War of Wings

by War of Wings (ARC) (epub)

  “I will, brother. Thank you.”

  “Of course. I’m the boring one. If I didn’t look after you, where would I get my fill of excitement?”

  Gabriel chuckled and labored up to the door. At the top step, he turned around.

  “We have to do something. If we don’t, who will?”

  “I know. Get some rest.”

  Gabriel stumbled into his home and heard Michael let out a soft sigh just as he closed the door. Peering out the window, he found that Michael was already in intense prayer that looked a lot like pleading. Maybe God would answer Michael, but from the knot in his gut, he feared they were on their own. Maybe they deserved to be. Either way, it was time to fight for God and start His army. Gabriel was certain of one thing—Heaven would never be the same.

  Gabriel and Michael began traveling throughout Heaven, searching for angels to rally for God’s army. They started with their own street. They knew that stopping Lucifer would require an all-out war in Heaven, for Lucifer’s army was massive and would be difficult to overcome. They canvassed one street after another for hours seeking out comrades and true believers. Gabriel had far less success than Michael. He could not get other angels to even stop and listen to him.

  “You’re just prettier, Michael. That’s all.”

  After a number of angels heard Michael out but gave no firm commitments, they decided to go to God’s throne. It was time to raise the stakes.

  God’s light was so dim that there was a permanent dusk blanketing Heaven. It was impossible to ignore. Gabriel found it heartbreaking. Nonetheless he managed to stay focused as he followed Michael up the long staircase to the platforms of the thrones and seraphim.

  The laws that prohibited flying in the city were insignificant in the face of the current crisis, and none of the angels who would have enforced them were even at their posts. Angels were flying all around the city. Chaos had taken over Heaven. Most of the seraphim, cherubim, and thrones were gone, but they approached the ones who remained on the upper platform before the throne of God.

  “Are you ready for this, Gabriel?”

  Gabriel thumbed the inscription on his armor. “I’m the messenger angel, remember?”

  “Oh, now you are? Not too long ago you were all about fighting.”

  “Watch how it’s done. I was made for this.”

  Gabriel outstretched his hands and shouted, “Join us, hierarchs!”

  A few of the angels turned his way with awkward glances, others with looks of resentment before they all continued about their business. Michael’s crossed arms suggested he was unimpressed.

  “Like I said, you’re prettier. Go for it.” Gabriel bowed and swept to the side.

  “Who here is still loyal to God?” Michael demanded with a raised voice. He sounded so authoritative that even Gabriel straightened up. Almost everyone looked in his direction, and a few even stepped forward. “I know that many are confused about what is going on.”

  “We’re not confused,” a cherub said. “The only thing we are confused about is who you are.”

  “I am a loyal follower of our true God. I am Michael.” He gestured toward Gabriel with confidence. “And this is my brother Gabriel. What is your name, mighty cherub?”

  “I am Lustar. What we also know is that Lucifer has rallied many of our kind to join him in a powerful revolt against God.” He was a robust figure decked out in cherubim armor, complete with a chest plate of solid gold. His head and body seemed oversized. His hair was dark blond with thick bangs that covered his forehead like the columns covered the wall estates.

  “Yes, he has, which is exactly why I am here. I am looking to gather those loyal to God to march on His behalf and stand up against Lucifer,” said Michael.

  “Do you even know who Lucifer is, archangel?” Lustar looked Michael up and down. Gabriel was impressed by the size of his forearms more than anything. He must be great at the arms spar. “Do you know what he is capable of?”

  “Yes, I do. I know that he is more powerful than any angel in Heaven.” Michael finally tucked in his wings.

  “So what is it you think you can do? What can your army accomplish? He has most of the angels in Heaven behind him already,” said Lustar. Lucifer had made this a common misconception, and now most angels believed it. Gabriel found himself wondering if it was true—if Lucifer already had more angels out there in the cosmos than were left in all of Heaven.

  “I know Lucifer is powerful, but I also know that God is more powerful. Right now, Lucifer is making it seem like God has no following. There are so many angels who are unaccounted for. Now, who will join me? We need everyone, including leaders. Right now,” Michael announced. The nearby angels hesitated, looking around at each other. No one responded. Their fear of Lucifer was apparent. The silence was almost painful.

  Finally, Lustar spoke. “Why would any of us follow you?’

  “I am not asking you to follow me. I am asking you to follow God. I am asking you to stand up for our Creator.”

  The angels’ expressions showed shame, fear, confusion, and even anger. Lustar appeared unmoved. “Since you think you are so close to God, tell me why He has abandoned us in this time of crisis.”

  “I cannot answer that. But I know there is a good reason.”

  “That’s what I thought,” said Lustar. He turned to walk away. The crowd was starting to talk, some of them looking away. If he lost Lustar, he would lose everyone.

  “What do you think, Lustar?” Michael asked.

  Lustar turned around. “I think you know nothing.”

  “I think the same thing. We have something in common. No one knows anything, for that matter. I’m not the smartest angel here among these brilliant minds of the first tier. I do however choose to believe in something bigger than myself. I also don’t think it is abandonment. I think we simply don’t understand what He is doing. That’s all.” Michael had a way with words. It was very different from Lucifer; not as elegant perhaps, but effective nonetheless.

  Lustar paused, considering. Then he said, “Why would a perfect God allow us to feel such heartache?”

  “He has a plan that we cannot understand.”

  Lustar stood straight and seemed to have grown ten inches. “No. Why would He allow things to go wrong? If He were truly who He is supposed to be, then He would confront Lucifer now and not allow all the rest of us to feel this way.”

  “I choose to believe He has His reasons. Maybe it is for us to learn. Maybe it is for us to prove our loyalty so He can see who truly believes in Him. I don’t know. All I know is that I am going to fight for Him. Are you with me or not? Are you with God?” Michael raised his voice again and made eye contact with as many of the angels as he could.

  The crowd was still divided and hesitant. They moved around and spoke to each other quietly. At least this time they were all engaged.

  “What is the point of this existence if we have an Almighty God who causes suffering?” Lustar asked. “Why would He allow us to suffer? No, He is backing down and abandoning us, and Lucifer has exposed Him. It is too hard to believe in Him anymore. That is why—”

  “I will join you,” a throne interrupted as he moved forward from the crowd. Gabriel recognized him as Anistar, an angel who had never been a leader but was known for his deep loyalty to God. He was frail with pale skin, and he looked older than most angels. His armor was bedecked with purple velvet, gold embellishments, and red rubies. After he stepped forward, two more thrones joined him, and then a seraph named Grandathos said, “I will also fight for our God with you.”

  Gabriel couldn’t believe it. It was a start.

  Grandathos’s middle wings covered his face like the other seraphs’, so it was disconcerting to see him walk forward toward Michael without bumping into anyone. Seraphs were tall and intimidating, and Grandathos was no exception. He had massive wings, and his presence alone demanded attention. Thirteen others followed suit immediately after him, and Gabriel’s wings quivered in excitement.r />
  Thus Michael started their army. Lustar stayed behind with many others, but they now had seventeen on their side. The new troop marched up the steps together before Grandathos stopped Michael.

  “God is not up there anymore.”

  “Did God say anything before leaving?” Michael asked.

  “No. Nothing.”

  Michael said a prayer to God. As he prayed, Grandathos drew Gabriel to the side and spoke with a lowered voice. “Your calling is undeniable. I am following your friend who spoke, but I came because I saw you.”

  Gabriel couldn’t fathom why Grandathos was so impressed with him. The fact he couldn’t even see the seraphim’s face didn’t help Gabriel feel any less awkward.

  Michael finished praying, and they began to descend the stairs. Michael explained in detail what he felt was happening, which sparked debates between the other angels. Michael seemed to have more answers than any of the angels above him, and they all felt it was odd that he knew so much as an archangel. Grandathos didn’t have much to say; he just followed Gabriel, a little closer than he would have liked.

  Gabriel realized from their questions that many were simply confused and scared. They didn’t understand why God couldn’t be reached. Had he abandoned them? Michael assured them that God would soon return and those loyal to Him would not suffer the consequences of the division. Gabriel wasn’t so sure. All he could do was hold onto hope. He talked with Anistar, the pale angel who had first volunteered; he spoke of his belief that not one single angel from the class of the powers had left God’s side for Lucifer. This was astonishing considering every other class had half or more who had strayed. The powers class was large—over two hundred thousand angels. Many felt their persistent loyalty was a rumor, but Gabriel wanted to find out. He told Michael of Anistar’s faith in the powers, and a plan was set.

  The powers were a very quiet class of angels. They were warriors as their given duty, and they worked directly with the principalities. The principalities reported to the powers, and the lead powers kept records of every significant event that took place in Heaven. Gabriel was surprised to hear from Anistar about all that they had allegedly documented already throughout this time of tribulation. They were much more informed than he would have thought on what had taken place.

  According to Anistar, Michael and Gabriel needed to seek out the powerful leader, Rametheus, who had played a large role in the powers’ unity. His strong loyalty had served as a guide to others in his class. Through a small circle of friends, Anistar kept in contact with the powers, and he felt that Rametheus would be willing to see them.

  They led their newly formed group outside of the inner island and east of the Great Canyon. From there, they flew toward the Endless Highlands. Anistar had heard a rumor that the main group of the powers had settled in the highlands in one of several secret dwellings they had throughout Heaven. No one in the company knew how many they actually had.

  They traveled along a small creek that ran between two large hills covered in soft, cloth-like grass. The creek emptied into a small body of calm, murky water with another huge hill on the opposite side. A fifty-foot-tall gate had been constructed in the base of the hill and led directly within; the hill itself was the size of a small town. Some of their party flew across the pond while others walked around, and they regrouped by the gate. It was much quieter here than in most of Heaven. In fact, Gabriel realized there was no noise at all. There was not a breath of wind, and not even the water moved. With all the chaos going on, the tranquility of the place felt haunting.

  Michael, Gabriel, and the seventeen angels approached the door, and Michael rapped it with his knuckles. Not one second after the knock, the door opened with a creak of its hinges. One of the powers stood there to greet them. He was large, at least five feet taller than Michael, and metal shards of armor adorned his muscular shoulders, one bronze and the other silver. Behind him, Gabriel saw an entire community within the hill, its structures made entirely of wood—wooden floors, buildings, and countless pillars and columns for support.

  “We would like to speak with Rametheus,” Michael said.

  “I’ll take you to him,” the power replied without a second of hesitation. It was like he knew they were coming. With a clank from his armored feet, the angel turned to lead the way within.

  Gabriel found the powers to be an odd class of angel. They all looked very similar, sharing the same physical characteristics. The powers themselves were the only ones who could name each other based on face and voice alone. They were also quite muscular compared to the average angel. The male powers were usually bare chested, with shards of metal that covered various body parts, depending upon their ranks. The higher they ranked, the more armor they had and the more elaborate its designs. Gabriel had known a few and always felt they had no personality.

  The female powers were similar except they had solid metal covering their upper torsos and usually some portion of their arms. As Raphael had once put it, they were “exciting to look at.” Gabriel had to admit that the entire class had amazing bodies even if he was fonder of the daintiness of the virtues.

  They followed the power into the hill and began to see others going about their business in this hidden community. Several hundred torches with endless blue flames dimly lit the entirety of the underground city. Gabriel savored the smell of hickory smoke that seemed to envelop the place. It was a short escape from the nerves, and a sense of hope built inside him with each step. They needed these angels on their side.

  The group walked on amber-stained flooring about eighty yards and then up three steps to an amphitheater that looked designed for large gatherings. A strange gazebo in the far-left corner looked out of place. Gabriel and the others crossed an arched bridge that took them over a thin, neon-blue stream that split the city in two and then up a flight of stairs that led to the largest building in sight. The hillside’s entire city seemed built around this wooden nucleus. Four flaming torches shone on each side of the doorway. A few of the powers stood in dark shadows nearby, but their role was uncertain.

  “He is in there. Only one of you can go in,” the power stated in a nonnegotiable tone.

  Michael turned around to face Grandathos, Anistar, and the others. “I will go speak with him on our behalf if no one objects.”

  “Nuntias Dei,” said the power. Gabriel’s mouth fell open, and Michael pivoted back around. After a short silence, the power pointed at Gabriel.

  Gabriel’s head felt half its weight. “I think it would be better for Michael to go in. He’ll be better with words for your leader.”

  “You are the one he wants to see.” He pointed directly at the words on Gabriel’s chest plate. Gabriel had never heard so much about this silly inscription in all his life. It was becoming annoying.

  “It must be you,” continued the sturdy power.

  Gabriel glanced over at Michael, who looked just as perplexed.

  “Michael?”

  Michael evaluated the angel, but the power’s eyes stayed on Gabriel. He wasn’t budging. Ever. “Well, if that’s what he wants,” Michael said. “Just be yourself, and let Rametheus know we need them to join us. Badly. No pressure.”

  “No pressure at all,” returned Gabriel. He walked up at least fifty wooden steps that never creaked until he came to a door with a ten-foot carving of a lion. He started to knock, but he was apparently expected; it was ajar. He pushed it open.

  Gabriel was taken immediately by the sheer presence of the power at the end of the large room. His mystical wings exuded light and had some of the largest feathers Gabriel had ever seen. They were the color of aged ivory, spattered with touches of grey. Of course, Gabriel thought, he expected no less of a spectacular angel for someone who could get him almost over two hundred thousand followers with one conversation.

  The honored power stood behind a table that had two carved cups and a wooden pitcher between them. His beard, hair, and eyes were all brown, and he wore large shards of metal on his s
houlders. He was muscular and stood with perfect posture and an air of confidence even greater than most powers.

  Gabriel noticed a large stack of armor piled neatly on the floor beside him. Anistar had said that Rametheus was the oldest of all the powers though he didn’t look it; he was undoubtedly the most respected. He was soft-spoken considering the influence he had on the powers; however, when he spoke, it was of great importance, and they listened intensely.

  “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to say something?” Rametheus said in a low, husky voice.

  Gabriel hoped he hadn’t already messed this up from his awkward stare. “Hello. I was just admiring your wings.”

  “Thank you. They were once all white, but few angels were here back then. Welcome. I am Rametheus. Join me for a drink.”

  “Thank you.” Gabriel walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. “Were you one of the first?”

  “Lucifer was first. I was the seventh.”

  “Did you know him well?”

  “We called each other brothers back then, but that was long ago. We are no longer brothers.”

  “Good. I am Gabriel. I am an archangel. I have come to speak with you about the dissent among us.” The chair was borderline uncomfortable, but he had remembered the only line Michael told him to say, so now he felt better.

  “Heaven is no longer as it once was.”

  “No, it is not. Few have stayed loyal, and we have come for your help.”

  “What can I do for you?” Rametheus grabbed the pitcher and poured green liquid into Gabriel’s cup. Steam rose from the spout of the pitcher. He then handed the pitcher toward Gabriel instead of the cup. Gabriel didn’t know what to do with it. Rametheus was looking at him like Michael did when he was about to scold him, and Gabriel realized he was supposed to pour him a glass as well. Gabriel willed his shaking hand to relax for a smooth pour.

  “Thank you,” said Rametheus, pleased.

  “It is you who should be thanked. I have heard from our following that none of your class has succumbed to Lucifer’s lies. Is it true?”