The Fallen, focused on Jathan, had left himself exposed. Mahalalel’s son was too well-trained and determined to miss such an opportunity.
Dinak leaped up and forward, stabbing forcefully downward. A perfectly timed strike, the sword entered near the right clavicle and penetrated deeply into the Fallen’s torso. Dinak’s blow drove the Fallen backward, stumbling drunkenly but still standing. Frustrated, Dinak cried out in anger and kicked the dark-clad in the chest, sending him crashing into the earth, motionless.
Dinak stepped back and turned to find Jathan. The young men smiled at each other, breathing hard and unable to speak.
Suddenly Seepha was barking.
The young warriors stared in unbelief as the Fallen returned to his feet. Two swords still fixed within its body and bleeding profusely from several wounds. The dark-clad Fallen screamed in rage and condescension, its black eyes pulsing with fury. It shrieked again and began chanting in a language unknown to the humans.
Jathan and Dinak looked at each in amazement, then both men let out a war cry and launched themselves at the dark-clad angel. Fiercely they both tackled the monster, raining fists upon it. Dinak immobilized its left arm with his hands, pressing the Fallen’s limb against the earth. The son of Mahalalel then fractured its forearm by striking it with his armored knee. Dark eyes now burned with anger mixed with fear as the Fallen desperately struggled to escape. Relentless, Dinak removed the spear point from its grip and began stabbing the Fallen with it repeatedly.
Jathan’s right hand now ached from multiple blows he delivered. Keeping his knee on the angel’s chest, he searched the ground for a rock within reach. Finding a stone he could grip with one hand, Jathan brought the rock crashing into the creature’s head several times before the monster finally stopped moving.
Dinak pulled his sword out of the angel’s body and suddenly realized the first shoulder wound, from Jathan’s javelin, had almost entirely closed.
“He can regenerate!” Dinak shouted, amazed. “Quickly, Jathan, here!” Dinak said, handing him his sword.
Dinak grabbed the creature who convulsed and twisted, suddenly hissing in anger and still very much alive. Pressing his knee into the small of its back, Dinak pulled back on both of the Fallen’s arms. As Dinak forced the wingless Fallen upright, the Earthbound cried out in pain and surprise.
“Mere children. You were supposed to worship us...” the dark-clad Fallen voiced in unbelief,
Jathan set the blade against the angel’s neck, measuring his swing. He was swift and efficient, with one forceful stroke, the Fallen’s head left its body.
Dinak and Jathan looked at each other in amazement. An excited Seepha joined Jathan’s side, who praised his canine friend for her bravery. Dinak kissed the top of Seepha’s head as she turned towards him, stroking her fur as he thanked her. Both men, each stained with black blood, retrieved their swords and continued to watch the body, not wanting to be surprised again. The head looked quite dead, but the corpse moved its limbs occasionally, not unlike the way a snake’s body moves after its head is removed. Seepha, too, was distrustful, as she continued to watch the form suspiciously.
“I can’t wait to burn that thing,” Jathan finally said with a laugh, wiping blood and dirt from his face.
Dinak did not speak, but a grin appeared on his face, and he was surprised to find himself laughing in return.
They heard loud rumbling and shouting across the valley. It was then Jathan suddenly remembered Adam’s task of confronting the giants...
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adam’s Prophetic Act
For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7
Adam had moved towards the giants along the edge of the plateau. When the twins started firing their arrows, Adam strode downhill. He positioned himself to intercept the giants should they begin moving towards their winged handlers. As expected, the giants ceased their labors and drunkenly turned eastward, plodding past limestone boulders through the valley towards the winged angels. Braying stupidly, their colossal skulls were filled with images of violence and destruction. But suddenly, their gleeful thoughts of stomping humans came to an abrupt halt.
“Stop!” Adam roared.
The two giants stopped. Looking about, their elation was replaced by confusion.
“Here!” Adam yelled.
The cyclops bent down to investigate Adam. He stared at Adam for a moment, tilting his head slightly from side to side. Suddenly it cried out in distress. A tear formed in its single eye, and he began to whimper in fear, its great form trembling in fright.
“Does the image of God frighten you?” Adam asked forcefully. “Of course it does - it should frighten you!”
The monstrosity covered its head with its forearm, unable to understand anything but the most straightforward commands. Adam shook his head in disgust. Moments ago, the creature savored thoughts of carnage and destruction, now it trembled in fear.
“Dig!” Adam shouted upwards, pointing to the gaping hole in the mountain the Nephilim had created earlier.
The giant peeked under his forearm to see Adam’s instruction. Then the hulking monster turned around and lumbered back towards its duties. The earth shook with each step. Its companion, who had remained still, was absently looking away. The creature, upon seeing his co-laborer leave, turned to follow.
“No!” Adam cried out.
The second giant now began to fidget in confusion.
“Here!” Adam cried out.
The twin of its beastly companion, save its two eyes and horned ridges, looked downward to Adam. He bent over slightly to get a better look. When his eyes finally focused on Adam, he shrieked in fear and began backing away.
“Stop!” Adam commanded.
Obediently, the massive frame stopped suddenly. The hulking simpleton dared not look at Adam, though. The giant placed his hands over his eyes, his body rocking back and forth in nervous tension.
“Stay!” Adam thundered.
When Adam spoke, the giant desperately tried to stop moving. Moaning and trembling, it attempted to stay in place.
“Abomination...look at what you have spawned Azazel...Watchers! See the judgment that comes for your children...” Adam declared as he looked around.
Adam walked a few paces away towards a pile of earth. Seeing a boulder of sufficient size within the heap, he put down his staff. Though it was a pebble compared to the giants, the rock exceeded the weight of a grown man. Adam hefted the stone onto his shoulder. He walked towards the giant. As he neared the Nephilim, he lifted the rock over his head with both hands and sent it crashing onto the giant’s big toe.
No response. It seemed to feel nothing. The hulking monster still buried its head in his hands, not daring to look at Adam.
Adam, undeterred, grumbled under his breath and looked eastward towards the other hunters. He could not see Jathan or Dinak, but he caught sight of Loran near the giant stone.
Loran had just dispatched the winged Fallen with Lethan and then turned to check on Adam’s progress when he saw Adam waving at him.
“Spear!” Adam called out.
Loran pulled Seth’s javelin out of one of the angel’s bodies and hurled it towards Adam. Arching high into the air to achieve the distance, the weapon landed a few feet away from Adam.
Adam seized the javelin and strode towards the two-eyed giant. The cyclops had resumed digging.
Adam’s soul was burning with anger against the Watchers. Before Adam stood a mindless killing machine programmed to obey its angelic masters, a laborer of enormous strength to build massive cities for their un-earthly fathers. The horrific product of celestial seed and an earthly womb - a crime against nature and God himself. Moments ago, thoughts of violence brought perverse glee to their simple minds.
“Azazel! Watchers!” Adam
called aloud. “I know you can hear me! What affection do you have for your offspring?”
Adam drove the point of the weapon into the giant’s toe, underneath the nail. The giant screamed in pain. Adam set his weight against the shaft and pushed it further into the giant toe.
Another scream.
The giant looked down at Adam in rage. As he recognized Adam’s face again, he yelped in fear. The earth shook as he stomped his foot down in pain. Anger, confusion, and fear cycled across his face.
“Here!” Adam thundered.
Still shaking, bending over slightly, the giant looked again at Adam.
Adam pointed to his companion at work in the earth.
“Him!” Adam proclaimed.
Anger superseded every other emotion. The giant shook with rage as he looked towards the cyclops. His great hands formed into massive fists. He looked again at Adam as if seeking approval.
Adam nodded yes, pointing again.
“If thoughts of killing bring you joy, indulge yourself!” Adam said in a low voice.
The valley shook as the titan lumbered towards his companion.
One great fist went smashing into the side of the cyclops head. The cyclops cried out in rage and surprise and was met with another massive blow, knocking him into the earth.
Still holding its crude spade, the cyclops rose to one knee and swung the timber. The one-eyed monster struck his companion across the forehead and began laughing as blood flowed out of the wound. Excited at the sight of blood, the cyclops rose to both feet. Gripping the spade in both hands, he stabbed forward at his two-eyed brother, tearing open his chest and shoulder.
The bleeding giant stumbled away, grunting in pain. He almost tripped on one of the limestone boulders unearthed near him. Now chuckling wickedly, he picked up the massive stone and hurled it at the cyclops.
The cyclops, still laughing at the bloodshed he inflicted, was caught completely by surprise. The boulder, the weight of several horses, crashed into the cyclop’s chest. The crude tool was smashed by the impact, and the giant fell backward with a great crash.
Alternately braying stupidly or crying out in pain, the Nephilim titans squared off again. One struck the other with a closed fist, then the other would return the deed. The sounds of their blows echoed through the valley.
As the mindless destruction continued before him, the First Son of the Earth wept. Even as he viewed judgment against long-held enemies, while grateful, it did not assuage his grief. Long ago, Adam had accepted God’s promise of forgiveness for his failure to shepherd the earth. The First Man now grieved for creation. Adam sensed the creation itself groan with distress, longing for God’s redemption. Adam too longed for the promised day of cleansing, when the corruption inflicted by the Serpent, and the Watchers would be removed.
Adam retrieved his staff and watched as the lumbering monsters slowly beat each other to death. Assured they would finish what he started, Adam turned and began walking back to his people.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Young Lions
Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey...
Isaiah 5:29
Seth watched Adam walk towards the once-floating slab of limestone. Adam was uninjured, but tears marked his face. The monstrous brutes were still trading blows behind him, each brutal impact echoing through the small gorge. Their strength was fading, and though injured and bleeding, it was apparent the giants would continue until dead or unconscious.
“How is Jathan?” Adam asked softly as he joined them.
“He is well, Father,” Seth replied. “He and Dinak fought quite a battle.”
“Walk with me, Son, please,” Adam requested meekly.
“Of course, Father,” Seth replied. His father’s demeanor troubled Seth, who placed his hand on Adam’s shoulder as they walked towards the mysterious stone.
Adam paused to inspect the winged Fallen near the boulder. Lethan was piling the bodies onto some dry brush. Loran had gone to retrieve Mica and the horses. Adam looked intently at the silver, trumpet-like device the angels used to levitate the boulder. Adam’s eyes quickly took note of the silver discs on the ground underneath and near the limestone block, then returned to the instrument itself.
“Levitation by acoustic agitation, very fascinating...” Adam whispered softly. “Burn them.”
Lethan nodded in reply and placed them on top of the bodies. Watcher or Nephilim artifacts were unclean and forbidden from being taken back to Har Shalem.
Lethan offered Seth his sword, hilt first. Retrieved from the body of the angel, the weapon was now free of blood, and its edge had been freshly honed.
“Any more heads or wings for your collection, Father?” Lethan asked with a smile, surveying the dead Fallen.
“I think we have the ones we need,” Seth replied. He smiled as he examined the sword, respecting his son’s attention to detail.
“Are you whole, Father?” Seth asked Adam as they walked towards Jathan and Dinak.
“I am, Son, I was overcome with grief for a moment,” Adam explained. “This world was so beautiful once and so innocent...”
Adam stopped walking. He sighed and took a deep breath before turning to his son.
“The Serpent and his Fallen, the Watchers and their Nephilim, so much has been done to corrupt this earth,” Adam winced as he spoke, his weariness of soul evident.
Seth nodded in reply.
“Perhaps our work will be done soon, Father. I long for Ahavva and Har Shalem,” Seth ventured.
“Son...soon there are things you must know...” Adam stated, each word heavy with emotion. “You have labored long against this evil, for that I am sorry,” Adam continued, his demeanor still sober, but his words now clear and purposeful.
“We are soldiers, under His command, we do as we must,” Seth returned quietly in reply. Adam nodded in agreement, and together they resumed walking.
They were greeted by excited barks and whoops as they neared the young warriors. Seepha raced to meet Adam and Seth, obviously pleased with their return.
“You drew blood, girl!” Adam said as he stroked Seepha affectionately. Driven by habit, Adam quickly inspected her for injuries. She had a minor laceration on her shoulder, a small amount of fur was missing. Adam elicited a response from her once as he examined her limbs, a bruise perhaps, but nothing was broken.
“We examined the Earthbound’s blade,” Jathan informed Adam. “It held no poison.”
“Very well, Son. Ahh, now I can see why you were fortunate to have Seepha with you,” Adam stated as he began to view the body of the Earthbound.
The body and head had been placed atop dry brush and bundles of dead grass. They had waited for Adam to view the carcass before they fired it, as Adam liked to catalog the different varieties of angels they encountered or killed.
This dark-clad creature was higher in rank than most physically bound angels, though not as powerful as the dark princes. Adam reckoned him to be similar, perhaps slightly higher, in status to the winged kidnappers that came to Har Shalem. As he finished his inspection, he looked at Jathan and Dinak with pride.
“They fought like lions, Father, like brothers,” Seth said proudly. “From a distance, I saw them finish their enemy.”
“We have not seen this kind in many years. Very clever, very powerful, and very resilient!” Adam stated approvingly to the young men. “Like other Fallen, this type is obsessed with geometry, numerology, and shapes. Doubtless, he helps oversee the building of their massive structures.”
In addition to its curious staff, the earthbound had a pouch that contained a beautiful writing stylus and a cloth journal filled with measurements, charts, and pictures of geometric shapes. After briefly viewing the bag and its contents, Adam placed it next to the Fallen.
“Make sure Mahalalel is tol
d of Dinak and Jathan’s performance against one of this rank,” Adam told Seth while pointing at the dead Fallen. “Dinak is like his mother, Dinah, not one to speak of his deeds.”
“Unlike his father!” Seth replied with a grin.
“True! And yet when Mahalalel boasts of his deeds, he glorifies God more than himself!” Adam said, laughing.
All four men nodded in agreement, amused by Adam’s observation. Mahalalel’s gregarious personality could elicit a smile despite being many days travel away.
“My Father’s words came to me today, even as I fought,” Dinak reflected. “His training, guiding me...”
“You have honored your father and mother today,” Seth returned, clasping hands with the young warrior. “And your people, Dinak.”
Seth and Adam began walking to the twins, eager to plan the next action. Seepha looked upwards to Jathan, imploringly, and whimpered slightly.
Jathan and Dinak both dropped to one knee and stroked Seepha affectionately. The dog’s face expressed pure delight at their praise. Both men were grateful for her bravery and skill, also aware that a different outcome was likely without her aid. Jathan pointed to Adam and snapped his fingers. Seepha yipped joyfully and trotted towards her master.
Mica then appeared with a skin of grain alcohol, obtained at Khazin’s market, and a lit torch. Mica handed Dinak the fire-brand and doused the pile and body with the liquid.
“For you, brother,” Dinak said with a smile as he handed the torch to Jathan. Before Adam’s last son dropped the lit branch onto the brush, he clasped hands with Dinak. It was the upright handclasp a soldier shared with a fellow warrior.
The two young warriors watched as the fire blazed quickly before them. It was a solemn moment, both men grateful to God and each other that they overcame an enemy this deadly. They had fought well together, and they knew it. Silently they watched the fire consume the Earthbound’s body, then slowly walked to the massive slab of limestone to rejoin their companions.
Enmity Page 20
