When Michael arrived at the park Hashmal was wrestling with Beelzebub in the Performance Circle.
Beelzebub teased Hashmal without end. He pulled his strawberry-blond hair, which was not permitted. Hashmal’s face became deep fire and he puffed as he tried to grab hold of him, but Beelzebub swerved and evaded his grasp. Too quick and agile for him he escaped every time and then jeered and teased him. Beelzebub turned his back on him to coax the other angels to clap and cheer for him. That is when Hashmal finally caught him and flung him to the ground.
Lying flat on the ground, Beelzebub was defenseless against Hashmal, who sat on top of him, one leg at each side. Beelzebub cackled. Hashmal pinned his arms to the ground and glared into his eyes. Beelzebub stopped his snickering and stared wide-eyed at his face.
“I do not hear mockeries coming from your mouth now!” As Hashmal yelled, red-orange flames shot from his mouth, singeing Beelzebub’s eyebrows clean off. Hashmal’s eyes were glowing red spheres. His scarlet strands of hair appeared to be pulled away from his head in every direction by a million tiny unseen hands.
Beelzebub wriggled and screamed. Hashmal released him and fell back on his rump. Beelzebub dragged himself across the ground, retreating. He trembled and tittered between sobs. His crimson face, scorched by Hashmal’s fiery breath, began to form large blisters.
Hashmal tried to stand but plopped back to the ground. He dragged himself backward, his face ashen. His eyes shifted between Beelzebub, who lay on the ground moaning, and the spectators with shocked faces who had gathered around.
Lilith’s mouth gaped and she approached the circle. “Why did you emit fire to injure Beelzebub?” Her wide eyes did not blink. “That is not part of wrestling.”
Michael stepped forward and stood by her as she waited for an answer.
Hashmal appeared perplexed. He moved his mouth but words did not come, so he stared ahead and panted.
Beelzebub resembled a dark berry that had grown past the point of ripeness. Huge oozing blisters covered a greater part of his face. “My face, my face!” He slammed his eyes shut and groaned in pain.
“Perhaps h-he did not intend t-to do this.” Esar walked over to Hashmal and put his arm around his shoulders. “Leave him be. Tend t-to your f-friend Beelzebub, for he suffers mm-much pain.”
Lilith creased her brow, mystified by Esar’s stuttering and Hashmal’s ability to breathe fire. She helped Beelzebub to his feet.
Michael examined his injuries, as Beelzebub shrieked and groaned. “Raphael!” he called. “Perhaps you can help him.”
Raphael approached. He placed a hand in front of Beelzebub’s face. Beelzebub jerked and twitched. “Please be still,” Raphael said. He closed his eyes and began to glow. The angels nearby flinched from the intensity of the light emanating from him. Many used their wings to shield their eyes, for he gleamed like a star.
He whispered words no other angel understood. A short time after, Beelzebub ceased his sniveling. The inflammation, darkness and blisters were gone, and his face was restored to a white blush.
Lilith gasped. “That was amazing!”
“Indeed it was,” Michael said. “You are blessed to have such a gift.”
Lilith turned to Hashmal and scowled. “Angels should never use their abilities to hurt our own!”
“It was not intentional.” His eyes remained fixed to the ground and his voice was little more than a whisper.
Michael watched as he hung his head in shame.
“Was this the first time your ability to breathe fire manifested itself?” Michael’s eyes held no judgment.
Hashmal nodded.
“Then the mishap was not your fault. You could not know this would happen.” Michael patted him on shoulder.
“Do you see, my friend?” Esar placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed. “Do not be ashamed, for you have done no wrong.”
Lilith’s eyes flashed with fury. “He has nothing to feel shame for? If you had only seen what you looked like. Your eyes were glowing red like two globes on fire. An intense crimson glow radiated from your gullet. The red light shone through your skin as your neck expanded. Your hair seemed ablaze, standing upright on your head. Then you excreted fire from mouth like the monsters from Arathi, the land of fire on the planet Thanda-Garam!”
“Enough Lilith!” Michael took her arm gently but she wrested it from his hand.
Hashmal stared at her, trembling and pale. His face twisted in horror at her description. Michael saw how her words had affected him and frowned.
“I know the beasts of which you speak for I have seen them once during our study of the planet Thanda-Garam in the Atrium. Was I so terrible?” Hashmal’s voice was brittle.
Esar shook his head wearing a stern expression. “You were intense. You demonstrated the power of God. Now that we both know what our abilities are we must work on mastering them before they take control of us.
“You are right, my friend.” Hashmal took a deep breath.
Michael smiled at them and nodded in agreement.
Gabriel seemed to materialize out of thin air. Lilith gasped and jumped back. Others around recoiled. “I believe we all need to learn to control and develop the gifts we were given.” Gabriel faced the crowd. “As I have demonstrated, I have the ability to take on a non-corporeal form. I can also move instantaneously from one location to another without occupying the space in between. I have the power to manipulate energy. Although, like Hashmal, I have much to learn about my abilities.”
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Raphael, you have the ability to heal.” She gestured to him and then turned to Gabriel. “You can change into spirit form and vanish like a mist in the wind. Esar has the ability to shift into different life forms and bend his body in unnatural ways and Hashmal breathes fire. Michael and Lucifer have the most impressive talents of all, but what about the rest of us? Does God not intend to bestow each of us with such gifts?”
“God promised that every angel shall develop abilities that are remarkable and astonishing––that includes you,” Michael said with a sweet and gentle expression. “It may take longer for some to realize their gifts.”
Lilith rolled her eyes skyward and heaved an exasperated sigh.
The angels continued to grow and further cultivated their characteristics and talents as they played, interacted with each other, and completed trials together.
Since the beginning every story has its dark side. Not all angels developed traits that were pure or righteous, and a hint of malevolence diffused little by little throughout Floraison.
Chapter 2
Lilith’s Secret
The angels attended school each brillante in classrooms located throughout Floraison. Most of their lessons were taught in the Atrium, a vast salon where all the cosmos could be viewed. They were allowed to study and research planets and life forms outside the realm of Floraison, but they were prohibited from leaving and visiting these worlds.
This was one of many rules Lilith disliked. She took pleasure in observing the different planets and the species that inhabited them. She hoped that one brillante she would be able to visit them.
Her favorite planet was Thanda-Garam in the Black-Eye galaxy. The planet was divided into a frosted, bright segment, and a dark, fiery segment. The inhabitants of the planet were practical creatures who had adapted quite well to their environment. She enjoyed watching the inhabitants of both areas of the planet but was more intrigued by the side blanketed in snow and ice. They lived in ice caves and created many beautiful sculptures made of ice and snow to adorn their surroundings. Since it always snowed on their side, the sculptures would soon be buried, but that never stopped them from creating more.
Thanda-Garam could be observed from a small hidden room in the atrium. This was another reason she enjoyed observing the planet. Other angels rarely visited the area, and she knew she would not be disturbed.
She spent hours alone viewing the planet and its resilient inhabitants, all the while il
licit thoughts whirled in her head. Thoughts of Michael, the gifts God had promised and freedom to do as she pleased. Lilith smiled and laughed while looking at the funny, busy little beings, for there was something she found truly inspiring and soothing about them. She often fell asleep in the process of watching and fantasizing. It was at such a moment that she experienced her first vision.
Lilith woke to screams. She stood in a dark forest, a place darker than any she had ever seen, unable to move or utter a sound. Her heart pounded as she watched two large, strong male beings chase a young female, whose burnt umber hair flowed in long waves behind her as she fled down a muddy trail. The young female ran as quickly as she could through the dark woods. In her arms she clutched a creature white as the snow on Thanda-Garam.
“Run, you witch!” one of the males yelled. “Both you and your familiar shall be dead before dawn!”
The young female panted. Her wide eyes darted in every direction as she tried to find a place to hide. Spotting a small cave, she headed toward it. She entered the cave and placed the albino feline on the ground.
“Phantom, you must stay here and be silent lest those witch-hunters find us and kill us,” she whispered. The creature curled up into a ball of ghostly white fur and stared at her with lavender eyes full of fear.
“I shall conceal the cave,” she said in a low voice. She stepped outside and began gathering branches, shrubs, and twigs to cover the opening of the cave, working as fast as she could.
Lilith heard the men approaching. She gasped and her pulse raced. Hurry, hide in the cave! She wanted to yell, but she was a silent witness. The female managed to cover three quarters of the cave from view before she crept back in. She lay down next to Phantom and waited.
“Oh, come out, come out wherever you are, little witch!” one of the hunters shouted.
“Why prolong the inevitable?” the other asked. “You shall be tied to a stake and roasting slowly before the sun rises.”
The young female trembled. The feline meowed softly. She shook her head. “Shhh. Please, Phantom, be quiet.” Her teeth chattered and oceans of tears washed over her face as she heard the heavy tread of the men drawing near.
“You might as well come out of hiding, for we can smell the stench of a witch for miles!” They were right outside the cave now. The female placed both hands over her mouth, unable to contain her body-racking sobs.
Phantom jumped to his four paws, his amethyst eyes emitting a haunted glow. He began to tremble and meow. She picked him up and held him tightly against her throbbing bosom. She tried to get him to be quiet, but he was terrified. She felt his heart racing against her. She kissed the top of his head, and he finally became quiet, but it was too late.
A powerful arm reached in through the nest she had made and yanked her out by her messy dark hair. One hunter dragged her through the mud as the other man kicked her again and again. She wailed but never released her cherished companion.
“Let go of the cat, you witch!” the one kicking her yelled.
“No!” she screamed.
The hunter clutching her hair gestured to the other to stop kicking. “That is fine. Let her hold onto her cat––her familiar.” He leered at her. “We’re going to tie you and that fur ball together, just as you are now. You shall both burn slowly and painfully, beginning at the feet. Unless––you do something for us.”
He exposed his male organs. She gasped and flinched twisting her face in disgust. “Go on, wrap those plump rosy lips around it. I’ll pump it in and out of your mouth while you whirl your tongue around it. The more pleasure I feel, the less pain you and your familiar will feel. Then you can do my friend. If you pleasure us throughout the night, we’ll give you a quick death. What say you?”
She sat on her legs and stared at him, her eyes flooded with hate. She nodded. The witch-hunter laughed and winked at his friend.
“Go on!” He held his engorged member. She rose to her knees, still holding Phantom close. Her chest heaved, as her face got closer to his genitals. The stench of urine and filth, accumulated after days without washing, wafted into her nose, making her stomach turn and she retched. The hunter inhaled a deep sigh and tilted his head back, eyes closed in anticipation.
Moving like the wind, she reached for his scrotum, opened her mouth wide, and clamped her teeth around the sac. Blood sprayed her face as the hunter howled in pain. He yanked at her hair, trying to pry her loose, but she continued to bite down.
The other hunter kicked and punched her, but it only caused his companion more pain. She did not let go until she had torn his scrotum from his body. The hunter collapsed, howling as he tried to stop the jetting blood.
She spit the parts out of her mouth. When the other hunter saw his friend’s scrotum mangled and bloodied on the ground, he pushed her down on her back and ran his blade through Phantom and into her heart. The cat died instantly, and with her last breath, she laughed. The hunter then realized he had spared her from a gruesome death by fire. He threw his head back and bellowed.
Lilith sat upright, gasping loudly, eyes large. Her heart thumped in her ears. She looked around relieved to see that she was still in the atrium.
What was that? Who were those beings? She got to her feet but the room spun and she collapsed to a seated position again. Those creatures physically resembled angels in almost every way. They were wingless, older and lacked their glow, but their similarity was uncanny. She had never seen beings such as these anywhere in the galaxies. Where were these creatures from? They must exist somewhere, or she would not have seen them. Why––how was she able to see this? It had seemed so real. Then she remembered the gift God promised––He gave her the gift of sight. She looked at her hands that were still trembling from the experience.
This has to be an oversight on God’s part, for surely an angel was not meant to see such things. Part of her was excited; she was the only angel capable of seeing these beings and the things they did. She may be able to learn much from them. Another part of her dreaded these extremely realistic visions.
After this experience, Lilith continued to receive visions. She saw many episodes in the lives of the dark, wingless angels, as she began to call them. She sometimes had visions while awake, other times while asleep but she was always alone when they came. Sometimes she felt physically present in her vision, and other times she watched them unfold as if she was only observing. She received most of her visions in the small section of the atrium where she watched Thanda-Garam. Perhaps she had so many visions there because she was undisturbed and always felt calm and free.
She did not yet fully understand her visions or have control of when they came. She was still young. At some point these visions would serve a great purpose. In the meantime, she would continue learning from the dark, wingless angels, although much of what she would learn from these beings would be in direct violation to the laws of Floraison.
Chapter 3
Quest for Excitement
Lilith’s eyes glittered with mischief as she flitted throughout Floraison, searching for Gadreel. She had not had a vision in a while, and was bored and wanted a thrilling experience. Perhaps with a little help from a friend she could get what she craved––excitement.
She spotted Gadreel standing by a large bush bursting with pink and yellow peonies. To sniff them, Gadreel stuck her face into the flowers, which were bigger than her head, until she almost disappeared.
Lilith chuckled. “I was searching everywhere for you, and here you are with your face buried in flowers again.”
Gadreel jumped. “The blooms are just opening, and their crisp and invigorating fragrance envelops me. It makes me float smiling throughout Floraison.”
“Oh, Gadreel! You’re standing before me, with feet firmly planted on the ground.” She waved dismissingly. “I have a new game I would like us to––”
“I wish I owned a garment as beautiful as the petals on this flower, instead of this plain shapeless thing.” She looked at her simple white
garment and began to smooth it out with her hands. She stopped and met Lilith’s gaze. Lilith’s irises were two different colors: the right one was blue like the deepest part of the River of Life, and the left one a rich amber-brown. The angels had learned by now that when Lilith was annoyed she raised the brow over her blue eye. Seeing it now, Gadreel became silent, and her smile disappeared.
“Would you let me finish, or are you going to continue talking about these trivial flowers?” Lilith shook her leg.
“The flowers are not trivial,” Gadreel muttered under her breath.
“What? Did you say something?” Lilith’s eyebrows bumped together in a scowl.
Gadreel stood on tiptoe. “Apologies! I did not mean to interrupt. Please tell me about your new game.”
Lilith rested a hand on her hip. “My new game involves hiding and seeking. I need you to help me find a large group of angels to try it out.”
“Of course. I have a good idea where to find Samael. We can begin there.”
“No! We shall find Michael first––then we shall look for Samael.”
Gadreel lowered her large dark eyes and nodded. Even as a child Lilith was able to manipulate her friend with a mere glance. Lilith started on her way, fluttering her wings as she went to gain speed. Her simple one-piece garment made of a soft, white lightweight fabric flapped in the wind, and the flowers and bushes trembled as she passed them.
Gadreel hurried to follow, but she took a wrong step, tripped over her own feet, and landed hard on the muddy ground. Lilith laughed. Gadreel frowned.
Lilith stopped laughing when she realized Gadreel could have hurt herself. She would need her friend to organize the game, and she ran to help her.
“Are you alright?” Lilith asked in a honeyed tone.
The Fall of Lilith Page 2
