by Jen Gentry
“I think I’m beginning to understand what you’re telling me.” Emily tried to reassure her.
“It is because my people believe in the legends that we choose not to live in the forest. There are some who remain in the forest, but like the forest, these people have remained hidden, until recent times. We only come when it is necessary. Like coming to gather the Brazil nuts or to work with a man like Senor` Ethan and keep him and his team from coming to harm in the forest.”
Emily thought about these words, as Mari took a drink from her canteen. Emily felt that Mari was trying to tell her something. No, it was more like Mari was trying to warn her. It was difficult to shake the feeling that this was all tied to some kind of tribal superstition and folklore. But, what if Mari and her people were right and the Lord purposely placed the harsh, yet perfectly balanced rainforest around the Amazon as a means to keep men out of it? The idea was worthy of consideration.
“Mari, do you know what Ethan is searching for? Do you know why he is here in the Amazon?” An idea began to form in Emily’s mind. She was suddenly very concerned for the entire team and could see a possible reason why the Lord sent her here. The danger to the team was more real than ever now. Her prayers for them were essential.
“Yes, Senora`, we know why Senor` Ethan is here. He searches for the lost people. The red-haired, giant kings of the Amazon.”
“You know, Mari, that you can trust me with your secrets? I’ve no desire to share secrets the Lord has purposefully hidden. My only concern is for the well-being of everyone on this team.”
“Yes, I believe that. Because Anke and I also fear for the safety of Senor` Ethan and the others, we have agreed to share the legends with you in the hope that you can help convince them to leave this place before they come to harm. An evil presence stalks this mission. It is the evil ones we want to keep the secrets from in the end.” Emily nodded in agreement, as she settled into the great tree root to listen to Mari’s tale. Anke, ever silent, yet ever present, appeared to be standing guard over the two women.
Mari’s voice took on an eerie quality as she began her story. It was apparent to Emily that this was a story that was sacred to Mari and Anke. A story that had been passed down through the ages from parent to child as far back as human memory would go. Emily got the impression this was the first time Mari had shared the story in English, as she listened enthralled.
“In the days and times long before the Incas grew and came to power in this land, an ancient and fearsome people ruled here. They were called Hatun Rupa, the big men. These men were not like the natives who lived as nomads in the land. They were double and even triple the height of the natives. They were light skinned with hair the color of fire. Each of them had six fingers and toes on each hand and foot. No one knows how these men came to live in this land. The ancients believed these creatures were not of this world. They had knowledge of things no other men did. They are the ones who built the cities on the mountains of Peru. Machu Pichu was their crowning seat.
The Hatun Rupa, while great in numbers, had no women among them, or children. They lived for hundreds of years, but eventually, they did die. While they lived they ruled the entire continent. The people were no match for these fierce warriors, and they became slaves to them. For several hundred years the people of the land served the Hatun Rupa.
The giants set themselves up as gods and kings among the people. They taught the people to farm for food and to build their great cities. The most desirable and intelligent of the people were set aside as priest to worship and serve the Hatun Rupa directly. The giants taught their priest to use magic and sorcery to help serve them and to keep the people in line. Many atrocities were committed against the people in the name of worshiping the Hatun Rupa. But the worst of these crimes came in the form of human sacrifice and cannibalism.
The people served and sacrificed, toiling for the benefit and pleasure of their self-appointed kings. Anyone who rebelled against the enforced labor was punished with death and eaten by the great kings who were known for their voracious appetites. To help keep the people in bondage, the Hatun Rupa demanded sacrifices. The priests gathered children for human sacrifices several times a year. The streets of the great cities ran red with the blood of the children who were killed, and the people cried with the anguish of their forced bondage and with the loss of their beloved children.
Eventually, the giants began to die off. In the end, only three of them remained, and the three of them ruled together for one hundred years until they died together. The priests of these three did everything they could to hide the death of the last three kings. They lived in fear of the people retaliating for the deaths of their children. To keep the people in line, they told them the kings had gone back to their great cities in the sky. They warned that the sacrifices would need to continue, lest the great ones return and in their wrath destroy everyone. The people who had lived in fear for hundreds of years continued to follow the priests of the Hatun Rupa. The people became slaves to the priests and continued in the practices of the old kings until the Spaniards conquered the priest and overtook the people.
To cover their great lie, the priests hid the bodies of the last three kings deep in the rainforest. The people believe that to disturb the resting place of the last kings would cause them to return and bring more death and ruin to the people.
This is the legend of the Hatun Rupa, the red-haired giant kings of the lost people. The legends are passed down from one generation to the next to remind the people of the many years of great sadness and to ensure that the kings of old never return to earth to enslave them again. The people of the Amazon have carefully guarded this story for hundreds of years. Only a handful of outsiders have ever heard of it. You are blessed, Emily, with the knowledge of it. Please use the knowledge wisely.”
Emily’s mind raced on the trip back to camp. She had so many unanswered questions. When Mari finished her tale she just stopped talking. Emily pressed her for more information, but Mari put her hand up and told Emily it was up to God now. Whatever would be would be. Anke, in a rare moment, did tell Emily he felt she’d been sent by God to help them all. He’d told her the time was coming when the forest would no longer be able to hide the secrets of the lost people. Too many men were taming and consuming the forest at an alarming rate.
Anke’s words were not lost on Emily. It was apparent Mari and Anke had put a lot of trust in her. She prayed silently that she wouldn’t let them down. A clearer picture began to form in her head, and she knew she needed to get some time alone to pray. Only God had all the answers to this puzzle, but she could see why her prayers were so important in this forbidden place.
She muttered, “Please, dear Jesus, watch over us all and let the will of the Father be done.”
Chapter Eleven
The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.
Psalm 34:7
The angel Simon kept his distance from the horde of demons that surrounded Lazar and the demon Armodius. He watched the horde protect and provide for the physical needs of Lazar by leading him to fresh water and food from the forest. It was as Liam had told him. The demons were behaving oddly in being subservient in caring for this human’s needs. Under usual circumstances, the demons would’ve done no more than torment a possessed man to death. But in thus case they were working together with a specific goal in mind. Simon listened closely and tried to determine what that goal was.
Armodius took the demon’s help to find Ethan and the sacred resting place of the giants as his due. He alone knew the location of the burial cave, where the last three kings lay hidden, but he needed Ethan to get inside. In fact, the great Ba al’ council choose him for this assignment because he possessed this knowledge. Armodius felt frustrated with the Demon Prince of Rio, Dycidius. If the prince had sent his legion to assist him sooner he would’ve already found Ethan and wouldn’t be tracking the man through the forest on foot. A boiling rage simmered in Armodius and
caused the human Lazar to cry out in pain.
“Argggggghhhh, where have you taken me now, evil spirit? I beg of you, just kill me now. I can stand the torment of your presence no longer,” Lazar wailed as Armodius laughed a deep throaty laugh.
“Don’t worry, worm, you will die, soon. But first, I need your body and your knowledge of the human Ethan to get me to him. Then I can take what he is destined to find from him. I must fulfill my orders from the Ba al’. Help me find Ethan and overtake him. Then I will release you.” Armodius laughed again as the surrounding demon horde laughed with him.
Simon heard enough. Lazar wanted to be free of the demon that possessed him. The angel now knew why Armodius was after Ethan and why the other demons were so intent on helping him. It was time to inform Liam. Simon spread his wings and turned from his hiding place, intending to take to the sky. Instead, a wall of demons who’d been quietly watching him quickly overtook him. Simon sent a plea to the Lord just before being bound and pinned to the forest floor.
***
Liam kept his post in the sky above the campground, but his curiosity got the best of him when he saw Emily leaving with the woman Mari and her husband Anke. He decided to join Terrence, who stayed very close to Emily wherever she went. With one last look around the perimeter of the camp, Liam saw that everything appeared to be in order. Each of his warrior angels stood firm at their assigned post, carefully guarding and watching for any problems around the camp. The two angels assigned to watch over Mr. Perry’s personal journals stood guard at Ethan’s tent. The coast was clear for him to join Terrence and Emily, as they ventured into the Amazon rainforest.
Liam and Terrence listened in on the story of the three kings. It was not a new story to Liam. He’d been with another man when he learned of this story several years ago. Liam knew that soon it would be time to reveal to Emily the secrets hidden in Mr. Perry’s journals. Things were moving fast. At any time the dark ones were sure to descend on his human charges. The Lord’s timing was sure to be perfect, though, as it always is, Liam thought. The Lord would reveal the secrets in his own good time.
When Liam arrived back at the camp with the others, he found two new angels waiting for him. These were messenger angels sent from God the Father, Himself. Liam new they brought news, good or bad. He met with them in the sky.
“What news do you bring my brother, Gabriel?” Liam addressed the larger of the two angels.
“I bring you two things, Commander. First, the enemy has captured Simon. He needs our assistance as quickly as possible. Second, our Lord sends you his servant Matthew. He is assigned to the man, Lazar. Lazar cries out to our Lord to rid himself of the demon Armodius. Matthew is one of the fastest of us. He will be able to avoid the demons surrounding Lazar and Armodius while keeping the lines of communication open between Lazar and our Lord, giving the human time to come to repentance.
Liam looked Matthew over. He was a smaller, more compact angel with long sleek wings. Liam did not doubt Matthew had been created for speed.
“Well then, we better go get Simon.” Liam lifted a golden horn to his lips and sounded the call to battle.
It wasn’t hard to find Armodius and Lazar from the sky. In a dark part of the forest, a black mass of demons swirled like birds of prey in the treetops. Liam and his legion circled the mass in order to attack. They had the demons surrounded as they closed in. The angels moved quickly and in perfect unison. The fight was brief and bloody, as the trapped demon horde was quickly scattered. Armodius sensed the impending battle and ran with the demons closest to him. With their help, he made a swift getaway. The angel Matthew moved fast to follow them. He left Liam’s side with the cry of “For the Lamb, who alone, is worthy!”
On the ground, the warrior angels released a bloody, bruised, and battered Simon from his bonds. Simon shared what he knew about Armodius with Liam.
“Armodius knows where the three kings are buried, Commander. He does not need Ethan to lead him there. He needs Ethan to get him something so that he can take it from him. He is working under orders from the Ba al’ and the Demon Prince Dycidius is helping him by sending his minions to aid in the quest.”
“Whatever it is, the Ba al’ wants it very badly. Do you know what exactly it is that they want?” Liam was still a little baffled by the demons’ behaviors. It seemed as if they were taking a strange route to get what they wanted. Why not just send in the horde to overtake the resting place of the three kings if they already knew the location and what they wanted.
“No, Commander, I never heard mention of what it is specifically that Armodius is after. I get the impression that none of the other demons know either. It seems they are only acting under direct orders from Dycidius to protect and aid Armodius.”
Liam placed his hands on Simon’s shoulders as he praised him. “You have done well, my brother. You should return to the heavenly realm with Gabriel in order to recuperate.”
“If it is permissible by you, Commander, I request permission to return to my post. I want to help the man Lazar. He longs to be released from Armodius.”
“Fine, stay with us for a few days to rest, and then you may return to Lazar. The man’s chances will be better if he has you and Matthew both to aid and minister to him. The demons will not have complete control if Lazar wants to repent and accept Christ, but they can still make you and him miserable, so you will need to be at your best.”
As the angelic host sounded victory calls in the sky above, a thought occurred to Liam. He decided to pay a visit to an old acquaintance, the Demon Prince Dycidius. Perhaps he could persuade Dycidius to reveal what the Ba al’ was after. It would not be easy, but it could be done.
***
Phoebe rose early one morning and went with Russ to the lookout tree, leaving Emily alone in their tent. Emily spent her private time on her knees in prayer. A sense of urgency invaded her spirit and soul, as she prayed for the safety of the team. Marta and Aunt Gemma were also on her mind. She felt a little homesick, but nonetheless, because her loved ones were on her mind she prayed for their protection and lifted them up to the Lord. Little did she know the ripple affect her prayers were having.
***
Like a stone cast into still water, the ripples of Emily’s prayers spread out across the Amazon and out into the world. Liam felt the strength of her prayers, as he descended onto the streets of Rio with twenty warrior angels from his legion. The demons in Rio could also feel the strength of Emily’s prayers, as they screeched in their restlessness.
The angels’ presence on the streets of Rio could not be missed, as they glowed bright as the sun. Liam made a grand show to attract the attention of Dycidius and force an appearance from him. It did not take long. In a grand display of his own, Dycidius appeared with dark clouds onto the middle of the street in front of Liam.
“Liam, I thought we had an understanding that you would not be in Rio for long and would not be causing any disturbances here. So why are you walking my streets with weapons drawn and lit for battle?”
“I agreed to no such thing, Dycidius. All these years have passed, and I see you still live in your own puffed up mind making your own reality.” Liam purposefully baited Dycidius. He knew how smart and crafty Dycidius could be, but the demon’s weakness had always been in his pride.
Dycidius let out a low growl and seriously considered drawing his own sword to attack Liam for his insult, but he held himself. Dycidius had much to lose. He’d learned it was better to work around angelic intrusions into what he considered his realm. The less attention he drew to himself, the easier he found it to control those around him.
“Fine, Liam. What is it you want here? How can I assist you, that you may be on your way?” Dycidius wanted Liam gone as quickly and quietly as possible. There was too much at stake, and the last thing he needed, besides angelic intrusions, was the Ba al’ descending on him. He was stuck in an intricate situation that required a perfect balancing act on his part if he wanted to come out still in cha
rge of his own little empire.
“I want to know why you are helping the man Lazar as he searches for my charges?” Liam got right to the point.
Dycidius groaned inwardly. “What I do or do not do is none of your affair, Liam.”
“It is our Lord’s affair, and it involves his children who have been placed in my care. That makes it my affair.”
The angel and the demon stood toe-to-toe, face-to-face. Neither backing down, it was then that Dycidius felt the ripple. The strong, effective prayer of a righteous saint saturated the air and hit his skin like an acid, first as an itching burn and then a full on flame.
Dycidius began to back away with an abject look of fear and pain crossing his cruel features. He took to the air, appearing as a streaking ball of red light against the pale blue of the sky. Liam and his angels gave chase.
***
Deep in the forest, another demon began to feel the effects of Emily’s prayers. Armodius writhed in pain inside Dr. Lazar’s body, and his control over the man weakened. Lazar took advantage of the demon’s weakness and began to run away from the demon horde surrounding him. He had to find his way out of this forest.
Though his physical body was very weak, Lazar pressed forward. He did not see the two angels at his back, as they fought off the advancing demons that gave chase. Armodius continued to groan inside of him as if he were somehow glued to Lazar himself.