In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III)

by John J Higgins

  Jarahmael did not want to rule over anything so he decided against taking over the Throne. But he did think about the Books he had removed and hidden. They had spells and words that could accomplish what he wanted without having to take over the Heavens. Ah yes! I can use them! He finally had a plan to save Lillith. No time to waste standing up here in the Throne Room! Jarahmael stood up and took flight right from the Throne Room and headed back to his palace. He had to find Lillith!

  Back at his palace, Jarahmael needed to move the mirrors he had made from his room of light. He wanted to secure the mirrors and to make them and the crystal prisms more readily accessible to him if he needed them on the Earth. He looked around at the fourteen mirrors, each made painstakingly by him for all of the other Archangels. When he had made them he intended to make a gift of each mirror to his fellow Archangels. But once the rebellion began he could no longer simply give them these mirrors. After what he had witnessed in the rebellion and its aftermath, he did not want to give any of the Archangels any more powers, not even to the loyal ones.

  How to transport all these mirrors down to the Earth? He could make numerous trips through the Heavens with them, but that would surely raise suspicions. He reached over to pick one up and feel how easy or difficult it would be to move when suddenly he felt the crystal pyramid in his tunic prod him. Yes! That will work! He can absorb all of the mirrors into the crystal pyramid and carry them out like that. One by one, he aimed the crystal pyramid at each of the mirrors and absorbed them. Now he would be able to move them all without suspicion.

  He wondered about the other thirteen crystal pyramids that were within the mirrors. There would be time enough for him to explore them once he got the mirrors out of his palace. It would only be a matter of time before Raziel and Ariel remembered that they had deposited the crystals in the mirrors before the rebellion, and that they should retrieve them for the greater good of the Archangels.

  Hiding them now would give Jarahmael a built in explanation for not having the mirrors or the crystal pyramids. He could blame Luciferael and his rebel Angels for taking them from his palace when they had control over the Seventh Heaven in the midpoint of the war. If the mirrors remained here though, he would have to produce them. The Almighty had told him, that he had all he needed to save Lillith. Maybe it’s the mirrors and crystals that had the powers he would need. No time to waste.

  The new assignment from the Almighty would give him the perfect cover to carry out his plan to find and free Lillith. He and Cerebriel had been assigned by the Almighty in the morning ceremony to keep an eye on the Humans. That would allow him legitimate access to the Earth on a regular basis. Cerebriel was never much interested in the Humans, he preferred to work with the building of the pyramids. Even so, he was glad Cerebriel had been assigned with him; the two of them had been through a lot together in the past, and they trusted one another. Even better, Cerebriel had an intimate knowledge of all the pyramids on the Earth, and Jarahmael may be able to conceal the mirrors in them, at least for the time being, without anyone except for him and Cerebriel knowing. Off to find Cerebriel. He will certainly help me find Lillith as he has done in the past, Jarahmael thought as he leaped a few steps, stroking his agile wings and taking flight.

  Jarahmael flew down through the Seventh Heaven and into the Sixth Heaven to Cerebriel's palace. Cerebriel’s home was located in the midst of the Cherubim Angel compound, Cerebriel was their leader after all. As Jarahmael slowed down to land at the entrance to the palace, he was thinking of what to tell his friend about his plan.

  Would you please help me hide these magical mirrors I constructed, my friend, I want to keep them secret from both Luciferael and from Michael?

  I think not, Jarahmael thought to himself. Even though Cerebriel trusted Jarahmael and was his good friend, Jarahmael knew that Cerebriel would answer honestly if asked about the mirrors’ whereabouts by Michael or any of the other loyal Archangels.

  On second thought, Jarahmael decided he was not going to even mention he was moving any of these items to Earth to Cerebriel. He still felt uneasy not being able to tell his good friend everything. But if he told him it could create a problem for Jarahmael and his plan. If Cerebriel decided to help him and did not answer the inevitable questions from Michael and his other Archangels, Cerebriel would end up in trouble. If Cerebriel did not know, then there was nothing to answer about and he would be telling the truth.

  Jarahmael flew into the entranceway and walked down the hallway, calling out his friend’s name as he passed a few rooms. Cerebriel walked to the doorway to one of his rooms and motioned for Jarahmael to join him. Cerebriel had survived the rebellion well, and Jarahmael felt reassured seeing his friend looking well and rested. Despite what they had survived, things had calmed for Cerebriel and his Cherubim at least. Jarahmael always liked Cerebriel's palace, even if it was not as large as his own. It was also built of cloud-like materials and it hung lower in the Sixth Heaven and seemed more solid and firm, more like a floating rock, rather than a cloud.

  “Greetings Cerebriel! Have you heard anything from Earth?” asked Jarahmael.

  “Everything is quiet,” responded Cerebriel. “My Cherubim guards have not seen or located Luciferael or the fallen Angels yet. We have been assisting the release of the Simians out of their caves where they were hiding during the war. They are gradually returning to their normal lives, hunting and fishing for food, some of them returning to their nomadic ways, others choosing to continue to use the caves as shelter.”

  “Any news on Adam and Eve?” asked Jarahmael.

  “They had kept them unconscious during the war at Michael's insistence. This way they were not aware of the divide among the Angels and it will make it simpler for them to begin their new lives on Earth. It won’t be long until they are blending in among the other more primitive Simians,” responded Cerebriel.

  “Did not Michael fear the Simians remembering the war?” Jarahmael asked.

  “Not really. When we were assembling our legions on Earth we had decided that the Simians would not be able to communicate as effectively as Adam and Eve, so at the most this war would be a myth or forgotten memory for their kind.”

  “Where are Adam and Eve now?” asked Jarahmael

  Cerebriel responded, “They have moved back to the cave where they were living after being cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Cave of Treasures, as they like to call it. I am not sure whether they even realize that they missed the rebellion.”

  “Is that cave self-sufficient?” asked Jarahmael.

  “Yes. The climate is warm enough for them to live there year around. The cave should insulate them from the elements and the yearly seasons now that the Almighty has allowed weather to run freely across the planet. The cave will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer months. There is also a great deal of plant life and small game for them to eat and live off nearby. Not to mention that there is a running stream within the cave and a small river outside nearby where they can get water or bathe.”

  “That is excellent,” responded Jarahmael.

  “Shall we go pay them a visit? Unobserved, of course!” asked Cerebriel.

  “Yes, we can leave now if you like,” Jarahmael said as the two of them moved towards the exit in Cerebriel's mansion, thankful that he would at least have Cerebriel’s companionship.

  Chapter 5

  HUMAN BAIT

  Luciferael's small party emerged from the pyramid near Aegyptus with Lillith before the sunrise. He was happy that he had been able to get her out of the First Heaven undetected. Now the question remained where the best place to keep her was, so she would remain out of the sight of the loyal Angels and particularly out of the grasp of Jarahmael. As he looked upon her, he smiled and thought what a pretty piece of bait she was. Seducing her in Jarahmael's palace was such fun and ironic. He believed Jarahmael had been destroyed before he seduced her. Now that the truth had come out, that Jarahmael had betrayed him, it was only just and fair that he
would be able to do something harmful to Jarahmael and the Human he loved. It was a just dessert for all of Jarahmael's treachery to the rebel cause.

  Luciferael’s plan was to move Lillith down into his Underworld, his captive trapped in a palace built for her between Hades and Hell. But he knew that she would not want to remain there very long. She would miss the sunshine and the beauty of the Earth.

  “Come, let's get to Hades before the loyal Angels discover that Lillith is with us,” Luciferael whispered to the others, far enough away so Lillith could not hear. Lillith remained ignorant of Luciferael's plan and he had tricked her into being thankful that Luciferael and his colleagues were protecting her like this. It was not hard to convince her that the Almighty and the loyal Angels now wanted to destroy her after she had joined Luciferael and his rebel Angels. She had no value as a Human either as Adam no longer needed her now that he had that new woman, Eve. Anyway, Lillith had not been feeling well of late. She had never been ill before; that just didn't happen in the Heavens, and she was thankful for the company.

  “Lillith, I need you to use your wings and fly along with us,” Luciferael commanded.

  Obediently she joined the three Archangels and flew with them into a cave hidden along the side of a huge mountain near Derinkaeus. They descended deep down into the depths until they came into Hades and landed softly on the other side of the river there named Styx, all four sets of their wings rustling as they landed deep within the Earth.

  “Beelzebael, instruct Grimory of the Cherubim to prepare a palace of gold for Lillith here,” Luciferael said, marking out a spot near one of the mountains in Hades. Tell him to assign whatever Angels of the lower orders that he needs to accomplish this. Use all the fine diamonds and precious metals you can find. I want her palace to be the envy of every Archangel who remains in Heaven!” exclaimed Luciferael.

  “Sammuael, go find Morax of the Cherubim and have him start working on a cave system directly overhead. Same instructions to him, he can use whatever Angels he needs from the lower Order of Angels to accomplish this. We need a convenient system of tunnels to access the surface of the Earth. Just because we were cast out of Heaven doesn't mean we can't interfere with the Humans and Simians that were placed above us. We will show the Almighty yet that the Humans and Simians are not to be trusted, much less exalted. Now go!” Luciferael commanded, and then turned his attention back to Lillith.

  Beelzebael and Sammuael both acknowledged his command, bowed and quickly flew off to find the Cherubim.

  Luciferael walked over close to Lillith and picked her up in his arms, pulling her close. He wanted her after seeing her again, and he could feel the lust filling him from deep inside.

  “Would you like to see my new palace?” Luciferael asked her as he pulled his head back slightly from kissing her.

  She looked back, her eyes wide and open, barely breathing in her excitement at his touch. He looked into her eyes and could see that she was totally open to him once again. The power I have over these Humans is amazing, he thought to himself. His rebel Angels would follow him anywhere but they were Beings of Light like him. There should be some resistance to me, he thought, but I have not yet encountered any from the Humans. Both Lillith and Eve were easily persuaded by me. As he looked down upon her body, he could see that her flesh was excited, telling him that she was his for the taking. The wings that he had conjured for her made her much more attractive, more like himself, fluttering slightly as the feathers ruffled in small waves, as she stood there waiting on his next move.

  He embraced her tightly as he flew down through the caverns to his own palace, at the lowest level of Hell itself. A grander replica of his palace in the Seventh Heaven, Mephistophael had done a great job replicating Luciferael’s own design. Where it was vast and beautiful in white and the intense blues of the Seventh Heaven, here it was designed in the bright colors of Hades and Hell, reds, oranges, violets, and blacks. The walls upon which the colors endlessly churned reflected magnificence and force.

  “Look around Lillith, this is a copy of one of my finest creations. You have never been to my palace in the Seventh Heaven, but I have replicated it here. Can't you just feel the energy within the walls?”

  Her hand stretched out tentatively near the walls, as they did appear to be composed of churning flames.

  “Not to worry Lillith, nothing here can harm you in my new realm as long as you are under my protection. The heat will not affect your flesh as it would to any other Human or Simian. They would be burnt to a crisp in matter of seconds. Go ahead touch the walls. See what it feels like.”

  She finally placed her hand against the wall and her body began to glow. Luciferael watched as the energy from his palace transferred some of its powers to her. Even though she was composed of flesh, the walls provided pure energy to her molecules and tissues. As she grew in power and energy, she became even more attractive to him, and made him lust for her even more. Perhaps she could become more than a creature of mud.

  Her body now energized, she moved back into Luciferael's arms and then entwined their bodies yet once again. He thought back to when he first had her in Jarahmael's palace in the Seventh Heaven, in Jarahmael's mirrored room. He missed having mirrors around him. It’s a shame we did not bring the mirrors along with us. Luciferael then had a further thought. When Jarahmael is captured I will force him to make more mirrors, after all I do have Lillith and I am sure that traitor will do anything to get her back!

  Chapter 6

  OUT OF THE DEEP SLEEP

  Adam and Eve had been awoken shortly after Luciferael and his rebel Angels had been cast out of Heaven. Michael had thought it best to make them unconscious during the fighting stage of the rebellion and to keep them that way. This way they would not be aware of the disruption that had occurred in Heaven nor give them any memories of the details of rebellion, all for their own protection.

  Although there were the more primitive Simians who were also on the Earth at the time, their minds did not have the same level of reasoning as these two Humans. Michael had followed the Almighty's commands about Angels having very limited interactions with Adam and Lillith, and then eventually Eve. It was one of the reasons that he was awkward around Lillith when she was with Jarahmael. The Almighty had wanted these Humans to not rely upon the Angels but to create on their own.

  Michael brought Raphael down with him to awaken Adam and Eve and told him that they would stay hidden right after the Humans were awoken. That way they would not know of the Angels’ involvement.

  As Michael and Raphael hid themselves right after waking the Humans, he thought about what the Humans had done to the Universe. Adam and Eve had displeased the Almighty by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, directly against His only commandment to them. Unfortunately, in gaining the knowledge of good and evil they brought death upon themselves, as it was one of the ultimate evils for a Being made of the Earth. It was their act of disobedience that triggered the start of Luciferael’s rebellion.

  Luciferael expected the Almighty to immediately destroy the Humans, but instead He simply cast them out of the Garden of Eden in the First Heaven and had the Angels place them near a cave on the Earth below. Infuriated, Luciferael and his Auxilium of Archangels, loyal more to Luciferael than the Almighty, tried to take over the Heavens and rule it as their own. And Michael shuddered when he thought about it, because Luciferael had almost succeeded. If it had not been for Jarahmael, Luciferael would now be the new Almighty.

  Adam and Eve’s movements caused Michael to refocus his attention on them. Having been made unconscious at the start of the rebellion, they had not yet had an opportunity to adapt to their new world. And he was sure that they would need help, even though it was not his assignment. Non-interference was the command of the Almighty.

  Michael could feel that Adam was still angry with Eve for having eaten of the forbidden fruit, but the Human man tried not to show it. The Humans had been in paradise and now they were
off living in a cave. They had to fend for themselves and find food which did not handily grow on the trees around them like it had in Eden. And as the temperatures changed here, they were going to have to make arrangements to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Looking around, Michael knew he had fulfilled his duty in awakening the Humans, and then flew back off into the Heavens, leaving the Humans on their own.

  Chapter 7

  A PLEA FOR FORGIVENESS

  The two Humans awoke and looked around their surroundings in the cave. It took them a few moments to realize that they were no longer in the Garden of Eden and they had been cast out. Neither had any idea of how much time had passed. There was nothing that they had needed to take care of, and now it would be mostly their own survival. Eve sat up first and looked over at Adam.

  “You are still angry with me, aren’t you?” Eve asked Adam.

  “No. I am not!” Adam responded but he did not sound convincing.

  “I would undo that day if I could, Adam,” Eve said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I wish there was something I could do to make this all better and get us back into the Garden of Eden. Do you think the Almighty will eventually forgive us?” she asked optimistically.

  “I don't know,” said Adam. “The Almighty is pretty strict in His ways. I heard He destroyed all of the dinosaurs when they did not meet His expectations. That could be us next,” he said with a worried look on his face as he sat up.

  “What if we do something that shows we are sorry, something where we suffer to get His attention?” she asked.

  “I am not sure that will work either with the Almighty,” Adam responded.