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

by John J Higgins

  "Be safe my friend," Cerebriel said as he walked down the hallway, past the other portals and out to the main entrance.

  It was dusk and beginning to get dark. Cerebriel went out the entrance and down the steps of the pyramid, and then flew off heading back to the Heavens. As he left, his mind was so focused on what Jarahmael was going to do, that he did not notice the serpent creature that was hiding behind some of the nearby bushes. The serpent had barely slithered out of the pyramid before he could be seen by Cerebriel. Now having avoided detection, Serpentalia was armed with the conversation he had overheard between the two Angels. Luciferael will be very interested in hearing this, he thought to himself.

  Jarahmael walked down the passageway watching his reflection get closer as he approached the portal. When he was up close he saw that the portal was mirror-like and framed in silver and gold. Beautiful as it was, he knew he did not have time to study it, because he needed to go find Lillith. He looked at the inscriptions on the wall near the portal and read that one had to repeat the phrase "Peto! Peto! Peto!" in order to make the portal work. He called out the phrase and then placed his hands on the portal, but found that they went right into it. The solid surface had vanished despite its reflecting his own image back at him like the mirrors he created. It was only after he stepped through that he could see he was in a different passageway, somewhere else. Daylight still streamed down the hallway. It was earlier in the day here. The passageway from the portal was similar in many respects, but there was no writing on the walls. The stones were more crude and not as finely polished as the one in Eden. He turned around and looked himself over in his reflection from the portal, checking to make sure there had not been any adverse effects from being transported. From what he could see he was all intact, and there were no changes in his appearance.

  Reassured, he turned and moved down the hallway away from the portal. Now to see if he could find Lillith!

  Chapter 36

  DISCOVERY

  Jarahmael's eyes caught a glimmer of blonde hair as he turned the corner out of the passageway in the Mediusian pyramid. His heart skipped, as he knew he had finally found her. She was lying down in the center room not far from the hallway he had just left, her head resting against her self-made backpack, with her eyes closed as she slept. He rushed up to meet her, gliding silently, as he did not want to frighten her.

  He gazed down upon her face and was filled with that warm emotion that had sprung up in him from the very first time he gazed upon her. As he looked down upon her, she slowly opened her eyes, and after a second or two of focusing, she realized that Jarahmael had in fact found her. They looked deeply into each other's eyes, scanning, searching to see the truth of how each felt to see one another again.

  Jarahmael thought to himself that Angels and Humans had never been together like this. The Beings of Light and Humans had different ways of expressing love. Angels loved everything in the Creation as they knew it was all part of the Almighty, that love was radiated from each being to another, and no physical touch was required. While Humans, well, he realized he did not understand how they loved. Adam and Lillith expressed their feelings for one another physically, but argued with each other the rest of the time. It seemed to him that they were unable to express themselves spirit to spirit and were limited to the physical rituals to show kindness and concern.

  He bent over and got very close to her face while he was thinking. His hair brushed her's and a tingling sensation shot between them. He didn't know what to do with such a feeling. Did she feel the same way about him as he felt about her? And would she want to be close to him too?

  He watched her eyes closely, seeing them focus on him, scanning his whole body. There was something magnetic between them, the look between them electric, slowing time down to where it seemed to stop. He wanted to look away from her face and eyes; he felt vulnerable, as if she could read his thoughts. He was unsure how to read all of her expressions, as she was the first Human female and there was nothing to compare her to. She was more intelligent than the Simian women he had been able to study. As he began to stand back up and moved his face away from hers, she moved her whole body upwards along with his, keeping the same distance between their faces.. Then suddenly she moved her face forward and kissed him fully on his lips, putting her arms around him.

  She pulled her head back and said to him, "I am so glad you found me. I have been glad that I ran away from Adam, exploring the world on my own, even though I have had a feeling that other creatures were looking for me, following me. I just had a feeling that I should not be found. But I wanted you to find me, Jarahmael."

  He gazed back into her eyes. Angels did not kiss or hold one another like this. His energy was flowing, and he was feeling stronger than he had ever felt before. He could feel her heart beating against his chest and it made him shine brighter. His arms around her made him feel even more protective of her.

  "You have been gone for quite a while. It's amazing you were able to stay hidden for so long without any guidance or protection, Lillith. You have many worried, myself especially. The Almighty Himself sent me to find you. I have searched and searched for you."

  "I tried to keep myself as hidden as possible, afraid that Adam would try to find me and bring me back with him. We never got along well."

  Jarahmael nodded that he understood, and he agreed with her from his observations. Adam and Lillith had not gotten along well. It seemed that they were never a good match and he knew that even the Almighty agreed with that assessment.

  "But I did see that he replaced me just a couple days after I left. Had another woman created and moved into Eden with him!" she said with some annoyance.

  "Yes, Lillith, that's one of the reasons the Almighty sent me to find you."

  "Is He angry with me?" asked Lillith.

  "No, He was concerned about your well-being. Now that I found you I can take you back. He wants to talk with you personally."

  "Will you be there with me, Jarahmael? I have been so confused and frightened. I don't want to face the Almighty alone. I know He wanted me to stay with Adam but I couldn't, I just couldn't."

  "No explanations are necessary. I could see that something was amiss between you two. Besides, you have always had more the looks of an Angel than that of a Human. Adam looks much more like the Earth from which he was created, while your blonde hair and blue eyes make you appear much more like one of the Beings of Light. It's a shame you don't have wings," he said while stroking her hair.

  "Anyway, it's night time and probably best to remain where we are," said Jarahmael. "We can stay here and have some time together, rest, and talk. We will return to Eden tomorrow and I will bring you to the Almighty." He put her face in between his two hands and stroked her cheek.

  She responded to his touch and kissed him once again, pulling him closer. Then taking a breath, her chest heaving more deeply, she whispered in his ear, "And you, my Angel, found me. Despite my trying to stay hidden, I had to leave you some clues as to how to find me. I knew that you would try to find me. It's clear that you care for me much more than Adam ever did. I want to be with you. I have wanted to be with you, from the first time our gazes met in Eden."

  Those words exhilarated Jarahmael. He did not have to wonder any longer if she had felt the same about him. Now he knew for sure. He thought about how she had whispered his name while she was making love with Adam and that made him want her even more.

  He liked holding her close like that, and being able to kiss her. They began kissing, slowly exploring one another's lips, tongue and mouth. The Angel could feel her become open to him, wanting him. Her body moved in closer and closer to him. And she began to pull him down to the floor of the pyramid, laying her head on the backpack she had been using as a pillow, feeling him on top of her.

  Jarahmael had never experienced making love between two bodies. Angels loved one another from one mind and one soul to the other's mind and soul. Making physical love never had a purpose for th
e Angels. But having observed her and Adam on previous occasions perform this act, Jarahmael knew what to do, and let their bodies flow into each other, ever deeper.

  They were both swept up in their passion for one another, entwining themselves together into one extended physical entity. Jarahmael had control over his bodily composition as a Being of Light, and slowing down the speed of his essence enabled him to harden his body and become solid. By doing that he was able to consummate his passion for her in the way she had known with Adam. But Jarahmael was not Adam. He cared for her deeply, and he let her have her way, and did not try to control how she pleased herself with him. And, in the process of their love making, they both discovered that Angels had the ability to connect directly with a Human's soul, freeing it and merging the two. They joined together in a way that the body didn't interfere, and they became one. Joined together like that, floods of feelings interchanged and intermixed and for the moment of ecstasy their two souls became combined, larger than each individually, a feeling that only was matched by their memories of their own souls when they were all part of the Almighty Himself.

  When they had finished, their souls separated again into each of their separate bodies. Jarahmael felt even more strongly for Lillith. He decided, if the Almighty would permit it, to ask for Lillith to live with him in his palace in the Seventh Heaven. He felt that she was superior to Adam and truly believed she had a large part of the essence within her that the Angels also possessed, a greater dose of the Almighty. And she could help Jarahmael and Michael guide the Humans. She knew how it felt to be Human, and that could be of tremendous use to the Archangels as mankind grew in number. And the feelings between Lillith and Jarahmael would be good for the overall Creation, because wasn't it about love anyway?

  As they rested on the floor of the pyramid, Jarahmael pulled her into himself, enclosing her in his wings. As they were falling asleep, Lillith whispered to Jarahmael, entwined in his arms, "There is nothing better than falling asleep within an Archangel's strong yet soft, feathery wings."

  The next morning both of them awoke as the sunshine lit up the interior of the pyramid. The sunshine seemed particularly bright to both of them as it was a new day in a new life for each of them. Jarahmael looked forward to bringing Lillith back triumphantly from his searches for her. And his heart was soaring with the idea that she showed as much love for him as he felt for her.

  He lifted her up and carried her on his back as they passed through the portal and returned to Eden. As soon as they were through he lifted off with her and flew through the passageway and out of the entrance of the pyramid in Eden, just as the other Angels were arriving to work for the day. Seeing Cerebriel still in mid-air, Jarahmael waved to him with Lillith perched between his shoulder blades, her face next to his. Jarahmael did not want to have to explain much to anyone and did not want to be dissuaded from what he intended to do next with Lillith. He had decided he was not going to leave Lillith in Eden as the Almighty originally instructed but rather was going to take her directly to meet with Him in the Seventh Heaven.

  Jarahmael had weighed the options where to take Lillith in his mind, being careful to not let Lillith know that he believed her to be in danger. He was concerned that it could take him all day to get back to the Seventh Heaven and discuss his concerns with the Almighty. He may not get back until after nightfall if that happened. He knew she would be safe during the day time in the Garden of Eden as there were many Angels around; it was when night fell that he was most concerned. Sammuael or one of the others in Luciferael's Auxilium could come to Eden and capture her, and then take her someplace where Luciferael could keep her captive or worse. After all, they were searching for her the other night, and Jarahmael suspected that they were still searching for her. She would be alone and vulnerable come nightfall in the Garden of Eden if he left her there. And then there was also Serpentalia, that creature Jarahmael still had not figured out. The serpent was always lurking in bushes, unable to remember, or possibly having his memory cleansed by Luciferael or his Auxilium in order to hide their true purposes. It was too much of a risk. Yes, he would take her with him to the Seventh Heaven and explain himself to the Almighty, and take his chances.

  As they flew away from Eden, Jarahmael wanted to distract himself and Lillith, so he began explaining the Seven Heavens and how they were arranged. Lillith could see the Guardian Angels flying above Eden and in the surrounding territory that was the First Heaven. Jarahmael changed the angle he was flying so he could show her how the Garden of Eden was connected between the Earth and the First Heaven.

  "See, that is where you are from, Lillith," he said as he pointed to the lush green area off to the east. "There are mountains at the farthest border on the east and four rivers embedded within the landscape. It sits as a land mass, with a gateway above it that is connected to the clouds of the First Heaven and over here is the gateway to the Earth below."

  "I see that now. I had thought that the Garden of Eden was the entire Universe. I am sure Adam still believes that!" she said as she smiled and nestled herself closer to Jarahmael's face.

  "Look over there, you can see the Guardian Angels," Jarahmael pointed out. "They are golden-bodied with brown wings. Someday I will introduce you to their leader, Gaardrael."

  "Those are Angels?" Lillith asked. "They look like the birds that would fly far up in the sky over Eden."

  "Yes, I am sure if they are far enough away, they would appear like that," Jarahmael said, chuckling, not sure Gaardrael would like to be identified as resembling an earthen bird.

  The skies below the gateway to Earth had only a few clouds and Jarahmael decided to fly Lillith in one quick circle. This way she could see a bit more of the planet Earth below. Flying over the entire planet would have to wait for another time. But he knew that although she had made it down to the planet, her experiences of the past couple of days were limited to the areas immediately around the pyramids in Aegyptus and Medius. From the vantage point of being high in the skies over the planet, she could get a sense of the size of the planet. As Jarahmael and Lillith entered the Earth's sky, she could see the groups of Angels flying in a few directions headed towards their work sites where additional pyramids were being constructed.

  Lillith pointed down to where there were wide sections of scorched destruction contrasted against the greenery of the planet, areas that looked like they were scraped of all life and vegetation.

  "Why are there such barren areas on the Earth?" she asked Jarahmael. "It looks like something awful happened there."

  "It was terrible. The Almighty sent us to clear the planet of certain destructive creatures. They had been made by the First Born of the Archangels, Luciferael. These creatures had gotten out of control. It was decided that they would harm Humans like yourself, and so we had to clear them from the planet so your kind could inhabit the Earth someday. The creatures were known as dinosaurs and were very destructive to themselves and others. It took a great deal of effort by the Angels to destroy them."

  Lillith grew very quiet and Jarahmael could feel her tense up on his back. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked, "You don't think the Almighty is angry with me for leaving Adam? Do you think He just wants to destroy me, like He destroyed the dinosaurs, because they were out of control?"

  Jarahmael wanted to believe that the Almighty was only concerned for Lillith's safety. He also knew that the Almighty had realized that Lillith and Adam were not a good match. Otherwise, He would not have replaced her so quickly with Eve, but would have tried to get the two of them back together.

  Jarahmael responded, "No, of course not. The Almighty selected me personally to go find you and bring you to Him. He would never have done that if He wanted to punish you or destroy you. He told me I was being sent because I knew you better than any of the other Angels."

  Lillith continued, "I am still a bit frightened, but if you tell me that there is nothing to fear, I will believe you. I never saw a dinosaur, but I did meet something cal
led a Serpentalia who helped me when I was hiding from Adam," she added. "He was an odd creature, that's for sure."

  "You will have to tell me all about that creature Serpentalia sometime," Jarahmael said. He did not want to worry Lillith with the news that Sammuael and other members of Luciferael's Auxilium were looking for her and that Serpentalia was most likely assisting them find her. But he also wanted her to be aware that the serpent was not one to be trusted. "I have seen him too, lurking about Eden. I noticed he was often hiding behind trees and bushes watching Adam and you. The Almighty spared the Serpentalians from destruction, as they supposedly have more of a mind than other comparably sized creatures. They may also be the only remainders of the reptilian race created by Luciferael."

  Jarahmael ended the circle around the gateway between the Earth and the First Heaven and flew back through it on his way into the Second Heaven. As they flew through the gateway the two of them saw the strange orbs of light floating about under the golden hued sky broken up by red colored clouds. Jarahmael hovered for a few moments so that Lillith could observe these strange orbs of light as they flashed in flight.

  "What are those spheres of light floating through here?" she asked about the orbs that glowed and vibrated much like the stars in the Heavens on a clear night, but in much brighter colors.

  "Those are Angels from the Order of the Potentates. Watch, the air here is filled with so much energy from these spheres of power that at times bolts of electricity will dart from one Potentate to another, and then flash to any other that is close enough," Jarahmael said.

  A few moments later, just as Jarahmael had predicted, one of the Potentates came too close to another. A bolt of light flashed between the two of them, stalling both of them mid-flight long enough that two other groups flew in too close, causing a chain reaction of lights flashing from one Potentate to another. The light show grew with all sorts of flashes going between groups of them; at one point there was a flash across half of the Second Heaven below them.