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

by John J Higgins

  "What is all the artwork about?" Jarahmael asked.

  "Done at the Almighty's bidding! He wants to memorialize the Creation overall and in particular the creation of the Earth, the Humans, and the Garden of Eden," Cerebriel answered.

  "Why just those things? There is a whole expanding Universe out there," Jarahmael asked, puzzled that there would be such an emphasis on one small part of the Creation itself.

  "It's part of the transportation devices that the Almighty is making for the Humans, and to help educate them and remind them how they fit into this part of the Universe, Jarahmael. You have been interacting with the Humans over there in the middle of Eden again, haven't you?" Cerebriel inquired, his eyebrow unconsciously raised.

  Jarahmael nodded as he replied, "Yes, I have my friend."

  Cerebriel continued. "Annabael told me yesterday that work has been progressing on a number of these pyramids that have been placed around the Earth, and these Humans of yours will be able to transport themselves, from one pyramid to the other, in order that they may supervise other creatures as they develop on the planet. The pyramids themselves will also act as light and sound energy resonators, collecting and distributing power if need be."

  Cerebriel grabbed Jarahmael's hand and pulled him alongside one of the walls in the hallway and forced Jarahmael to rub his fingers along the wall, feeling the artwork with his fingertips. Jarahmael was looking at the inscriptions closely as they were glowing from the reflected light from the outside.

  "Amazing!" said Jarahmael. "The mirrors I am making would look great trimmed with this type of lettering and artwork."

  "If you want to see something really amazing, you should come at night; the lettering and artwork absorb light energy all day, and then reflect the light back all night in a soft glow. At dusk and dawn, the entire hallway lights up as though the walls were lit by the sun. Really something to behold! Especially for us Angels, we love playing in the light," Cerebriel said, proud of the work that he and the other Cherubim had done here.

  "That does sound fascinating," Jarahmael responded. "I will have to come back at sunset. The light rays feel so good at that time of day. Cool and refreshing."

  "By the way, what are you doing over here with the Cherubim?" Cerebriel said, again with the eyebrow raise.

  "I thought I would let you look at the Humans," Jarahmael whispered back. "Only Michael and I have seen them and interacted with them. Can't let you speak to them or even let them know you're watching. Your presence would be a problem. But I know a great place where we can observe them without being seen ourselves. That is, if you're game?"

  "Sure. I would love to see these Humans you have been hiding from me and the others."

  "Good," Jarahmael said as he ran to take off. "Meet me over by the thicket of trees due west from here where the main river runs through. I will fly and see exactly where the Humans are in the meantime."

  "Let me just finish this small part," Cerebriel yelled up at him. "See you there!"

  A few minutes later Cerebriel flew and landed quietly by Jarahmael near the river.

  "Come with me," Jarahmael said, guiding the Cherubim as the two of them flew up and above the trees. A small distance later Jarahmael landed again, this time into the upper branches of a large tree and indicated to Cerebriel a space on the branch beside him and that he should stay quiet. Then Jarahmael pointed to a clearing not far away.

  Cerebriel looked and saw these two Beings. One had shorter dark hair and brown eyes, the other with long golden colored hair and intensely blue eyes.

  "They look so different," whispered Cerebriel to Jarahmael, "not only from us but also one from the other."

  "Yes, the one with the shorter dark hair is the man, called Adam." Jarahmael shifted his position slightly to better point out the other one. "The long blonde-haired creature is called a woman and her name is Lillith," whispered Jarahmael exuberantly.

  Cerebriel noted that this was the female who had an effect on Jarahmael, exciting Jarahmael like he had found some new secret of creation or fact about the Almighty.

  Cerebriel looked back at Adam. "He is an interesting specimen. Looks a lot like us but without the wings. Can he fly?"

  "No, he was made without wings. Though he seems to be good with his hands and has been working to make things more comfortable for them. He has built some things for them to sit on and to make their lives more comfortable I imagine." Jarahmael pointed up north from where they were standing. Adam was handing Lillith something, some form of flower. To Jarahmael's relief Lillith didn't seem to care. She seemed distracted and not very interested. It was not long before Lillith and Adam began to argue with one another. Neither of the Angels had seen that behavior before.

  "What do they do all day, besides raise their voices at one another?" asked Cerebriel.

  "They tend to the Garden here, make sure that all plants are growing well and strong. They also seem to rest a lot. Enjoy lying about in the sunshine, often separate and not together," Jarahmael reported.

  "Do they sleep like we do?"

  "Yes, they go to sleep shortly after it gets dark. The Almighty often comes down and visit with them as the sun sets. Converts into Human form similar to them and walks with them around the Garden before nightfall."

  "I never knew He would do such a thing!" exclaimed Cerebriel.

  "The Almighty seems to hold these beings in a very high regard, and treats them accordingly."

  Just then, both Cerebriel and Jarahmael heard a bit of rustling. Looking down below, they saw one of the surviving serpents lurking about. They could see that he was moving upright as the top of his head was closest to them. He, too, seemed to be observing the Humans. Jarahmael and Cerebriel froze on the tree limb. They whispered to one another that they were not sure how well a serpent could hear. They did not want to chance being discovered, as it seemed an unwritten rule that Angels were not to be interacting with the Humans outside of the presence of the Almighty.

  Still, both the Angels were curious as to why any other creature had any interest in the Humans.

  The serpent moved on, trying to get a better view, and moved away from the tree they were in. Jarahmael took this opportunity to whisper again to Cerebriel. "That Serpentalia and his kin give me a strange feeling, and not a pleasant one. I am amazed it was not destroyed along with the other dinosaurs."

  "Agreed!" responded Cerebriel. "Something very odd about that creature. As much as I love and respect Luciferael, I think those were not a successful experiment in the Creation. The serpents have a twisted quality of Luciferael that I can't place. Oh well, I need to get back home to the Sixth Heaven."

  "Time for me to return home as well," stated Jarahmael. "I am headed back to my palace in the Seventh Heaven. I could use the rest."

  The two Angels then slowly started to fly away from their spot in the trees. Flapping their wings slowly and softly, hoping to not make any noise. But as they were leaving, Cerebriel's wing brushed against a heavily-leaved branch and made a rustling sound. Although the sound was not heard by the two Humans, it was not lost on Serpentalia, who shot his eyes up in the air, in the Angels' direction. He saw that he was not alone watching the Humans. A blue-tipped Archangel and the head of the Cherubim were just there. "Looks like they wanted their observations kept secret, but I am much more clever!" The serpent hissed to himself.

  Chapter 26

  LILLITH MAKES A DECISION

  Lillith decided she had to leave. She'd had enough of Adam. He was selfish and paid no attention to her thoughts or desires. He believed somehow that the Almighty had put him in charge of her. She knew that could not be true, they had been both created at the same time and of the same earthen clay.

  As far as she could tell, the Almighty treated them both as equals. He often walked with both of them in the evening, explaining the wonders of Eden to the two of them during their strolls. She felt great love for both the Almighty and Adam at first. Adam was kind in the beginning, but once the Almighty
had tasked Adam with naming the various species in the Garden of Eden, he thought that he was better loved by the Almighty than she was.

  It had gotten unbearably worse recently, when Adam was preparing to go by the place where the four local rivers met at the edge of Eden to meet the Almighty and continue his naming duties.

  Before he left, Adam told Lillith, "The Almighty told me He did not want you there today. Your task will now be to find the various trees throughout Eden. If you do that well, He will let you name whatever trees you find."

  "Why do I have to go find the trees? The Almighty brings the various species to you for naming. And why does He not tell me Himself or send one of the Angels rather than you?"

  Adam cautioned her, "Remember that the Almighty placed me in charge of you, Lillith. I am more loved in His eyes than you are!"

  "When did He tell you that?"

  "Just yesterday when I ran after Him. Don't you remember?"

  "No, I don't, and I don't believe He would do that. He had told both of us that we had been created at the same time and that we were both loved and equal in His eyes," she responded, tears welling up in her eyes.

  "He only told you that to keep you happy. We both know that I am the better of the two of us and stronger. I showed you that last night again, didn't I?"

  "That only showed that you would not let me have my way Adam. That was cruel and unkind of you," Lillith said, holding back her tears.

  "I don't have time for this now. I need to run to meet the Almighty. Just do as you are told Lillith!"

  Adam went off to the east to meet the sunrise and the Almighty.

  Lillith was hurt. She again felt that she was left out of the important decisions in Eden. Why couldn't she be an equal partner? She had cried out to the Almighty one day after a bitter exchange with Adam about his self-importance, and the Almighty had sent an Archangel to keep an eye on her. The Almighty visited her alone in the meantime and spoke to her of her special gift. She would continue to expand the species by becoming pregnant and having children. All her children would be immortal just like her, the Almighty promised. They would multiply and occupy the planet beneath Eden. And she would be the mother to them all. Adam would change, the Almighty said. And as mother of all, her children and future descendants would adore her. The Almighty said He would take care of all of this. She just must have some patience and stay with Adam.

  Although she had promised the Almighty she would stay, each day she looked at Adam, she felt more disgust for him. Especially after she had seen the one Archangel who followed her around from a distance. He was magnificent, his very light was handsome, and a kindness and knowledge radiated from his very Being. When she was in the Archangel's presence she felt as if the two of them were each a half of something that when combined would make a whole. His care for her made her feel that he would allow her to be herself, that he wanted her to develop and grow into something greater. He was not afraid that she would continue to grow in strength and in belief in herself.

  But she had not seen her Archangel lately. And she was done with Adam. She could not stand another day with him nor bear to think of him touching her again. Actually, as she thought about it, she never wanted him to touch her again. She would have to get away from him. Maybe if she found the Archangel who watched over her, she could be with him instead. He had the ability to fly, and she had no idea where he flew off to when he left her, other than into the Heavens.

  Perhaps she could find him down by that structure they were building on the eastern edge of Eden. Something her Archangel had called a pyramid. She certainly did not want to stay here with Adam in Eden any longer. Eden was her home and she loved the place, but she knew that if she stayed in Eden, Adam could find her. Perhaps continue to force himself on her, hold her here. Not let her be herself. She would not stand for it a moment longer. With resolve she decided she would go off to find her Archangel. Let Adam be in charge of Eden . . . all by himself!

  Lillith and Adam would go each day and have some fruit from one of the trees down by the river. She had named it the "Tree of Life" because the Almighty told her and Adam that it was from that tree that they would find nourishment for their bodies. And that their bodies would stay forever young and healthy from the fruit of that tree.

  The Almighty had also told them that they could take branches from the Tree of Life when the time came for them to expand their kingdom beyond Eden and take over a larger area named Earth. They were to plant the branches all over the Earth so that there would be more than enough fruit from the Tree to feed their children and their children's children. The Tree and any of its branches or parts would always exist and replenish themselves, and would always provide nourishment to their bodies. The only thing that Humankind would have to do was to eat of the Tree or its fruit, for their bodies to be totally restored to health and rejuvenated back to their original state no matter how much they aged, if they were unable to eat fruit from the Tree for some reason

  With the intention of leaving Adam now swirling in her mind, Lillith went down to the Tree of Life. She broke off a collection of small branches which she carefully weaved into a basket that she could carry attached to her back to hold all sorts of items for her journey. She filled compartments with leaves and fruit from the Tree, even though the woven branches would continue to produce more every day. She also took some of the palm tree-like fronds and wove them as a covering to the container, making the entire container waterproof. Thinking ahead, the fronds could also be detached and serve as a blanket for her at night. She also kept a number of small tree branches and fruit in another compartment within the basket for later planting. The fruit was extremely light yet juicy, so she was able to take a large quantity of them without being over-burdened or weighed down, just in case she would have to move quickly away from Adam if he ever found her again.

  By the time she was done with her preparations it was becoming late in the afternoon. She headed towards the pyramid, hoping that she could get information about her Archangel from one of the Angels working there and possibly find a way to leave Eden before nightfall. The distance from the edge of the forest to the pyramid was much greater than she calculated and it was almost dark when she finally reached the pyramid compound. When she got there, she noticed that the last Angel was just flying home to the Heavens and was beyond earshot. Disappointed and afraid she would not succeed in her escape, she began muttering to herself as she walked around the pyramid, sure there was no one around to hear her. But she realized that she was not alone when she heard rustling in the bushes off to the side of her. Looking over at the area she spoke aloud. "Jarahmael, is that you? Is that you, my Archangel?"

  After a few moments she got a response. One that she didn't expect.

  A head appeared out of the bushes on the eastern side of the pyramid, not far from where there was an unguarded entrance into the structure. The creature moved strangely even though it was upright and looking directly at her. It had scales instead of skin and eyes that were more like those of a cat than a Human. It did, however, have the ability to speak. It said in a hissing, but not unpleasant, voice that he had been searching for her and wanted to assist her. She had seen this creature before, lurking about the bushes in Eden.

  "Are you lost?" the serpent inquired.

  "No," replied Lillith, "but I am looking for how to get out of Eden. Who are you? I have seen you lurking about in Eden before. Are you one of the Almighty's Beings?"

  "My name is Serpentalia," he responded with a slight smile, showing a couple of fangs on either side of his mouth. His eyes sized her up as he talked to her.

  "How long have you been in Eden?" she asked.

  "For a while," he responded. "I believe it was from the very beginning when Eden was formed."

  "You were made by the Almighty, too, then?" she asked further.

  "No, one of the Archangels created me as part of the Earth."

  Lillith's heart fluttered. "Jarahmael created you?"

&nbs
p; "No, no. It was the head of the Archangels who created me. His name is Luciferael. The First Born of the Almighty. The most beautiful of God's creations!" he said proudly.

  "I have never met anyone by the name of Luciferael," responded Lillith. "Do you know Jarahmael as well, Serpentalia?"

  "Yes, I know of him, and I also know another Archangel by the name of Michael," he responded with some disdain in his voice.

  "Can you tell me where to find Jarahmael or Michael?" asked Lillith.

  "Sure," responded Serpentalia. "I know where they live. They are not here though, it's almost dark and they would be back in their own Heavens. The Almighty has made the night for rest, in case you didn't know."

  "Can you take me to them?" Lillith asked, happy that this creature knew her Archangel and where he lived. She was hopeful that she would soon be reunited with her Archangel Jarahmael.

  "Sure, I can take you there," said Serpentalia proudly.

  "Now?" asked Lillith.

  "Yes, all you have to do is carry me up with you when you fly. Put me between your wings. We have to go up into the Heavens and we can find them together," Serpentalia answered.

  "Wings?" Lillith said aloud. "Where would I have wings?" she asked the serpent, thinking that he was not too smart and may not be able to help her.

  "Right there on your back!" he replied, moving his head, indicating the thing that was on her back.

  Lillith spun around so he could see the container on her back more clearly. "This is not a pair of wings, Serpentalia, it's only a storage container I fashioned in the Garden of Eden for my journey."

  "We need to fly to get to where you want to go, I am afraid. I could ask my lord Luciferael when I see him, but he does not always appear. Sorry, I cannot get you there right now. My lord Luciferael is very busy today," Serpentalia answered. "Perhaps if we meet tomorrow I will bring some of the Archangels along with me. I am very important, you know."

  Lillith was not sure whether this creature could deliver on his promise, but he did know of the Archangels Jarahmael and Michael. But she wasn't sure at all about this new one, the Archangel Luciferael. She decided to ask Serpentalia about this claim that the Archangels could create life, such as himself.