Realm of the Dead

by Donovan Neal

  And forthwith, the power that siphoned from Yeshua and Talus reversed itself, and the flaming tendrils that held them violently recoiled and withered, crumpled as a dry leaf in a man's hand, and disintegrated into ash at the Lord's feet. The depleted braids of celestial consumption hung powerless as the Son of God withdrew from Hell all power He had deposited into it upon creation. All watched in terror as the Son of the living God began to draw power from Hell itself. Where the great mountain consumed alive its denizens, all now watched as Yeshua drew strength from the creature and siphoned power from the mountain.

  Hell's remaining coils unwound from His body and the Lord glowed like a star. The brightness of His glory eclipsed the lights Lucifer had generated. Yeshua floated gently to the ground while sparks and great bolts of plasma projected in terrifying electric arcs from His person and set fire to already lit flames within Hell. For fire, itself, had now become a flammable substance to be consumed by the wrath of the Son of God.

  The Lord then turned and spoke to Talus. "Thou art a faithful son. Now return recompense upon thy brother, and release thy charges."

  Immediately Talus was completely healed, though he was still connected to the Forge. He roared with renewed strength and power and stretched forth his restored wings. The tendrils of fire snapped off his person, and he flew to the entrance of the newly formed Kiln and shouted to the Godstones within.

  "Come forth!"

  And from the great furnace, giant Phanes, materialized in the blaze, and they walked as smoky half men and half panthers of coalescent mists. The air rippled around them, and they leaped from the flames of the Forge. Fiery entrails followed them, and the hissing of steam echoed in their steps. Ashen swords lifted from their misty forms, and in fury, they set themselves to attack the gloating daemons and rebel angels that had surrounded Lucifer in celebration.

  Lucifer beheld in bewilderment and confusion, his smugness now erased from his rapidly dispirited face. He spoke aloud to Yeshua in disorientation, the scene escalating out of control all around him.

  "It is not possible. Your body was dead! Thy spirit captive within Hell. How can this be?"

  Christ gleamed in starlight, and His form was such that galaxies and galaxies of galaxies floated within Him. The fires of Hell extinguished as He took a step forward while fallen angels and daemons panicked. Moans and wails filled the chambers, for many thought judgment had come. The Lord Yeshua hovered in unapproachable light as He floated toward His wayward son, and spoke.

  "Know ye not that death hath no claim on one who hath not sinned? Thy unlawful actions hath voided thy claim to Death, Hell, and the grave for herein doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. None may take it from me, for I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. And my life, Devil...was never thine to take."

  A golden sword then appeared from the Lord's mouth and He stepped menacingly toward the Adversary in blazing luminance.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Triumphant

  "Oh, foolish child, know ye not that I AM the Light of the World?"

  And when Yeshua spoke those words and had fulfilled his role as a scapegoat, Michael and all those that looked on stood ready to battle. El stood watching in flowing scarlet robes and He blazoned in power and majesty. He looked to His son, Michael, nodded and then spoke, releasing but one word.

  "Now."

  Michael unsheathed the sword of Ophanim and roared. Immediately, he, Eladrin, Nephanos, and legions from Heaven plummeted into the fiery funnel of hellfire that had breached the realm eternal.

  Metatron and Gabriel dove and the Malakim armies flew on griffin back, and all those recovered from the Withering flung themselves as one man into the flaming chute of Hellfire.

  Downward the armies of Heaven fell like an angry black cloud of disturbed bees. For Heaven's pent anger had been released, and the whole of the City of God fell to wreak havoc and do battle within the Realm of the Dead. Moving through the physical realm, and navigating through quantum realities and lo, even penetrating the barriers between life and death to mount an offensive where the spirits of all dead men dwelled.

  The crackle of fire and the colors of the rainbow bounced off the circular chute as stars and alternative realities played themselves on the walls of the brimstone tube of transport.

  Nephanos transformed into his true form of living fire and enveloped Michael like a flaming liquid coat of armor whilst Eladrin also shrouded Michael with his own body and became transparent.

  Michael, leading the vanguard of Heaven's armies, was coated in the power of omnipresence and encircled by four faces of Eladrin which turned in gyroscopic rotation. His own sword moved in rotational unity with the wheels of Eladrin, and his fall was like nothing Heaven had ever seen, for he was the living embodiment of the three races of Heaven: Seraphim, Elohim, and Ophanim...three entities in one.

  When Lucifer looked up, the three kings of the celestial host descended upon him as one man, and Michael was unlike any angel he had ever seen, and he feared, for in his wisdom he knew that the place of unity was a place of strength.

  Thus, touching down to Earth, the host of Heaven invaded every nook of Earth's volcanic vents; through rock and mantle Heaven fell, a celestial tidal wave of unsheathed swords, maces, and spears. An unstoppable tsunami smashing into members of the Horde. The enemy unprepared as they had prematurely basked in victory over Yeshua's seeming imprisonment.

  For none understood that the Son of God was Life. He could not be destroyed, captured or sundered, and this slow creeping realization rose as a suffocating reality that caused the Horde to scatter before Heaven's might.

  Talus raised his army of Phanes, a weapon designed to be used against Heaven...a weapon now used in full deployment against the Horde. Monsters of fire and smoke pounced upon fallen angels and daemons, slashing and smothering them in flames borne from Lucifer's own kiln.

  Ares's army had now crossed the chasm and set themselves to destroy Abraham and the countless righteous dead. And Yeshua seeing His people accosted, spoke to the dust of the Earth and the floor of Hell.

  Hell upon command of its Lord, immediately raised itself as a defender to the righteous dead. For crawling up the canyon walls of the gulf, millions of parasitic worms suddenly flooded Paradise. Like lice, they were as the dust of the earth and flooded the floor of Paradise. But the creatures did the righteous dead no harm but instead enveloped the daemons and evil angels that had dared to cross the Cadmime Bridge.

  Yeshua whispered "Disintegrate," and the atomic structures that held electrons and neutrons in their orbits instantly decayed upon the Lord's word and the Cadmime Bridge followed suite and collapsed.

  Rebel angels, still upon it, fell screaming into the flaming abyss below. Their cries for help mingled into the cacophony of screams that rose from the battlefield. But the relief of death would not come, for parasitic maggots jumped from the walls to devour some as they fell and fiery tendrils that lined the acidic walls of Hell's belly reached out like tentacles to capture others mid-air.

  As the black celestial mineral crumpled, shards rained into Paradise and slashed through daemons and angels. Yet the shards that lit at the feet of the righteous dead transformed into weapons of war.

  David beheld what the Lord God had wrought and smiled as he stooped to grab a created sword Yeshua had placed at his feet. He grinned as he shouted aloud for all to hear. "THE HORDE HAST COME WITH THOUGHT TO KILL US!" He then raised his sword high and pointed it toward the enemy. "KILL THEM BACK!"

  Suddenly, the disarmed were now armed, and the fearful now fearless and the hunted, the hunters for the Lord fought on their side. The whole of Paradise cheered as Abraham, Moses and David charged into the oncoming wave of fallen angels and daemons, and the people of Paradise, bolstered by the Lord's actions and that of King David, Father Abraham, and Moses charged with them.

  Ares'
minions raised shields, but the numbers of the righteous dead were as ants and came from the whole of Paradise to smite the legions of fallen angels and erase their infernal presence from holy ground. And while Ares was atop a mount and directing his lieutenants, David and several of his renowned mighty men accosted him upon his steed that he fell, and his beast fell atop him.

  David encircled him and spoke as he readied to strike. "They have called you the God of War, but only my God is the true God, and He hath taught my hands to war and my fingers to fight. Stand and see the future of all they who oppose my King."

  Ares became wroth and lifted the steed from off him and shrugged his shoulders.

  "I will enjoy killing you, little man."

  Ares then lunged at David thinking to overpower him, but David blocked his blow and kicked the angel in the abdomen, knocking him back.

  David smiled. "I have been dead a long time, and you foolishly fight an army with no fear of death. For we are they who have been granted eternal life!"

  And David leaped toward Ares, sword drawn, and the angel was not accustomed to the strength with which David fought, for he fought in the power of God.

  Moses joined himself to David, and they two fought with sword and ax. Abraham battled his way toward the two, and the trio fought the mighty angel Ares as one man.

  Seeing he was outmatched by the three righteous spirits of God, Ares lifted himself into the air to escape, but the three also leaped into the air and they too flew, as they were not bound by the laws of the flesh. Moses lunged as Ares parried his blade until Abraham's blade found its mark and blood was drawn. Ares fell from the air before them, with the three men following in tow, giving the Elohim no quarter.

  The whole of Paradise was covered in battle and the sounds of clanging shields, and screams of dissolution, and the smell of brimstone and sulfur hitchhiked atop the sounds of striking swords that sparkled in trails of light. And no human feared, for Abraham, Moses, and David fought the vanguard and each man was as a hundred men. Thousands of daemons and angels sank into oblivion, cut down by scores of righteous men.

  And all around them the righteous dead, beat back the armies of Lucifer from off the grounds of Paradise, driving them over the cliffs of the gulf. Swords rang throughout Hell, and the screams of the damned that plunged into the abyssal gulf of Hell caused the righteous dead to cheer.

  Michael touched down on Hell's soil and when he did so, King Nephanos unwrapped himself from Michael's body, for the king was a floating curtain of living fire that now transformed into a flaming scythe that cut through enemies and burned them alive.

  Eladrin dashed toward multiple enemies at once, his movement so fast that he was a blur, and scores of the enemy fell as the Host plowed a path toward their King.

  Lucifer unsheathed his sword of Malice. His followers noted the green blade that shimmered in the twilight of Hell's luminance, and the Horde rallied to fight the Host of Heaven. Lucifer wrestled against Malakim soldiers and smote them off gryphon back as they strafed him from above. A soldier, thinking to get the better, dived toward the Prince of Evil, but Lucifer lifted his hand and blinded both rider and gryphon that they smashed into the ground. Lucifer sank his sword deep into the angel's body and it withered before all as he mounted the beast and lifted himself airborne.

  Ashtaroth attempted to flee, but Michael landed on his back and crushed him into the ground.

  "Please, no. Do not destroy me!" Ashtaroth cried.

  "Jerahmeel, his location, now!" Michael yelled.

  An angel of the Horde attempted to strike but Michael commanded three of his swords to do battle with the angel while he lifted Ashtaroth off the ground by his robes and continued in his interrogation.

  "I have yet four swords remaining to run you through. I command a response!" he roared.

  Ashtaroth looked upon him with terror and said, "Over there, in the section behind the wyvern pens." Ashtaroth pointed and Michael released him and dashed to the holding pens.

  A wyvern stood before him barring his path to rescue his friends. It stretched its leather wings and lifting its body to stand on two hind legs, roared in defiance at the Chief Prince, ready to devour him. Michael recalled all his swords from fighting other assailants and they twirled about him as electrons orbit an atom. Each flying blade circled his person, awaiting the command to strike.

  The Wyvern's teeth were as his own swords and would easily slice angelic flesh if he were unfortunate enough to be grasped within. Michael floated toward the creature and it roared again, arching its back to spring upon him, but another roar sounded behind Michael. And when the Chief Prince turned to see if another enemy attacked from the rear, his eyes widened as a Phane towered over him...and Talus was its rider.

  The wyvern leapt.

  "YAH!" Talus said, and the Phane charged at the monster.

  The two beasts made contact, Michael ducked with his hands over his head, as the giant creatures smashed into one another above him, with Wyvern and Phane tumbling backward, snapping at each other.

  Talus jumped off his smoky steed, and with a grayish white sword that phased in and out of existence, launched himself straight into the mouth of the Wyvern. Razor sharp teeth bit deep into the Prince of Arelim, but the Phane grappled the beast by the neck and pummeled its snout, smashing it while it still gripped Talus, but Talus was ready, for his armor protected him from the chomp that would easily rend him to pieces. Talus lifted his sword and brought the blade deep into beast's skull. It roared in pain, releasing the High Prince from its toothy grasp, each clomp of its feet shaking the ground.

  Talus, now free, fell to the ground, his sword still embedded in its skull. With a giant thud, it fell. Dirt and embers shot in every direction. The Phane turned and stood as to the Prince of House Arelim. Talus dusted himself off while Michael looked upon his brother from a distance...a brother he had not seen for over thirty of men's years and each was moved and reached out to embrace the other. Michael pushed him back, still holding his shoulders and squeezing them gently, happy that his brother stood alive and well. Michael fought tears as he spoke. "You were remiss to return to me when commanded," said Michael.

  Talus grinned, "Apologies, my Prince, I was detained. The King's business required me to feign capture that I might wear the enemy down and lead Lucifer to think victory could be won, and to also distract him from Yeshua whilst the Lord grew in stature. It was needful that all believe the enemies' diversion with me would see our Lord to success...moreover, it was needful to purge my shame that genesised the entrance of war by my hand."

  Michael smiled. "And did you purge that which plagues you? Are you free of your burden?"

  Talus looked about him. "To pay for one's own sin is folly when El hath already forgiven it, but I have seen what bitterness and unforgiveness of oneself acquires. I will no longer carry burdens that El hath offered to bear. Yea, my friend. I am free."

  Michael smiled. "Then let us find our brethren and exit this foul place."

  Talus nodded, and he and Michael turned to the back of the Wyvern's pen, and bound therein, cocooned within Hell's fiery membranes, hung Jerahmeel, Turiel, and Eskalion. Python- like coils draped over each one, constricting them while the mountain fed upon them. All three were enveloped and cried out in muffled pleas, for help, biting down upon fiery tendrils as tears streamed down their faces and maggots burrowed and fed upon them alive.

  Michael and Talus peeled the coils from the membrane they were cocooned within, and Hell's tendrils slowly unraveled.

  Talus pulled a tendril from Jerahmeel's mouth, as he coughed up fluid still resident in his lungs. He placed his hand on Jerahmeel's back and patted him, as the Lord of House Harrada vomited phlegm and the fluidic acids of digestion that hell had pumped into him. Coughing, Jerahmeel gathered himself and looked into his brother's eyes.

  "When I saw that you and the Forge were one, I couldn't...I..."

  "Shhh..." said Talus. "I know...I know." Jerahmeel reached out and pulled
him close and they held each other tight.

  Michael smiled as he released the other two captives, and his face contorted in alarm as he stared at Jerahmeel in horror. "My God, Jerahmeel...your eye!"

  Jerahmeel felt where his eye had been gouged out and replied, "Yet I still am the best looking of the lot of you. Besides, I am still forced to suffer your ugly mug with the other eye." Jerahmeel turned to Talus and lifted his hands pleadingly. "Please, Talus, take my other eye! However, on the next mission Michael, I suggest that you donate the eye."

  Talus laughed while Michael went over, smiled and hugged his brother. "I am glad to see you too, but wait...did I not send four on this mission? Where is Iblis?"

  Jerahmeel grew somber and replied, "He betrayed us, and lo, he has his reward." He pointed to a cocoon behind Michael embedded within the wall of Hell. Michael followed his finger and entrapped within was the defector Iblis. Tendrils coiled around his neck and the worms which die not continued to do Hell's bidding and were about their work of consuming the angel. Michael peered deep into Iblis' eyes which were wide open and spoke pleadingly for rescue. The python-like veins of Hell filled his throat suffocated all screams. Michael winced in disgust and spoke, "Opportunity was given to return. Abandoned the straight path to redemption he has. He is where he belongs. Come, my friend. Let us go and return favor to Lucifer for the loss of thine eye."

  Jerahmeel nodded, and Eskalion, Turiel, and Jerahmeel looked at one another, and then at their brethren who fought in the distance.

  Jerahmeel spied Lucifer and cracked his knuckles in expectation to deliver recompense upon his rogue brother. "This is a beat down I've been looking forward to for a long time."

  Each one then turned, flying as one man to do battle with Satan.

  * * *

  Lucifer, mounted upon gryphon-back, fended off attackers that sought to dismount him. Accosted on every side, he swung his sword while flying to get distance between him and the kiln of his own creation...the forge no longer under his control...an oven that now birthed monstrosities that attacked him and his own. Monstrosities meant to be used as weapons of war against Heaven. Monstrosities now turned against him.