Pillars of Fire

by Laurice Elehwany Molinari

  3

  TRIAL BY FIRE

  Vero found himself lying face down on rocky ground, tasting gritty dirt. He rolled over with a start, clutching his chest. He felt sure he was having a heart attack. But as the moments passed, the aching pain in his chest slowly subsided into little more than mild heartburn. He spit the dirt out of his mouth and took in his surroundings. To his left, a dazzling Greco-Roman temple with immense columns perched high above bright yellow marble steps. The columns were of such vivid pastel colors they appeared to dance in the radiant light from above. Massive stone doors proudly stood in the center of the magnificent structure. Vero knew exactly where he was — ​the Cathedral of Angels for Novice Development, Learning and Edification, or C.A.N.D.L.E. This was the training school for guardian angels. Vero stood up, brushed off the dirt, and smiled. It had all been real. He was back. He was finally back in the Ether.

  “Vero!” a boy’s voice exclaimed.

  Vero spun around to see a boy grinning at him. “Hey, Pax.”

  It had been a few months since Vero had seen Pax, but Vero would know him anywhere. Even though he was small for his eleven years, Pax stood out in a crowd without having to wear mint green pants. He wore glasses that were too big for his face, making his eyes appear much larger than they actually were. His ears stuck out far from his head, and to top it off, his hair looked as if someone placed a soup bowl on his head as a marker and trimmed the excess with a pair of scissors.

  “Have you been back since, you know . . . the last time?” Vero asked.

  “No. I think they wanted to give us a long break after what happened.”

  “Probably,” Vero replied. His expression turned solemn as he recalled the battle he and his fellow angels in training had fought against two maltures the last time they were in the Ether. They nearly all perished until Vero drew his sword and slayed the demonic creatures, who were then thrown into the lake of fire by Abaddon.

  “We better go in,” Vero said, glancing at the scores of fledglings streaming into the school.

  Vero and Pax joined the other student angels as they walked up the flight of shimmering stairs. Vero noted there seemed to be a lot more students than usual, and they were all pushing and shoving to reach the top of the steps. In the commotion, he was separated from Pax. Suddenly, the crowd came to an abrupt stop. The massive main doors were shut tight. Vero toppled into another angel.

  “Hey, klutz, watch where you’re going!” she angrily yelled.

  Vero smiled broadly, recognizing the voice. “Nice to see you too, Greer!”

  Greer turned around and smiled. “Of course it is,” she said without the least bit of embarrassment for her behavior.

  Greer looked a little taller than the last time Vero had seen her, but otherwise there was no mistaking her. With her tough demeanor, she didn’t necessarily exude the appearance of an angel, especially in ripped jeans. Her hair was short and stylish, the brown color shot through with blonde highlights. Each of her ears was pierced three times and filled with matching sets of small silver hoops. Greer radiated strength and confidence, but Vero knew her well enough not to buy it completely.

  “Glad to see you’re still enjoying your favorite high-protein snack,” Vero joked, as Greer bit her nubby fingernails to the quick, a nervous habit that gave away the side to her most people never saw.

  Greer spit a shred of her wet nail at Vero, hitting him in the chest. “Whatever, Major Loser!”

  “I take it you’ve been away at etiquette school over the summer,” Vero teased.

  “Graduated top of my class,” she said, unable to suppress a small smile.

  A loud creaking noise filled the air. The stone doors swung open, and the lines of angels walked through, buzzing with excitement. Vero got the feeling everyone knew something he did not. He stood just inside the doors, letting kids stream past him and feeling puny as he looked from one end of the massive entrance hall to the other. The building seemed to go on forever — ​it looked almost as infinite as the ocean. Balconies stacked one on top of another lined the interior sides. Everything inside seemed to sparkle. The walls were a mixture of gold and diamonds. Above the balconies sat a dome ceiling almost too high to make out its intricate geometric designs.

  “There you are,” Pax said out of breath, as he caught back up with Vero.

  “Hey, little dude,” Greer smiled to Pax.

  “Hi, Greer,” Pax said. “Did you have a good summer?”

  “Awesome summer. I’m all done with foster families. They put me in a group home.”

  Pax looked closer at Greer, suddenly very interested.

  “And I kind of like it. Who knew?”

  “But isn’t that living with a bunch of strangers?” Pax said.

  “Hey, when you’re sharing a bathroom with six other kids, you get over that whole stranger thing real fast,” Greer chuckled heartily.

  As Vero laughed at Greer’s comment, he noticed that Pax wasn’t even smiling. What was up with him?

  “Hey, what do you suppose that is?” Greer asked.

  Vero and Pax followed Greer’s gaze and saw what looked like a colossal cornucopia basket floating a few feet above the floor with the wide end facing down. Only it wasn’t woven together with twigs or reeds, but strands of fire. They twisted in and out of one another swirling to a sharp point on top. The young angels gathered around it, but not too closely. Vero could feel the heat of the spiraling flames.

  “That’s some bonfire,” Greer said, astonished.

  Vero nodded in agreement, but then the wind chimes sounded, signaling the angels to get to their classrooms. Vero had forgotten all about the wind chimes. Back at his school on earth, a loud bell rang throughout the hallways to let kids know it was time for the next class. He so much preferred the soft, soothing rhythm of the chimes over the unnerving clang of the bell. As the gentle wind chimes played, a lovely female singing voice accompanied them, “All fledglings, please proceed to the amphitheater,” she sang.

  Vero looked around, wondering which door led to the amphitheater. Even though he was a student at C.A.N.D.L.E., he was not yet that familiar with the building. He had only been here a handful of times, and he never knew when he was going to return for further instruction.

  “Any idea where?” Vero asked Greer.

  “Nope, but just follow everybody else,” she replied matter-of-factly. “And pretend like you do.”

  The crowd swallowed up Vero, Pax, and Greer, and when they reappeared outside through a set of wide doors, they found themselves standing on the top row of a jaw-dropping natural amphitheater. Far below them were arches of majestic stones bathed in colors of dark red, effervescent orange, and warm browns that created a half-dome backdrop over a glistening, white marble stage. Running down to the stage were row upon row of semicircular tiered seating. As angels began to fill the seats, Vero noticed that the rock benches were also made from the same unique and colorful stones. A paternal voice called from the stage.

  “Everyone find a seat.”

  With his well-groomed silver beard and equally silvered hair, Vero immediately recognized the fatherly-looking angel to whom the warm voice belonged. It was the archangel Uriel. Of all of his instructors at C.A.N.D.L.E., Vero considered Uriel to be his mentor. It was Uriel who watched over him when he was a little kid. It was Uriel who first took him to the Ether, and it was Uriel who saved him from the maltures on the rooftop. The tall archangel patiently waited for the young angels to settle. Two other archangels, Raziel and Raphael, stood behind him on the platform. Raphael always brought a smile to Vero’s face. He was warmhearted and good-humored, so easy to like. The word “jolly” came to mind when Vero looked at Raphael’s twinkling violet eyes and round, pleasant face. Plus, Vero thought Raphael’s long ponytail was cool. The archangel Raziel, on the other hand, had the opposite effect on Vero. With his unkempt white hair and goatee and harsh jagged features, he made Vero tense and nervous, like he was constantly on the verge of making a mistake. D
espite having the same violet-colored eyes as Raphael, Raziel’s showed no warmth or charm. As Vero watched him, Raziel caught his stare. He shot Vero a look of great disdain before Vero quickly turned his head away and sat down between Greer and Pax. Uriel cleared his voice over the chattering students.

  “Today is an important day,” Uriel began. As Uriel spoke his voice naturally amplified out over the audience, and the angels quieted. “I’m sure you noticed the flame inside the Cathedral and are wondering what it is.”

  Vero noticed several fledglings around him perk up and nod their heads.

  “Does anyone know why the ancient Greeks held the Olympic games?”

  A fledgling stood. Vero noted that he was very tall and was built like a body builder. The group of five other angels sitting around him were equally well built. They all looked older than Vero, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

  “Who’s that?” Vero elbowed Pax.

  “Eitan,” Pax said.

  “He and his buddies would make the jocks at my school look like wimps,” Vero said, somewhat awestruck.

  Pax nodded. “They’re rumored to be future archangels.”

  Vero glanced back at the big angels in training. It had never occurred to him that fledglings could become archangels.

  “The games were held to honor the gods,” Eitan said in a booming voice that easily projected.

  “Correct,” Uriel said. “Go on.”

  “The citizens of the city-states of ancient Greece competed with one another, showing off their talents and skills in the hopes of honoring and glorifying the gods who they believed bestowed those gifts upon them,” Eitan said. “It was a religious festival.”

  He sat back down.

  “Thank you, Eitan. Exactly correct. We here at C.A.N.D.L.E. have been conducting our own games since long before the Olympic games of Ancient Greece,” Uriel said. “Here we call them the Angel Trials. They occur every hundred years. In these Trials, we honor and glorify God by displaying not just our faith, but also all of the unique gifts He has bestowed. There are three challenges, each of which will test your faith and your God-given talents. One flight of fledglings, that’s six of you, will be chosen to compete against the other angel schools.”

  A petite girl raised her hand.

  “I’m confused. I thought C.A.N.D.L.E. was the only guardian angel school,” she said.

  “Hey, it’s Ada.” Pax nudged Vero.

  Vero squinted. He had a hard time making out her face from such a distance, but there was no mistaking that fiery auburn hair. And when she nervously twirled her finger through her curly locks, Vero knew for certain it was Ada.

  “It is, Miss Brickner,” Uriel answered.

  “Then who do we . . .?”

  “There are three spheres in the angel world,” Uriel continued. “The first sphere consists of the angels of contemplation — ​the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the Thrones. The Seraphim minister to God proclaiming His glory. The Cherubim guard His throne. And the Thrones dispense God’s justice. All these angels dwell inside the gates, closest to God. Those positions have all been filled pretty much since the beginning of time, so there are no schools in the first sphere. However, for the purpose of the Angel Trials, the Thrones serve as judges, and their decisions are final.”

  Vero turned to face Greer. “Did you know about other angels?” he whispered.

  Greer shook her head slowly.

  “You will be competing against the angels of the second sphere. Angels who can perform limited miracles, foretell the future, and heal sickness.”

  Greer stood up suddenly and put her hands on her hips. “Let me get this straight; those other angels can do miracles?”

  “Yes.”

  “And see the future?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we don’t have a snowball’s chance in you-know-where of winning this thing!” Greer said angrily.

  “It is true we are the underdogs. And it’s been many centuries since the guardians have won the Angel Trials,” Uriel said. “But keep in mind, those angels are just like you in the sense that they, too, are in training. They have yet to completely master all those abilities. Plus, you will outnumber them. We will send one flight of fledglings from our sphere.”

  Raziel stepped forward. “Which is the third sphere. We are the angels of the earth — ​the messengers and protectors of man.”

  “I still say it’s a lost cause,” Greer said, crossing her arms.

  The crowd murmured in agreement, and a look of impatience flickered across Uriel’s face. He shouted out over the crowd.

  “Anyone curious as to why there’s a flame inside C.A.N.D.L.E.?”

  The thousands of students hushed.

  “Ever heard the expression ‘trial by fire’?”

  Vero and many of the other fledglings nodded.

  “It’s the revelation of a novice’s true skill when under pressure. When he’s put to the wall, what is he made of — what is his real character? It is usually a test of one’s abilities, one’s endurance, or one’s belief. Corinthians states that the acts and deeds by the believer will be judged by the fire.”

  “If only a few angels are chosen to compete, what are the rest of us supposed to do?” Eitan asked.

  “Pray for them,” Uriel answered with utmost seriousness.

  A complete silence came over the gathering of students as it dawned on them that these Trials might be more than just games. Perhaps there was more at stake than winning a gold medal.

  “Should any angel fail during the Trials, they will find themselves singing with the choir of angels for all eternity,” Uriel told them, his face grave.

  Vero swallowed hard. He knew that if a fledgling washed out of training before he became a full-fledged angel, he would be sent to join the choir. Not that it was a bad thing at all to be in the choir, but glorifying God by singing was very different from glorifying Him by fulfilling your intended purpose as a warrior.

  “There is to be a competition amongst all of you to determine who will have the honor of representing the guardians in the Trials,” Uriel continued. “The first fledgling who completes the challenge will then select five others to make up his or her flight for the trials. They can be from your own class flight, or anyone else in training.”

  “What’s the challenge?” Greer called out.

  Uriel looked out over the crowd and waited until everyone was perfectly silent. “A long time ago before the Great Flood covered the earth, Noah was instructed to take two of every animal onboard the ark. He did as he was instructed. However, it broke Noah’s heart to imprison one particular breed of animal on the ark. The unicorn. It had such a pure, free spirit that he was convinced if tied up for many hard months in the belly of the ship, the animal would surely die. So Noah asked God to spare the unicorn from the long voyage. God granted Noah’s prayer, giving the unicorns wings. He opened up a piece of the sky so they could fly into the Ether, where they have remained ever since.”

  Uriel paused for a moment to allow the fledglings to absorb the story.

  “The first one to place the palm of his or her hand on the tip of a unicorn’s horn will win the competition. For the unicorn’s horn holds healing powers which you’ll probably need during the Trials. And, even more important, that angel shall receive a special grace from God. You will have until the light rises tomorrow morning. Good luck and happy hunting.”

  Vero turned to Greer. “That’s it? I mean, how are we supposed to find a unicorn?”

  “You’re asking me?” Greer exclaimed. “I didn’t even know they were real up until a minute ago!”

  Uriel walked off the stage, followed by Raziel and Raphael. Vero chased after Uriel. As he headed back into the temple, Vero called out to him. “Uriel!”

  Uriel stopped so Vero could catch up. “Hello, Vero.”

  “Hi.”

  “Is there something you wanted?” Uriel asked.

  “I don’t understand. How are we supposed to find a unicorn? I w
ouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “If I told you, it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. Would it?” Uriel replied with a wink. “But here’s a hint.”

  Vero leaned in so as not to miss a single word.

  “They’re white with a single horn coming out of their head.” Uriel chuckled before walking away.

  As Vero, watched his retreating back, he suddenly felt a wave of fear from all that he had gone through in the last twenty-four hours. “They’re after me again,” he shouted.

  Uriel stopped and spun around. He was no longer laughing. “Who?”

  “Something disguised as a nurse tried to kill me on earth.”

  “Did it say anything?”

  “It wanted to know which one of us it was. It kept screaming, ‘tell me who it is!’ ”

  A look of deep concern crossed Uriel’s face, but then he turned his back to Vero. “I’ll look into it,” Uriel said before walking away.

  Vero stood, disappointed and surprised by Uriel’s reaction.

  “Where the heck are we gonna find a unicorn?” Greer asked, as she barreled over to Vero with Pax tagging along.

  “I would start at the library,” a girl’s voice suggested.

  Vero spun around. He saw Ada standing behind them and smiled at her.

  “Well don’t just stand there,” Ada said, smiling back at Vero. “Hurry up before the others get a head start.”

  “But didn’t you hear Uriel?” Vero asked. “He said the winner was the first one to touch the unicorn’s horn.”

  “But he also said that person picks the others. I suggest we work together under the agreement that whoever touches the unicorn first, picks the rest of us,” Ada suggested.

  “Done,” Pax said.

  “Okay,” Vero agreed.

  Everyone looked to Greer, waiting for her response. She hesitated for a moment. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked carefully at the three of them. And then a smile spread across her face.