts, a knock interrupted his train of thought. Turning around he could see a figure standing on the other side of the frosted glass doors.

  “Its…” he coughed a
nd cleared his throat, “It’s open.”

  The doors swung open and a black panther rushed out to greet Andrew. At first he was apprehensive and fearful, but the wild cat was docile in nature and welcomed Andrew’s presence by playful purring and winding itself around Andrew’s legs. Reluctant at first, he carefully pet the prestigious beast then once comfortable enough he fed it some fruit. Andrew had always admired panthers. They were his favourite animal.

  The doors to the balcony cast a shadow as the sun beamed down. With his attention slightly occupied Andrew didn’t take notice of the figure standing in the hallway at first as he was still distracted by the panther.

  He was of imposing height, nearing 8 feet, broad shouldered and muscular in build. His skin matched Andrews in tone and was totally unblemished. Atop his head was short black hair, freshly cut and trimmed to perfection, with a black crisply shaven goatee to match. He wore a fresh white sleeveless tunic that cascaded down to his feet with a gold belt around his waist and matching gold gauntlets on each wrist. Then a voice sung out that caused the young man to freeze.

  “The question is will I ever leave you?

  The answer is no, no, no, no, no, no

  No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

  The tone was deeply soulful and rich with a hint of blues and jazz undertones. Every note was hit with an effortless excellence and each change in pitch was delivered with perfect skill. The lyrics were all too familiar to Andrew and his eyes began to fill with tears. His entire body trembled. Slowly standing to his feet, he began to remember the same song as a child and knew the only person who would always sing it.

  As the figure emerged from the shadow of the door, it carried on singing, soothingly and triumphantly in worship,

  “Now the question is will I do His will?

  And it's yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes