The sixteenth was special indeed. It was similar to the ninth in that it possessed the qualities of all spheres below it but it was beyond beauty. It was a world of Divine majesty. Mother Nature and God were incarnated in each atom. It was the highest of heavens. Bliss, beauty, and grace could be found in every step, every look, and every breath. Only the Causal plane surpassed it.
A pang of longing ripped through me as I thought of my old home in the Causal. I had lost so much. No, that wasn’t quite true. I had cast aside so much. Requel and my child were all that I had left in this life. But it was all that I needed or wanted.
I pivoted in the air, orienting myself. A ring of mountains surrounded me, reaching skyward and breaching the clouds above. I pointed myself in the direction of Iobel’s fortress and sped towards it.
* * *
Iobel’s fortress had grown. It stood at least five times larger in breadth and three times greater in height than when I last saw it.
Towers rose like guards at attention, banners of all the orders of angels fluttered and whipped in the wind on lofty peaks. Arched bridges linked the towers in stone skyways. The walls, once of medium height, were now large and imposing. Angels of all kinds flew from tower to tower. Several large groups were armed and in formation, turning and spinning with graceful precision.
I marveled as my eyes beheld a white city that rivaled any city district on the fourth in all its former glory. Tears came unbidden to my eyes.
I sailed slowly over the walls, passing kind faces and waves of greeting. I smiled and waved in return.
Thinking of Requel, I reached out with my senses. I felt her and I thanked God with all my heart. She was here somewhere. I wondered, would she know me? How much did she remember?
An angel armored and girded for war moved to intercept me. His face was warm and friendly but his eyes were hard.
“I noticed you coming in from the east. Can I help you, stranger?” said the warrior angel.
“Indeed you can. I’m looking for Iobel and need to speak with him immediately. Can you direct me to him?”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Our lord’s time is precious. What brings you here? If you seek refuge, then you’re more than welcome. I’ll direct you to the proper post.”
“I’ve told you my intentions. Now either stand aside or escort me.”
His smile faded and his hand moved to the sword at his belt. “You are armed and by your bearing you are of the higher orders. So tell me, who are you that you demand an audience with our lord?”
“My name is Sariel. Now will you please…” my voice faded as I watched his icy countenance melt into something like elation.
“You are here!” he shouted. “Please my lord, follow me!”
He led me to a tower along the first wall and spoke excitedly. Immediately, three messengers took off in several directions. A crowd began to gather around me and whisper in awed tones.
I found my anger rising. “I need to speak to Iobel. Can someone please take me to him?”
“He’s coming, my lord,” said a voice from the crowd.
“I am not your lord. My name is Sariel.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Fuming, I waited.
The crowd grew substantially by the time Iobel arrived. The portly cherubim smiled broadly, his eyes filled with warmth. He wore no armor this time, only a flowing robe. He looked decidedly better than the last time I saw him.
“I could hardly believe it when I heard you were here. Welcome, my old friend!” Iobel hugged me fiercely.
His good humor was infectious and I embraced him back. “Glad to see you too, Iobel.”
“So does this mean you’ve defeated Lucifer and his minions so we can all return to our homes?” he said, his arms still clasped around me.
I chuckled. “If I said yes, would you let me go?”
He released me. “My, it is good to see you. I hope you bring good news. I could certainly use some.”
My mood turned dour. “We must speak, my friend. In private.”
He frowned then nodded gravely. “Come.”
He rose off the ground. I flew at his side. We soared around towers and wove between bridges.
“I can hardly believe this place, Iobel. How many do you have in your flock now?”
“Nearly forty-thousand and growing daily. Just a trifle bigger than the few hundred we started with, eh?”
I shook my head in disbelief. “How did you accomplish so much in so little time?”
“Would you believe it’s mostly because of Dirael? He swore you would come. He’s been working tirelessly in anticipation of your arrival. He has traveled far and wide telling all who will listen of your exploits and your single-handed defeat of a fallen army.”
I cringed. “An exaggeration.”
“Still, it inspired hope. The fallen had never suffered such a defeat before. The tale has spread faster than a thunderstorm in late summer.”
“It’s based on falsehoods.”
“Dirael swears by it. So do Vvael and Furmiel who bore witness. Between the three of them, they’ve built something of a movement. This place is the center of it. Angels of all orders have come to stand in unity against the fallen. I’ve never seen such a gathering! Even Seraphim have joined our cause. Can you believe it? They’ve heard about your tale and have descended from the Holy City to join us.”
“How many?” I asked, more than a little surprised.
“Three.”
I nodded, realizing I had silently wished for more. Still, three Seraphim could be formidable indeed. It would also explain how the city grew in size. Seraphim, like Archangels, could materialize portals to any sphere to ferry in materials, supplies, and crafters. They could also materialize objects when necessary. Three Seraphim, working in unity, could help grow the city rather quickly.
“I have some bad news, I’m afraid,” I said.
He held up a hand. “We’re almost there. I find I take bad news better when I’m sitting down.”
He led me to a tower near the rear of the city. The tower reminded me of Iobel himself – stout, unobtrusive, not very tall, but standing with a quiet strength. It had a flat roof, with crenellated walls encircling it, and a large trapdoor in the middle.
We landed. An angel guard stood before the door. At our approach, he opened it and bowed. Iobel nodded to him then walked down the steps. It circled downwards into an expansive room with many windows.
Curtains fluttered as a breeze wafted through the room. A square table sat on one side surrounded by chairs made of cherry wood. Couches were pushed against the other side. A warm hearth crackled in the center of the room. Tapestries depicting exotic landscapes inspired by the upper spheres adorned the walls.
Iobel walked over to a small shelf and pulled down a small pitcher. “Water?”
“Yes, please.” He poured me a cup. I drank greedily. It was delicious with just a hint of pineapple juice. He poured me another then took a seat.
“Let’s hear your news then. I’m ready.”
“Lucifer is coming here with his entire legions of fallen.”
He sputtered, spraying water then coughed. “I was wrong. I wasn’t ready,” he croaked.
“I’m afraid I brought this to your doorstep. I provoked him.”
“We can’t face his entire legions!”
“I know. You must evacuate your people.”
“Now you’re talking reason. How soon before he arrives?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It could be a few days. It could be weeks. Either way, we don’t have much time.”
He stood. “Right. I’ll start immediately. Where do you suggest we go?”
“To the tenth, if possible. Barring that, the higher the sphere the better. I’ll delay him as long as I can.”
He stopped and stared at me, his eyes narrowing. “You can’t possibly think to fight him?”
“I do. I will fight until my last breath. However, all things considered, I don
’t expect to live very long.”
“But you can’t! Not now, not after we just found her.”
I threw him a sidelong glance. “Found who?”
He deflated. “I was going to surprise you with this news. Requel is here.”
My heart stopped. I felt dizzy. “Where is she?”
“In the gardens, Sariel. You know how much she loves the gardens.”
* * *
I opened the double paned doors to the gardens at the base of the tower and stepped onto a cobbled pathway. Along its edge, bright flowers bloomed, interspersed with tulips, azaleas, marigolds, and many others. Metal arches interwoven with strongly scented and flowering vines canopied the walkways. The cobbled path continued through rich, flowering blooms that gave off the wondrous fragrances, and wound around pools where colorful and musical birds splashed and played.
Then I saw her.
My Requel. She looked frail without her wings but it was her, unmistakably so. She sat on a bench before a small brook. Her long hair was brushed over one shoulder. She wore a simple dress of crimson with a white sash tied loosely around her waist. Bare toes dipped daintily in the brook. In her hands, she held a white lily.
My throat swelled. I wanted to run to her, to hold her in my arms. But I stopped myself, if only barely. What if she didn’t know me? I would only terrify her. My legs trembled and almost buckled beneath me.
“Requel,” I breathed, my voice catching.
She turned to face me. My heart raced. Tears swelled. I lost myself in that moment, in the pools of her eyes. I found myself praying, with all my heart, my strength, my soul that she knew me. I don’t know how long I stood there, motionless, and so very fragile.
She stood slowly. Then she ran to me, her arms outstretched. She wrapped them around my neck and she kissed me then buried herself in my chest. I held her in a fierce embrace, my heart bursting with joy.
“Sariel,” I heard her sob, her face still buried. “My Sariel. Oh my heart, you’ve come at last. I knew you’d come. I knew it.”
Tears streamed down my face. “I am here, my love. I am here.” I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of her. It was my Requel. And she knew me completely.
For the first time since I could remember, I was truly at peace.
I was home.
* * *
“I remember,” she said softly. “It’s like remembering a faded dream but I recall it clearly. I remember our cottage in the woods, our trips together, our time together. I remember you watching over me.”
“Always, my love.”
We sat on the bench, holding hands, and we talked until the sun set. We reminisced about our time in the primordial, about our lives in the astral before the war. It was as if we never parted. Then I told her what had occurred since returning to the astral and Lucifer’s vow to destroy the ninth utterly.
“Oh my Sariel,” she said, hugging me fiercely and crying. “I’m the reason he’s coming here. This is all my fault.”
“Hush, my dear. This isn’t your fault at all.” I rested my cheek on her head and stroked her hair. “It’s ours, the Archangels. We let this happen. We should have stopped this insanity long ago.”
“What will you do when he comes?”
“What can I do? I will fight.”
“No, Sariel!” she pulled away, her eyes wide with fright. “No! I can’t lose you again.”
“There is no other way. I must try.”
“But why? Haven’t you done enough? Let others take up the mantle. Where is Michael or Gabriel in all this? Surely they could stop him.”
“I’m sure they could if they were here. But they’re not. There is only me.”
“Can’t you call out to them? Ask them to help you?”
“Would that I could. No. They are beyond my reach now. They are not coming.”
“But how can you fight them all? Lucifer alone could best you. How do you expect to fight Mephistopheles, Kakabel, and Azazel?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I must try. You taught me that.”
“That’s not fair, Sariel! I did not ask you to sacrifice your life. I would never ask that of you. I would die first!”
“And you have, my dear.” It’s my turn, I said silently.
“Perhaps they won’t come here. Perhaps they’ll leave us alone.”
“They’ll come, Requel. Lucifer swore it. You must be away from here when he does.”
“I won’t leave you again. Don’t ask that of me, Sariel. I will never leave your side.”
“I won’t ask, Requel, but I won’t let them have you or our son. Lucifer will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”
“But our son is safe, Sariel. He isn’t here.”
“Lucifer doesn’t know that.”
“And what if he did? What if I made it known to him that our son is beyond his reach?”
“It wouldn’t matter. He’ll force you to tell him.”
“I’ll kill myself first.”
“He can track you in death as he has in the past. He’ll find you, Requel, and he’ll still ravage the ninth completely. Then he’ll go to the tenth. If that happens, he’ll find our son there, won’t he?”
She looked at me sharply. “You know where our son is?”
“I do.”
“How?”
“I don’t know exactly when I figured it out, but I did. Very clever. You hid our son with those who could will themselves not to be found. But you found them, didn’t you? The fabled wise angels of Riswan. You found them and left our child with them.”
I had been so close, I thought. I was on Riswan. I stood on the same mountain range where my son was hidden before my descent into hell. How mysterious are the ways of God?
She nodded. “He’s safe there, Sariel. If Lucifer shows up they’ll protect him and spirit him away if necessary.”
I shook my head. “He won’t be safe anywhere for long.”
“Please,” she whispered, tears dripping from her cheeks. “Don’t fight. Run away with me. I could not bear it if I were to lose you.”
“Courage, my love,” I said, forcing a smile. “The end hasn’t come yet.” I stood and kissed her on the forehead then swung away.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll return soon, I promise. I have the need to go check in on our son.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Riswan was exactly as I remembered it, tall, stark, and majestic. The Gate of Heaven it was called because one could stand on the highest peak, and with a pure heart, speak to God.
I had no such ambitions. The thought of scaling that highest peak turned my stomach. I had tried it once and the agony of it was seared into my brain. I didn’t want to be near it.
Instead I focused on the summits surrounding Riswan, standing like children huddled about their father’s feet. I hovered in the crisp air, my wings outstretched, my arms spread. For the first time since leaving the Causal, I was neither armored or armed.
I reached out with my senses, as I had done so long ago with Requel when we first explored these mountains and searched for the wizened angels. I found nothing then just as I sensed nothing now.
The wizened angels, having achieved a oneness with God, could turn aside any probe of their presence with but a mere thought. However, I had a feeling there was something they could not ignore. I knew this because I, too, had achieved a oneness with God at one time and I had insight others did not. I knew God could never, would never, ignore a plea from His child if it came from a pure and loving heart. After all, what Father or Mother could ignore their beloved child’s forsaken cry?
I breathed out and closed my eyes, concentrating on my heart. I let it swell with love; love for my Father, my God whom I had forsaken, my Mother Divine whom I had failed. Although I was a prodigal son, I filled my heart with a love like that of a small child to his father and mother. The levels intensified until I thought my heart would burst. Concentrating deeply, I transferred that love
to those who had achieved a oneness with God, and let it flow.
I felt the response instantly like a warm glow.
With my eyes still closed, I drifted to the warmth and felt it grow as if I were nearing the sun. The love was overpowering and I felt the spiritual pull of it.
I don’t know how long I drifted but as I neared it I felt a glow of harmony, an innocence of spirit, I had not felt since the Causal. The taint of the lower spheres lessened considerably and I almost believed I could return to my beloved plane.
Almost.
I opened my eyes. I stood in the mouth of a cave on a wide ledge on one of the summits below Riswan. A fire lit the cavern. Around the fire, seated on mats of wool or silk, sat seven angels, five male and two female. The harmony radiating from them overpowered me. I had no choice but to sit lest my legs buckle.
I stared at the group with longing. I had been like them once and their purity was humbling. I felt my intuition expand as it hadn’t done since the Causal, and a flash of insight struck me. It wasn’t coincidence that Requel brought our son here. She was sent a vision. A vision very similar to what Iobel received on the second sphere …
“Welcome, Sariel,” said one of the angels. His baritone voice spoke quietly and exuded a firm strength tempered with wisdom. “We are honored by your visit. It was under the tutelage of the Archangels that allowed us to immerse completely with God. I am Camael. And I know why you’re here.”
“I’ve come to see my son,” I said.
“And you shall. But there is more than that which draws you to our campfire.”
“And what may that be?”
“You seek answers. You think we have them.”
I relaxed. “Don’t you?”
“We shall see. Ask, we shall speak plainly.”
“Why does Lucifer want the child?”
“Ask us a question you do not already know, Sariel.”
I pursed my lips. “Why does Lucifer feel threatened by the child?”
“The child is the beginning of his end. He knows this down deep. God created the two children to be the pattern that others will follow to escape the pitfalls laid by Satan.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew the name to which Lucifer referred to his little cabal. But I was. “What kind of pattern?”
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