The Great Gate

by J R Dahl

  He turned back to face the fire and said, “Then I felt a burning sensation in my back, and everything went black. The next thing I knew I woke up in a pitch black cave. It reeked of decaying flesh and the heat was oppressive. Sweat and blood poured down my forehead into my eyes. There were other men there with me also trying to clear their heads as they were just coming to. I could see a light many meters off. My eyes were still filled with a glaze and my vision was not normal, but it looked like the end of a tunnel. I sat with my back against the hard rock wall as I tried to gather my thoughts.

  “My mind drifted back to my wife. I could see her lying dead in my hands. Grief and despair poured over me. The pain was so intense that I thought of ending my own life. That thought sobered me, because I’d never in my life thought such a thing. The warrior in me and the desire to survive took over. I tried to turn my thoughts to my escape, but again despair and hatred rose up in me. A battle stirred in my mind that I couldn’t control or understand.

  “I decided to try to investigate my surroundings. I groped my way toward the light, stumbling across many bodies. Some were alive, some I wasn’t sure. When I finally reached the end of the cave I found it barred with thick, crude metal. The mouth of the cave opened into a vast cavern filled with pools of boiling lava. Above it was a caged arena, suspended over the lava. Men were constantly pulled from the caves and thrust into the arena where they fought for their lives.

  “They didn’t take me for weeks. Instead I sat there in the cave as my mind and body rotted. I was tortured by the thoughts of my dead wife and our unborn child that she carried. I was filled with nothing but sadness, despair, and hatred. My mind grew so dark that I could see nothing but the blackest darkness even though my eyes were open.

  “Then one day they came for me. I was pulled from the cave and pushed into the arena with twelve other men. I thought that I had slipped into a dream, because I began to hear voices. Then I saw them, hundreds of demons flying around the outside of the arena shouting at us. Suddenly their voices became familiar. I realized that I had heard them before in the cave. They had been the voices reminding me of how my wife died. They had whispered how sweet it would be to destroy those who had killed her.

  ‘My mind spun as I tried to take in all that was happening. It was complete chaos. The demons growled and screamed at us to fight and kill. I was attacked from all sides by the other men in the arena. Instinct and rage took over and before I knew what had happened I had killed two men.”

  Armon turned to face his daughter and his soldiers. He found only shock in their eyes as they leaned forward in their seats, hanging on every word.

  “After what seemed like an eternity, we were pushed and pulled out of the arena and down a flight of stairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs we entered a long cave. Men who looked like they were half dead worked on what seemed to be an assembly line. They strapped armor to our bodies. The first was the chest piece. I have told you about this. It was the demonic implant that Satan uses to push his evil into the Leviathan soldiers. I have taught you how to fight these men and rip this chest piece from their bodies in order to stop the flow of his evil power into them. However, I have never told you that I know this because I wore one.”

  Armon pulled open his shirt to reveal the eight slabs of scar tissue spread across his chest. Cloin and the others looked on in amazement.

  “When they put it on me, it was excruciating. It was the worst pain that I have ever experienced. I felt that I would vomit. The initial pain lessened, but it was a continuous pain. The scars have never completely healed, and I can still feel the pain from time to time. It created a strange, hollow feeling in my chest. My mind and body where taken captive, yet I could still think my own thoughts; however, now they were all dark and full of hatred. My eyes were very dark. I could see, but it was if I was looking through a prism that twisted and distorted all that I saw. Things looked familiar, but I never truly recognized anything. It was like a very long, waking nightmare.

  “As we continued down the assembly line, they put more and more armor on us. By the end of the line I had become a Leviathan. They took us to another chamber where they trained us. The red chest plate hurt, but it imparted superhuman power that I had never experienced. I could run faster and jump higher than ever before. But as I used this power I could feel it poison my already-weakened soul. Every time I used the power it hurt my body physically, but I learned to function with the pain. The power was like a poison that just continued to spread.

  “The power that was now pulsating through us also entered our minds. It commanded us what to do. We could still choose. But the majority of our minds wanted to obey the evil voice. That created even more torment, because there was a small part of me that wanted to escape, that did not want this power and the evil sickness that came with it. The battle within my mind was continuous.”

  Armon paused for a moment and turned to Cloin and the rest of the Seberians. The look on their faces certainly showed their surprise. Cloin hesitated for a moment and then asked, “How did you get free?”

  “We were on a mission that had been particularly dangerous. We had attacked a very advanced planet in galaxy 32X4. One of our rockets had taken out a large building. In the heat of battle, part of that building had fallen on me. It broke my right arm and both my legs. Because of the position in which I was trapped I could not lift the boulder. I was trapped under it for days. None of the other Leviathan came to help me out from underneath the boulder. In the Leviathan ranks, if a man falls behind he is left behind.

  “I lay in anguish for days as the fear-feeding power began to fade. With no fresh supply of power, I began to gain some clarity in my mind. But I was still heavily under the influence of the evil that pulsated through my chest.

  “Then someone found me. The battle was over and the city lay in ruin, but there was a man. An old man. He walked with a staff that was a reclaimed part of a space craft. He was missing one eye and had a crude metal patch over the empty socket. When he found me he approached without any fear.

  “As he approached, the Leviathan a rose in me and I tried to grab him. He was quite agile for an old man who couldn’t walk without a stick. He quickly stepped to the side to avoid my attack, and in one swift motion he thrust the end of his staff into my chest plate and just under the fear collector. With great strength he pried the collector from my chest with his staff.

  “Blood poured from the holes that had been dug into my flesh from the spikes that anchored the device. I cried out in pain as it broke free. The old man grabbed it and smashed it on a rock beside him. The light quickly faded and went out.

  “As I lay there in pain I wondered about the large piece of brick wall lying on my legs. Without a word the old man went to work on it. He placed his staff under the wall and began to pry. The wall outweighed him, and there was no way he would be able to remove it. Then something strange happened. As the old man worked, I saw something move behind him. It was as if cloud or mist had gathered beside him and near the brick wall. Then as the man pried, without explanation, the wall began to lift. Suddenly, as if it by a great thrust of power, the wall lifted from my body and flew three meters to the side. I was finally free.”

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  Chapter 2

  Meanwhile, things began to stir on a nearby planet. On a very distant side of the same star system there orbited a small, lush, green planet. It was mountainous and had very few inhabitants. In a completely secluded area there lay a wide, flat valley at the foot of a long mountain range. In the center of this mountain a wide cove opened into the valley. The cove was filled with a grassy field that led down to a shallow stream and bey
ond that continued the wide valley. Many kilometers off in the distance, on the far side of the valley, lay another mountain range.

  At the heart of the cove stood a very large door that had been cut into the side of the mountain. It was made of two tall wooden doors that blended into the rocky mountainside. They had been partly grown over by trees and vines and were very hard to see. The side of the mountain above the door was very steep and covered with heavy vegetation.

  The full light of the planet’s two moons shown down and lit the cove as if it were daylight. It was a very peaceful and quiet scene as the branches of the trees gently swayed in the wind.

  Although it didn’t look very impressive, this was the great gate. One of the passage ways that God had made that would allow created beings to re-enter His heavenly realm. It was through this gate that Satan planned to march his army of demons and evil Leviathan men into heaven as he mounted his second attack on God’s throne.

  This night the sky was clear and the air was crisp. Millions of stars shown bright in the sky above. As the night grew the sky filled with even more light. Suddenly falling stars seemed to converge on the small planet. The light trails from those stars grew in intensity until it looked like the planet was in the path of a deadly meteor shower. From a greater distance off in space the stars could be seen coming from distant galaxies and all converging on this one, lonely planet.

  Back in the cove one could see that what looked like stars were not stars at all but were thousands of angels in flight. As they entered the atmosphere they burned with a great yellow light. Not until they slowed and landed on the surface did the intensity subside. Some rode in on massive, winged horses that were covered in burnished-bronze armor. Others flew on their own wings. Each wore the dark bronze armor that they had received in heaven on the day that Satan had tried his first attempt at the throne.

  The angels and their armor were battle worn, as they had been fighting Satan and his armies for millennia. Once they landed they gathered in the valley and began to greet one another, some like long lost brothers. Many of these had been assigned to other galaxies and had not seen each other for many years. They were happy to be reunited, but the seriousness of the reason remained. There was a feeling of preparation and anticipation. This was made much clearer when deep black clouds began to form over the mountains on the opposite side of the valley.

  The angels all stopped and turned when a clap of thunder rolled across the valley as lightning bolts began to bounce between the clouds. They began to organize themselves and made formations across the grassy plain of the mountain cove.

  The Seberians flew through the crisp evening air as they entered the atmosphere of planet Helion. Automated cannons turned and took aim from their hidden bunkers buried in the side of the mountain. They followed the shuttle as it slowed for its landing but did not fire as the automated defense grid recognized the Seberian shuttle.

  Inside the space craft Cloin sat in the cargo bay cleaning her brother’s blade. She gazed into it as her mind drifted back to times when they were children. Times that were much simpler. She longed for just one more moment with her brother. He had always been her best friend, and now she struggled with the deep void created by his loss.

  Armon looked back from the cockpit and saw her deep in thought gazing at the blade. He turned back to piloting the shuttle without a word.

  Inside the main hangar of the Helion base hundreds of soldiers ran to finish loading their shuttles.

  Just then the Seberian transport hovered down for a landing outside the main hangar. Secondary engines fired to slow their decent, sending dust flying in all directions. The shuttle touched down gently.

  Moments later Armon, Cloin and nine other Seberians stepped off the loading ramp and out of the ship. Lonan and Averine stepped out to the hangar door and walked across the landing pad toward them.

  “We’ve a lot to discuss,” said Armon. “The enemy is on their way.”

  “My father is thinking the same thing. He asked me to bring you to the war room as soon as you arrive. This way,” said Averine as she stepped aside and gestured toward the hangar door.

  As they walked Armon smiled. “For many years we’ve been watching over your teams as you completed your rescue missions. We watched from the shadows and fought off any demonic forces as they came too near. We’ve been impressed with your desire to save those who were powerless against Nemaron and their Leviathan forces. It will be nice to finally truly join forces. I think that we have much to teach you in how to battle our common enemy. Lead the way.”

  “Father,” Cloin said. She reached out and touched her father’s shoulder as he stepped toward the hangar.

  He stopped and turned toward her. He could tell from the look on her face that she needed to speak with him alone.

  “Go on ahead,” he said to Averine, Lonan, and his Seberians. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  The group turned and walked back into the hangar. Lonan lingered for just a moment. He dropped his gaze to the floor as he remembered the battle in the forest where Ahren had been killed. His heart broke for Cloin and her loss. Lonan could still see the look on her face when she ran to her brother’s side. He then turned and followed the rest of the group into the hangar.

  “Father, I need some time alone.” She looked down at the floor as Armon reached out and stroked the side of her head.

  “I understand. Go. Walk. Pray.”

  “The pain is still very deep. I badly need God’s comfort, but so far I cannot find it. I’ll be in the forest. I’ll be back before day’s end.”

  “Good idea. Do you want some soldiers to accompany you?”

  Cloin lifted her eyes to meet Armon’s, and a small smile appeared in the corner of her cheek.

  “You know that is not necessary,” she answered with a full grin.

  Armon smiled back. “I know. Go and walk and be alone with God.”

  Cloin turned and walked away from the base toward the outer edge of the platform.

  Armon watched as she reached the edge of the forest and disappeared into the deep trees and underbrush of the mountain. He thought back to the day that he found Ahren holding his little sister huddled under a pile of rubble in the middle of a war zone. Their inner strength and perseverance had always inspired Armon. His heart swelled with pride as he thought about how strong of a woman Cloin had become. He was also eternally thankful to God for the opportunity to raise Ahren and Cloin as his own children. His heart was broken for the loss of his son, but he would never trade that pain and lose the honor of being Ahren’s father.

  After a few moments of reflection, Armon turned and followed the rest of the group into the hangar and toward the war room.

  Cloin hiked up the steep mountainside, at times needing to grab a tree branch to pull herself along. She continued on for nearly seven kilometers until she came to the small clearing on the side of the mountain directly beside the Helion base. She looked through a clearing in the trees and could see out across the valley for thousands of kilometers. The mountain air was clean and crisp. Cloin sat down for a moment to catch her breath as the air was not only cool but a bit thinner than her body was accustomed to.

  She looked around at the beautiful scenery. She was surrounded by large, thick trees whose branches swayed in the nearly constant breeze. Small animals ran through the leaves on the forest floor behind her as three different species of birds flew to and fro overhead.

  Cloin zipped up her jacket and pulled her collar up over her neck. She took a deep cleansing breath, and when she exhaled she could see how cold it was in the mountain as she watched the vapor pouring from her mouth.

  As she sat on the log she bowed her head and just breathed for nearly ten minutes. She heard nothing but her breathing, the animals, and the wind. The tranquility of the mountain and nature alone gave her a great deal of peace, but she needed more than that. Her heart still ached from the death of Ahren. After a few more moments she began to pray.

 
“Lord God, why? Why? I need him,” she whispered as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

  After a few moments she noticed something: she could no longer hear the animals. She slowly raised her head to see that all the trees were completely still. She could not feel or hear a breeze. As she exhaled she noticed that she could also no longer see her breath. She was surrounded by complete silence.

  She pulled herself off the log and knelt with her face to the ground because she knew that she was now in the presence of God.

  “Speak, Lord. Your servant is here,” Cloin said with her face to the ground.

  Suddenly she heard a gentle voice that broke the silence with such warmth that she immediately felt at peace. “Lift your face to me, my child,” she heard the voice of God respond.

  She slowly lifted her head but stayed on her knees. She saw nothing in the clearing in front of her except a warm, radiant glow that filled the area. Peace and love washed over her and filled her heart.

  “I know that you feel great loss, Cloin, but you must know that your brother is safe with me.”

  “Yes, I know, Lord. I guess that my grief is a little selfish. I need him. The evil of this world is unbearable. I want my brother by my side to give me strength and hope as we fight the enemy.”

  “I understand that, but you need to rely on my strength. At the same time I know that I created you to be in community. I did not mean for you to live life alone. You still have the other Seberians. You still have your father.”

  “Yes, Lord.”

  “The time has come for the number of Seberians to grow. Bring more people to me so that they can enter into relationship with me. The time is drawing near that I will send the Messiah to defeat the work of Satan.”

  Cloin looked up with a glimmer of hope in her eye.