An Archangel's Ache

by Leo E. Ndelle

  CELESTIA

  In my rise and in my fall

  In naught and in all

  Never will I forget you

  My home in truth

  Celestia, where angels dwell

  And on its outskirts hails Hell

  For the oath, I swore

  In peace and in war

  I shall do as asked

  And fulfill my task

  ‘Til my last spark of light

  I shall hold the fight

  To protect and defend

  Till my existence ends

  For in all the realms of which I know

  None compares to Celestia, my home

  Eliel turned around and met the gazes and smiles of encouragement from Michael and Uriel. He nodded and smiled back at them. Eliel then turned around and faced The Edge. He heaved his shoulders, summoned his wings, opened his arms, closed his eyes and fell!

  THE END OF PART ONE

  PART TWO

  THE ONE

  MALICHIEL TELEPORTED OVER to Michael’s domain. He banged on the door several times, and Michael asked him to come in.

  “Another vision?” Michael asked as Malichiel walked in.

  “I think you may want to sit down for this, Michael,” Malichiel said as he summoned a chair from the floor for himself.

  He made a tablet manifest and, using his index finger, he traced a few glyphs on the tablet. When he finished, he handed it over to Michael. Michael took it, read it, and for the first time in Malichiel’s existence, Malichiel saw fear in Michael’s eyes.

  These are the words of The Logos; heed to our admonishments!

  It shall come to pass that one shall be spawned in the lowly ranks.

  This lowly one will seek nothing more than to remain in humility and service, but predestination holds a far greater destiny for this lowly one.

  It shall come to pass that the lowly one will hear The Voice and answer it.

  It shall come to pass that this lowly one will be the strongest of your kind and the eyes of Kundalini shall be upon them.

  Yet, in all their strength, they will fall. But in their fall, they shall not be influenced by any entity beyond the dimension of their fall; woe to those who do not heed to this warning.

  Alas, they shall rise again to the highest rank of your kind.

  And in their rise, they will pave a path to salvation or perdition for Celestia like Celestia has never known before.

  Celestia, you have been warned!

  Both archangels stared speechlessly at each other. The meaning of the prophecy was staggering.

  “For now, no one is to know about this! Understood?” Michael ordered.

  “Of course, Michael!” Malichiel agreed.

  Michael’s thoughts raced in every direction: prophecies of salvation, perdition, falling and one that would rise to the highest rank! There was none of higher rank than him; well, not yet. The One had to be identified at all cost and then what next? Protect or end him or her? Michael shuddered at his options. And while Michael was lost in deep thought, he failed to notice that Malichiel, the transcriber of the prophecies, was studying him very closely and coming up with a plan of his own. If Michael was to be dethroned, another must take his place… And Malichiel would be damned if anyone else, The One or not, were to rob him of this golden opportunity!

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE RISE OF METATRON

  “I THOUGHT MY instructions were clear,” the fallen archangel said, without looking at his visitor.

  “Since when did one instruction become many?” Kazuk asked.

  “Then why is it so hard for you to follow a simple instruction, your majesty?” the archangel made sure he sneered at the last two words.

  The fallen archangel never concealed his dislike for Kazuk. He never liked Kazuk after the rebellion, and now that Kazuk was the King of Hell Realm, he liked Kazuk even less. It was a sentiment that Kazuk returned in kind. But Malichiel was wise enough to keep his personal feelings for Kazuk away from the public; a gesture that Kazuk appreciated. In Malichiel’s opinion, Kazuk’s governance of Hell Realm was an insult. Flap! Kazuk would not last two moves with him, if it came to combat. Though Malichiel would love for that moment to come to pass, he preferred to fulfill that desire later.

  “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important!” Kazuk replied.

  Malichiel let a moment slip by as he continued staring blankly at his empty table in his chamber.

  “So, are you going to start talking or do I have to wait another cycle?” Malichiel asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

  Kazuk fought to control his temper and won.

  “The One has been identified,” Kazuk said and made to teleport away.

  “Wait!” Malichiel said and turned around to face Kazuk. “You win! You have my undivided attention.”

  “I feel so special!” Kazuk said with sarcasm.

  “You’ve made your point, Maziel!”

  Calling the King of Hell by his angelic name was a low blow, even for someone like Malichiel.

  “With an ego as grand as yours is, I wonder how come you still lick her toes even when she’s not around, Metatron!” Kazuk replied in kind.

  Kazuk hated being called by his old angelic name as much as Malichiel hated being called by his new name. Malichiel was probably the only fallen archangel who preferred to maintain his angelic name. His argument was that he was an archangel, regardless of where he resided! And he was not just any archangel; he was an inner council member; a part of Michael’s elite group of senior archangels! Once a transcriber to The Logos, always a transcriber to The Logos! Nothing and no one was going to take that from him; not Kazuk, and certainly not even Michael. His new name was Metatron and the only other thing he hated more than the name was Hell Realm itself. So, when Kazuk addressed him by his new name, Malichiel’s mind went back to the Great Rebellion. Where the mind goes, the body follows.

  And Kazuk was ready for him. Golden flames spilled from Malichiel’s eyes. A flaming spear formed in his right hand as his wings manifested in a blaze of fire. Despite Malichiel’s sudden attack, Kazuk remained calm as a shield appeared on his right arm. When Malichiel charged and thrust his spear at Kazuk’s chest, Kazuk turned his body sideways and angled the shield slightly along his torso. The spear grazed across the shield. Malichiel, blinded by rage, had put all his strength into the charge. Big mistake. As he missed his mark and his momentum carried him forward, Kazuk reached around with his free left hand, grabbed Malichiel by the back of his neck and slammed Malichiel’s face into the floor.

  Before Malichiel could react, Kazuk discarded his shield and it disappeared before it hit the wall of Malichiel’s domain. A sword formed in his right hand as he pinned Malichiel’s right wrist to the floor with his right foot. It was only until Malichiel felt the pointed tip of Kazuk’s sword pressing against the back of his neck that he ceased struggling to pull his right arm free from Kazuk’s foot. Kazuk passed his sword over to his left hand and took a knee on Malichiel’s right shoulder blade, while maintaining pressure on the back of Malichiel’s neck with his sword.

  “Let me make this very clear to you, Metatron,” Kazuk spoke calmly. “The only reason you’re alive is because you might be useful after all, especially now that The One has been confirmed to be real.”

  Metatron bared his teeth and glared at the floor. He tried to wrestle himself free from Kazuk pinning him to the floor, only to feel Kazuk’s sword digging deeper into the back of his neck. Finally, Malichiel made his spear disappear and yielded. He was furious for letting his ego get the better of him. Even if he did succeed in ending Kazuk, he would incur the wrath of Kazuk’s followers. A war would ensue, and war was not something that Hell Realm could afford now, not while Celestia was still the grand prize. He would end Kazuk, but the moment was not yet perfect! He felt Kazuk’s weight come off his right shoulder blade and wrist. The tip of Kazuk’s sword was no longer pressed on the back of his neck. Malichiel dismissed his wings as he rose to hi
s feet. If looks could kill, Kazuk would have been dead a million times over. Kazuk started walking towards the door. Then he stopped and turned to face Malichiel.

  “What was your best against Michael?” Kazuk asked.

  “That’s a foolish question,” Malichiel replied with venom.

  “You can either answer me, or I can make it unpleasant for you,” Kazuk’s threat was as real as Malichiel had ever seen.

  “Two,” Metatron replied.

  “Four, for me,” Kazuk said casually. “The only reason you thought you had some kind of edge over me was because I fed you that illusion.”

  Kazuk walked towards Malichiel, who averted his eyes in humiliation.

  “Make no mistake, Metatron,” Kazuk hissed as he narrowed his eyes and red flames spewed from them. “If you ever, and I mean EVER, show me any form of disrespect again, in public or private, I will end you where you stand. And I will address you as I please. Do you understand, Metatron?”

  “Yes,” Metatron whispered.

  “I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!” screamed Kazuk at Malichiel.

  “Yes!” Metatron replied more audibly.

  “Yes…?” Kazuk said, cocking his ear towards Malichiel.

  “Yes,” Metatron said and heaved his shoulders before adding, “your majesty.”

  “Good,” Kazuk smirked, turned around and headed for the door. “I just came here to inform you that The One has been identified.”

  He held the door knob and paused. He turned around to face Malichiel, who was glaring at him.

  “You should get to work at once then!” Kazuk teleported away.

  Malichiel waited a few moments before letting out a ground-splitting scream. He crashed his fist into the floor, and a quake rippled across his domain. He punched the floor several more times, and with each punch, a quake rippled across his domain. Who did Kazuk think he was? Was it his rise to power in this dump they called home that made him think he was now the big boss? Oh, let him wait until she returns! Malichiel was sure she would return. He yearned for her to return. He missed her leadership; not just her strength, not just her wisdom! He missed everything about her. But most of all, he missed her…

  Malichiel regained his composure and summoned a seat from the floor. Thinking about her calmed him down a little. How did he even end up in this cesspool, filled with these abominations? There were moments when he was filled with regret, but he still swore that, given the opportunity, he still would not return to Celestia; not after what he had done, not after the way he had been treated. And why did he even agree to join her rebellion? They were doomed from the start, and yet he had joined them. Where had his sense of reason gone awry? For the millionth time, he asked himself that question, and yet again, he had no answer he was willing to accept.

  ***

  Malichiel had had his days of glory. After Luciel and Uriel, he was the third closest to Michael. His role as a transcriber to The Logos had been purely an accident. He had been in a meeting with Michael and the rest of the inner circle discussing the affairs of Celestia when suddenly, he was snatched into the air by some unseen force. His wings had been summoned, not by him, and they were glowing. Malichiel’s eyes glowed as well, not by his making. The rest of the inner council members had immediately summoned their weapons, ready for any attack from an unseen enemy. If Celestia was under attack, it would not end well for the attacker. But Celestia was not under attack. Malichiel started speaking in a strange tongue while he lay suspended in midair. Realizing they were not under attack, the archangels dismissed their weapons and stared in confusion at their brother.

  Malichiel spoke in a strange tongue for a few moments. When he was done, his wings lost their glow and his eyes returned to normal. His limp body slowly descended to the floor as his wings gradually faded away. Uriel moved in to cradle his body against hers, but Michael ordered her to stay her hand. They watched over Malichiel until he roused from his slumber. Michael summoned a seat for Malichiel. Malichiel massaged his temples as he sat in the seat Michael had summoned.

  “Do you know what just happened to you?” Michael asked.

  “I think…” Malichiel replied weakly. “I think I saw a vision.”

  “Are you sure, brother?” Raphael asked. “We don’t get visions.”

  “Yes, I am sure it was,” Malichiel answered.

  Then, Malichiel spoke in the same strange tongue that he had just spoken in while in trance state, which Uriel identified as a tongue from another dimension. Everyone was too focused on Malichiel to even realize that Uriel could recognize the alien language spoken by Malichiel.

  “So, what did you see in this vision?” Michael asked.

  “Thanks for checking on me, by the way,” Malichiel joked.

  “I’m sorry,” Michael apologized and faked to punch Malichiel.

  Malichiel’s hands went up on instinct to protect his face. He realized what Michael had just done and shook his head in amusement.

  “Flap you, Michael,” Malichiel said, summoning and sticking out a wing at Michael.

  “There you go,” Michael said. “You’re doing just fine. Just like I thought you were.”

  “Yes, I could tell you were so concerned for my wellbeing,” Malichiel replied and slapped Michael on the shoulder.

  Everyone returned to the round table and waited to hear what Malichiel had to say.

  “I’ve never spoken this language before, but as of now, I can speak and understand it perfectly,” Malichiel said. “I guess within that brief moment, those higher beings gave me a crash course in their dialect.”

  Malichiel flexed his shoulders before he continued.

  “It was like I was having a conversation with them in my head-”

  “And the craziness begins!” Gabriel said, always one to jab in.

  The group collectively glared at him.

  “Alright, alright! I’ll shut up!” Gabriel threw his hands up in a motion of surrender.

  “They started by telling me that they have chosen me to be a transcriber of the messages they have for Celestia,” Malichiel resumed, choosing to ignore Gabriel’s comment. “I asked what made them decide to start sending messages to Celestia, and they said it was because they would like to offer Celestia a choice. When I probed further, they said it would ultimately be a choice between survival and total annihilation. Needless to say, they had my full attention at this point.”

  “Like I said… Crazy!” Gabriel said again but everyone ignored him.

  “I would doubt me too if I bore your wings, brother. But that’s your problem!” Malichiel addressed Gabriel before returning his attention to the inner council.

  “Anyway, I asked them to at least tell me who they are and where they’re from. You know what! It’s better if I just transcribe their message instead of narrating everything.”

  Malichiel then summon a tablet and began tracing golden glyphs on the tablet with his right index finger. When he finished, he made the tablet rise in the air for the inner council to see. It read as follows:

  We are One, and we are Seven. We are from the Realm-Dimension of Valla and transcend your notions of realms and dimensions. We are a creative entity; all of Creation hails from us, all of Creation is us. All is One and One is All. Here is our first message to you, mortal creatures.

  One who has fallen will fall again. One who has fallen will fall into the shadow of oneself. One who has fallen into the shadow of oneself will have to make a choice that ultimately will spell the survival or annihilation of your kind. This is our message to you, for now.

  Your kind will ask you for proof. Ask your leader to look between your shoulder blades. Therein lies your proof that it is We who have spoken to you.

  Michael wasted no time. He left his seat and hurried over to Malichiel. He stood behind Malichiel and pulled Malichiel’s garments away from Malichiel’s shoulders to expose the space in between Malichiel’s scapulae. He hoped, against hope that the transcription was wrong but alas, his wish did not come to pass
. He turned around and pulled his garments away from his shoulders. The mark of a seven-faceted crystal-looking object that was on Malichiel’s back was also on Michael’s back. Michael had no recollection of ever having that mark on his back. He glanced in Luciel’s and Uriel’s directions, seeking validation for his thoughts. Luciel and Uriel shook their heads. Then, as if to further affirm what they had just witnessed, the marks suddenly glowed in unison.

  “That mark was not on Malichiel’s back before!” Drusiliel said.

  Drusiliel realized what she had unwillingly shared. She summoned her wings and brought them over her face to hide her embarrassment. A few chuckles and jokes followed, but Michael and Uriel did not seem to care.

  “Neither was it on Michael’s,” Luciel added.

  Luciel’s words were meant for Uriel, even though she addressed the council. Uriel had history with Michael, but it was just that: history. Still, Michael glancing in Uriel’s direction for confirmation was not the most thoughtful thing Michael could do in that instant. His intentions may have been innocent, but the insinuations were disrespectful to Luciel.

  “Well, there’s our confirmation,” Gabriel conceded. “Glad to know you’re not losing your mind, brother. Question: what next?”

  “How do you mean?” Raphael asked.

  “If we are to take this vision literally, it means that one of the fallen will fall again, right?” Uriel interjected. “And so far, only two of us have fallen.”

  “Yes, only two of us have fallen,” Luciel agreed. “That means we must all keep a close eye on Michael and I and ensure that if we do fall again, we won’t fall into this ‘shadow of oneself’ that the vision speaks of. I wonder if that next ‘fall’ is meant in a literal or metaphorical sense.”

  “Those are carefully chosen words,” Uriel said. “‘Shadow of oneself’. Why would these beings use such words? We need to look more into this and follow up on Luciel’s statement about the next fall.”