In the Beginning (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book I)

by John J Higgins

  "Mammonael, did you see what you have done?" Jarahmael said as he flew up and hovered face to face with him.

  "The Cherubim should have stayed out of my way," Mammonael responded, speaking slowly and with no concern in his voice, as though nearly maiming a fellow Angel was just an everyday occurrence.

  "You could have seriously harmed one of us," Jarahmael emphasized.

  "It is of no matter," Mammonael said. "Even if I had, Luciferael would have protected me as I am one of his Auxilium. We are here to do a job and I was just doing my duty. Besides, Jarahmael, this area was assigned to the Auxilium, your job and duties were to drive the dinosaurs down from the north, this is in the area that we considered the equator."

  "We were all supposed to work together Mammonael," Jarahmael said, glaring at Mammonael.

  "Stay out of our way, Jarahmael, and mind your own business!" Mammonael said as he saw another group of dinosaurs off in the distance and flew off, not waiting for any further response from Jarahmael. Jarahmael noted Mammonael's attitude and decided to keep his feelings to himself about it, but he would never look upon Mammonael the same again.

  The Angels eventually regrouped and all the legions met up with one another. Luciferael Sammuael, Beelzebael, Damiel, Mammonael, Suriel and Mephistophael had attacked the creatures unmercifully and with relish. Luciferael's Auxilium never tired and never let up. By the time the day was through, the equator of the Earth was covered in dust, blood and carcasses.

  Luciferael wanted to leave the carnage where it lay. It seemed to Jarahmael that Luciferael wanted to leave the remnants of the extermination as a lasting memorial of how well his Auxilium waged war. Jarahmael felt it would be better if the day's events were forgotten and that the evidence of the blood bath removed from the Earth. He sought out Michael and suggested that the dead carcasses be buried within the Earth. Michael agreed and spoke with Luciferael, who reluctantly gave his permission to bury them as long as none of his Auxilium had to be involved. With that condition, Jarahmael sought out his friend Cerebriel and asked him to assist in burying the dead dinosaurs, knowing that it would be another monumental task.

  Cerebriel, fortunately, was a master of the weapons his Order of Cherubim had developed and came up with a solution. He had the Cherubim equip themselves with the Ruina Securis, the axes of destruction. They were able to quickly pound out chasms in the Earth, deep under the surface. Once that was accomplished, Michael had the Dominions come and sound the Cornus Bellum, or horns of destruction. They modified the sound waves from the horns to scour the area, depositing the dead into the chasms. Then the horns were used again to move layers of dirt to cover the chasms and the carcasses, and the annihilation of Luciferael's dinosaurs was completed.

  As the day ended, Jarahmael and Michael were glad it was over. It was a day they did not want to ever see again.

  Chapter 18

  THE ALMIGHTY'S PLANS PROGRESS

  Luciferael announced to the Almighty that the dinosaurs were gone at the next day's morning ceremony. Jarahmael thought it strange that Luciferael and the Auxilium could have turned so quickly on their creations, but he was realizing that there was more to Luciferael than he knew. He felt sorry that Luciferael had to lose his creatures that way, but was also happy that they would not be destroying any other life forms on the Earth.

  He thought about Guline and the Simians as he was leaving the Throne Room and decided that it would be a good day to visit their area on Earth. He had saved the Simians' leader twice from the dinosaurs and had developed affection for these creatures. At least now the Simians would not have to be concerned with being food for the dinosaurs and could flourish on the planet. Jarahmael was also interested in this place called the Garden of Eden that the Almighty had only briefly mentioned. A new type of Being? He was curious, and since the place had not been discussed in detail, he wanted to look around for himself. All he remembered was that the Garden of Eden was linked between the First Heaven and the Earth, but he did not recall ever seeing any entrance to the place. Perhaps if he looked more carefully he would be able to find the entrance into this new world created by the Almighty.

  After flying out of the Throne Room he descended through all the Heavens, eventually leaving the gateway between the First Heaven and the sky above the Earth. Once in the sky he flew over areas of the Earth, but was unable to find any other entrance between the worlds. He then decided that he would at least fly over to the Aegyptus area and see how the Simians were doing. Turning himself invisible so he would not be seen by any of the Simians, Jarahmael flew to the area around the cave where Guline lived and took a few minutes to observe their activity. It was not long before he saw Guline supervising other Simians as they gathered food for their colony. He seemed to have healed from his wound nicely, and it was only the long scar that remained on his arm as evidence of the earlier attack by the dinosaurs.

  Jarahmael had always been curious about these creatures, and although he would like to speak with them, he knew that he was to avoid contact with them as the Almighty wanted them to develop independently. Reassured that the Simians were doing well, he decided to continue his search for the entrance into this Garden of Eden. With the day yet young, Jarahmael next went to visit the structure that Cerebriel and the other Angels were constructing, hidden from the Simians by the ring of celestial fire.

  Once inside, he turned himself visible again. He could see the various Orders of Angels working on a very large structure. Seeing Annabael, he flew over to meet with her.

  "Annabael, that's quite a structure you have been building. What do you call it?"

  "Yes, I am very proud of it Jarahmael. We have named it a pyramid. It's a simple structure actually, four triangles attached to a square base."

  Jarahmael looked over at the structure and said "That is a simple yet magnificent structure. I see that you have been building it using those large stone blocks."

  Jarahmael watched Annabael's various Principalities float the large blocks into position. They were getting close to finishing the uppermost section, although Jarahmael could not estimate how many more blocks would be needed to complete it.

  "The blocks will make the pyramid strong and it will last a very long time," Annabael said proudly.

  "Is this what it will look like when it is finished?" asked Jarahmael.

  "Not quite. We will cover the structure in a different type of stone facing that will reflect light better than the blocks. And there's much yet to be done on the interior of the structure, but your friend Cerebriel and his Cherubim will be responsible for that," Annabael said as she pointed to the entrance into the pyramid.

  "Where is Cerebriel? I see many other Cherubim flying about but I haven't seen him yet this morning."

  "He is up in the First Heaven working on the pyramid there," Annabael said as she pointed upwards towards the Heavens.

  Jarahmael looked puzzled and said, "I just flew down through the First Heaven on my way here, but I did not see any pyramid nor did I see any Cherubim."

  "I should not tell you this, but since we are friends I will trust you. The Almighty is having a pyramid built in the far reaches of the First Heaven, the section that is called the Garden of Eden. You have to promise that you will not tell anyone else," Annabael said while looking directly into Jarahmael's eyes.

  "As you wish, Annabael. Does it not strike you strange that the Almighty has been secretive about the Garden and the creatures that are there?" Jarahmael responded, nodding that he would agree to keep the information to himself.

  "Yes, Jarahmael, there have been a number of strange things happening lately, that I don't understand either. It's best that I do what the Almighty asks me to do without question."

  "I understand, Annabael. I am sure the Almighty will explain further when He is ready," Jarahmael responded.

  "Give my best to Cerebriel when you see him. I need to get back to work, come back again and see the progress we make," Annabael said as she slightly bowed and flew off
towards the top of the pyramid.

  Jarahmael ascended back into the Heavens and flew directly east once he was back in the First Heaven. He then flew over the palaces where the Guardian Angels lived and well beyond their gathering hall. He was headed towards a lush green area still further off in the distance and more intense in color than any of the greens he had seen so far on the Earth. This was a great place to hide the Garden of Eden, off of the usual track of the various Orders of Angels. They were all too busy on other missions for the Almighty to notice anything out of the ordinary as they passed through to the Earth or other galaxies and planetary systems throughout the Universe.

  As Jarahmael approached the Garden of Eden, he could see another pyramid under construction further yet to the east. It was an area surrounded on all four sides by rivers. Just like on the Earth near Aegyptus, there were multitudes of Angels flying about and building another pyramid. Looking more closely, he could see his friend Cerebriel standing near an entrance into the interior of the structure.

  Landing nearby, Jarahmael greeted the head of the Cherubim. "Good morning Cerebriel! I have been looking all over for this place. Why did you not tell me that you were working on a pyramid here?"

  "Nice to see you too, Jarahmael. The Almighty has been keeping this area secret."

  "I can see that," said Jarahmael. "It is quite a lovely place!"

  "It certainly is," Cerebriel responded as his eyes looked around the Garden.

  "Why is the Almighty keeping it so secret?" asked Jarahmael.

  "It's just my belief that He wants to keep Luciferael and the Auxilium from interfering. As you know, Luciferael does not want any sort of creature to exist that threatens the position of the Angels with the Almighty."

  "Yes, Luciferael certainly does get upset about such things," Jarahmael said.

  "Luciferael's reaction is probably what makes the Almighty want to keep him and the Auxilium away from these new creatures." Cerebriel said added.

  "Have you seen these new life forms that the Almighty mentioned the other day?" asked Jarahmael.

  "No, the Almighty has still been secretive about those creatures. None of us who've been working on the pyramid have seen them," Cerebriel said, looking over towards the area of the rivers. "But we have seen Michael occasionally fly over accompanying the Almighty and his entourage deeper into the Garden of Eden."

  "Maybe I should ask Michael about these creatures," Jarahmael said, thinking aloud.

  "It may be better to wait until the Almighty decides to explain more about this experiment with all of us together," Cerebriel said with concern that his friend could get into trouble.

  Jarahmael thought for second and decided that it was best not to pursue this topic further with Cerebriel.

  "You are right. I will be patient," Jarahmael said. "I should get going and leave you to your work. I will see you later."

  "Yes, I should get back to work, there is still much to do here," Cerebriel said as he turned and walked back into the pyramid.

  Jarahmael took this as a signal to leave and flew off back in the direction of the First and Second Heavens. When he knew that he was out of sight, he dove downward closer to the base of the First Heaven and then doubled back. He had not come this far to miss finding these new creatures. But he also did not want Cerebriel to know that he was going to them. Best to keep that to myself, he thought.

  Staying close to the ground he flew past the pyramid area, keeping a small forest of trees between himself and the other Angels. Once safely on the other side he flew a bit higher so he could survey the greenery below.

  He could see a Simian-type creature bathing in the stream near the north end of Eden. He moved closer so he could see better and hovered overhead. The creature was alone, and appeared to be female with a body similar to Noriem's. She was far more beautiful, though, with long whitish-blonde hair that flowed in front of her shoulders, the tips of the hair resting on her alabaster white breasts. It was a beauty that Jarahmael had not seen before. He was accustomed to the beauty of his fellow Beings of Light and the crude earthiness of the Simians. But the combination in this female elevated her earthiness to a level that equaled the Angels themselves.

  In his haste to look for these creatures and now distracted by the female's beauty, he had forgotten to turn himself invisible.

  She slowly looked up at him hovering there, after sensing that she was being watched. There was little he could do now to conceal himself, so he dropped down and landed on the riverbank near her. He walked closer, gazing all the while into her deep blue eyes. He wasn't sure she would even understand anything he would say to her, but tried anyway and said, "Sorry to have disturbed you. I am Jarahmael, the fourth of the Archangels."

  The creature turned so her body now squarely faced him and answered, "I am Lillith, Archangel Jarahmael," and smiling coyly she added, "Very nice to meet you. You are very handsome, are you going to live here as well?"

  Her voice had a lilting quality to it that sent vibrations though Jarahmael's body. He was a little flustered by her voice's effect on him and was embarrassed that he had not kept his presence secret. Not sure what more to tell her, he replied, "No, I live in another Heaven, far from here along with my brother Archangels."

  "That is a shame. It would be nice if you came to live here too," she added as she started twirling her hair, and exposed more of her body from under the water.

  Jarahmael grew uncomfortable, as he was having feelings that he had not had before. He'd never had this feeling for any of the other Archangels or creatures he had helped create or interacted with. He sensed a tingling in the air between them, but did not know what to do about it, as pleasant as it was. He could not help the feeling inside himself and he felt his body glowing more brightly.

  Lillith smiled at him and moved towards him as she left the river. "What do you feel like, with that body of yours that glows?" Lillith asked as she moved closer yet to the Archangel. She slowly reached out both of her hands and touched Jarahmael's chest with her fingertips. Both of them felt a shock as her fingers touched his chest and they connected.

  "Oh!" Lillith exclaimed. "That was a wonderful. You feel so different from the mate the Almighty gave me, Adam. You make me tingle!" She giggled as she slid in closer to Jarahmael and he could feel her breath on his body.

  Angels don't have these feelings, Jarahmael thought to himself, as he too, moved in closer to her. Looking down at her he said, "You have the scent of the flowers of the Earth." Their eyes stayed locked and connected, with a yearning that grew between them, one soul to another.

  Off in the distance, Jarahmael heard something approaching through the woods. Lillith heard it too and spun around, her back to the Archangel, to look in that direction. He could see bright multicolored patterns on silvery scales and thought immediately of the reptilian creatures that Luciferael had created. Reptiles here? He knew instinctively that he should not stay as he did not want to be seen by one of Luciferael's creatures. The reptile was not large like the dinosaurs, maybe the size of a Simian. It had to be one of the creatures that had been spared when the Angels slaughtered the dinosaurs. Nor did Jarahmael want to be seen by Lillith's mate, certainly not with this electricity between them.

  The reptile stopped and Jarahmael could see that it was turning around to look in his direction. Time to go . . . he thought to himself and turned himself invisible, backing up quietly so he did not draw any further attention to himself. He stood still for a few moments, long enough to watch Lillith turn around and watch her shoot a coy glance up to where he had just been standing while visible. She reached her hand out as if to touch him, and then realized he was already gone. She turned and walked back towards the woods, as Jarahmael flew off, his thoughts a mixture of excitement and sadness that he had to leave.

  Chapter 19

  ADAM EXPLORES

  Adam had taken his usual midday nap, enjoying the warmth of the sun that shone through the sky in the Garden of Eden. He had been exploring a
ll morning and had traveled further east than he ever had before. Now his sleep was broken by the sounds of large wings fluttering not far from where he rested. He was in a dense part of the forest and could not see the area where the sounds were coming from and headed in that direction.

  He walked down the path through the palm trees on the soft soil of Eden. It was spongy, which made it easy for barefoot walking. There were no pebbles or sharp objects along the path and the cool earth felt good beneath his feet. He thought of the early days in Eden when he and Lillith spent most of the day together, but they had been growing apart. It was best for them to go their separate ways during the day, meeting again at evening time. He did not understand why she had become very difficult to deal with, headstrong, wanting her own way all the time.

  As he approached the edge of the forest he was able to see creatures flying about and hovering around a tall structure that gleamed in the sunlight. They resembled him in form, except for the wings that leisurely kept them afloat in the air. Each of them were illuminated from within, gleaming beautiful creatures. There was a large group of them busy moving large stones, some lifting the stones, others flying in from a distance with new ones. Adam watched as they were stacking each block next to, or on top of one another.

  He was amazed at the number of these creatures. There were hundreds of them flying and carrying these stones. The Almighty had spent a great deal of time explaining creatures that lived in the Garden to him and Lillith, but he had not seen these creatures before, nor had the Almighty mentioned them. He had met one creature with wings on the day that he and Lillith had been created, an Archangel named Michael, but he had not seen him since. Now it was clear to him that there were other creatures that the Almighty had made that were not known to Adam, and he had never imagined this number of winged creatures or variety.