In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II)

by John J Higgins

  If Jarahmael timed it perfectly, the incoming rebel Angels would think that Luciferael's arrival forced the doors open and Luciferael would think that Damiel's lead squadron had opened the doors. While he waited, Jarahmael tucked both sets of pages between his back and wings, now hidden neatly so the Books would not be detected. As Jarahmael had planned, Damiel and his squadron took advantage of seeing the door somewhat open and pushed the doors further in as they burst through. At the same time Luciferael had cleared the skylight and was landing with his eyes intensely focused downwards at the Throne. Once through the door, Damiel and his squadron were only focused on watching Luciferael’s descent as they moved into the center of the room. They stopped just short of the Throne and began to bow down out of reflex just as Luciferael landed on it. With their all their attention now focused on the Throne, and their backs to the main door, Jarahmael took the opportunity to slip out through the doorway behind them and flew off quietly and unnoticed.

  While Damiel and the other rebel Angels stood watching, Luciferael landed next to the Throne. He grabbed the top of the Throne and moved it aside and looked within. He saw the Book of Creation sitting within it, never noticing the hidden compartment below, and then covered the Throne back up. Turning around, he beckoned Damiel's squadron to come closer and surround the Throne itself.

  “You have done well,” Luciferael said while he reached out and touched Damiel's shoulder. “Guard the Throne day and night. Keep guards in a circle surrounding the Throne. No one is to look at or touch that Book.” Then pointing towards the doors into the Throne Room, he said, “Place the rest of your Angels in position and keep those doors blocked. Await my further instructions. I need to go join Beelzebael's legions, as they are getting ready to break through into the Second and First Heavens. We have overrun all the other Heavens. Once victory is assured, I will return to take the Throne as the new Almighty!”

  “Yes, my lord!” responded Damiel, smiling. “The Universe will be one again with the Angels at the lead, the First Born of Heaven!”

  Luciferael smiled back. “Yes, all of the Universe will be ours again.” He then stretched out his wings and flew back up through the skylight above the Throne. Luciferael's eyes irradiated in violet, the color intensified by victory as he stroked his wings powerfully, cutting through the skies of the Seventh Heaven, and then turning towards the gateway aimed himself headfirst towards the Heavens below.

  Chapter 20

  DUTY

  Jarahmael headed from the Throne Room back towards his palace. He was thinking about how Lillith would feel in his arms once again. The past couple of days had been very stressful for him, but he was sure that it would have been more difficult for her as she had no idea of what was going on in the Heavens. He had been afraid that Luciferael and his army planned to destroy Humans, and had left her in his palace with a means of hiding herself just in case the rebel Angels came looking for her. Jarahmael never expected that Luciferael’s actions were an outright revolt and his intention was to replace the Almighty and take over all of the Heavens.

  On his way to his palace, Jarahmael was trying to solve the problem of getting Lillith out of the mansion and transporting her down to earth, without her being seen, captured, or destroyed. The problem was worse now that there were thousands upon thousands of rebel Angels who were between them and safety for her. He had been fortunate moving around the Heavens on his own but he was not sure he could succeed in getting her safely to the loyal Angel army on the Earth.

  All the while, he missed looking into her eyes, feeling the tension between them when they were close together, the smell and touch of her hair and her skin. Whenever he thought of her, a primordial feeling overcame him. Not the way an Angel should feel, he would say to himself and then clear his mind and compose himself once again.

  For the moment, he was going to make sure she was safe, and then take her with him if he could think of a plan.

  As he approached his palace, another Archangel came swooping down into his path from above. At first he thought that it was one of Luciferael's rebel Angels and he drew both swords in mid-flight, prepared to defend himself. He soon recognized that it was Raziel, whom he had left on the Earth days before. Jarahmael asked, “How did you get up here, lord Raziel? How did you find me?”

  “I am so glad I found you, lord Jarahmael! I knew you had to be heading to the Seventh Heaven,” Raziel responded. “Then when I saw all the ceremony going on in the Throne Room, I figured you had to have been around. Watching from a distance, I saw Luciferael descend into the Throne Room while Damiel and others went in through the main floor level door. I was correct about where you would be,” he said, smiling. “I saw you slip your way out of there and then fly in this direction. I would have waited to meet you at your palace, but our problem can’t wait.”

  Looking tired because everything in the past couple of days had been something urgent or out of the ordinary, Jarahmael asked, “Our problem? What has come up? I am trying to get to Lillith in my palace and get her safely out of here.”

  “I understand, my lord Jarahmael, but something terrible just occurred and you are the only one I know who can help.”

  “All right, what is it?” said Jarahmael, re-sheathing his two swords.

  “Luciferael's legions have captured lord Michael.”

  “That can't be!” responded Jarahmael. “I left him on Earth along with lord Cerebriel. How could he be captured when none of the fighting has gotten down to the First Heaven or the Earth? Or are you telling me that it has gotten down that far and we have lost?”

  “No, no. Luciferael’s army has gotten through most of the lower Heavens but has been stopped at the First Heaven. But earlier this morning, before Luciferael succeeded in breaking through the defenses of the Fourth Heaven, lord Michael, Volac of the Dominions and I came up to check on the defenses in the Fourth Heaven before they fell. But while we were coming up, Luciferael’s rebel Angels broke through and swarmed into the Third Heaven; that's where Michael was betrayed. Volac betrayed him. Volac had come down to Earth looking for him, asking him to help hold onto the Fourth Heaven for the Dominions. No one suspected that Volac could be an agent of Luciferael's.”

  “Where is lord Michael now?” asked Jarahmael.

  “He is being held in the Hall of the Virtues, at the other end from where Ariel is being held. I was going to try to free him, but there were squads of armed Cherubim there and I would not be able to overcome them alone,” replied Raziel.

  “Has there been any progress on Earth in assembling the loyal Angels?”

  “Yes, we have been getting organized. And arming the ranks with the tools that we had used to work on the pyramids. Michael was getting ready to move a force up to the First Heaven later today.”

  “Have you seen lord Cerebriel?”

  “No, he has been traveling from one pyramid to another organizing the groups of Angels who had been working on each of the pyramid sites. Lord Michael thought it would be another day or two until they would be ready to counterattack. Without lord Michael, I am afraid we will not be able to overcome the rebel Angel armies,” said Raziel, deeply concerned.

  “Did Faumiel of the Cherubim ever make it to the Earth with the weapons I had them load and transport?”

  “No, we have received no weapons and I have not seen any trace of Faumiel either. We need them desperately!” Raziel answered.

  “I hope Faumiel is just delayed trying to sneak through the rebel Angel guards and that he has not been caught or lost the weapons!” Jarahmael said. “I had the Cherubim load what was left of the weapons in the Sixth Heaven. There are no more.”

  “What are we going to do about lord Michael?” Raziel asked again.

  Jarahmael was torn about what to do next. He wanted to go to Lillith and be with her, just to feel her again. He needed to get her to safety, now that the Seventh Heaven, too, was under the control of Luciferael and his rebel Angels.

  But if he didn't get Michael release
d and soon so he could return to the Earth and head the loyal Angel army, all may be lost. Michael had always been next in command after Luciferael. All the loyal Orders of Angels would look to him for leadership. If Michael was captured or incapacitated it would be proof that Luciferael was unbeatable and that it was inevitable that Luciferael would dominate the Heavens and the Earth.

  “Did you come up here alone, lord Raziel?”

  “Yes, Jarahmael, I am alone. I had come up to the upper Heavens with lord Michael and that treacherous Dominion, Volac. After lord Michael's capture I thought that finding you would be the best thing I could do. I would never be able to get more loyal Angels up through the lower Heavens unnoticed at this point. It’s you and me from what I can tell.”

  “All right,” Jarahmael said, resigned to the fact that he would not be able to get to Lillith before he had to try to save Michael and Ariel. He adjusted his swords and felt for the Crystal Prism within his tunic. He also wanted to put the Book of Creation and the Book of Life somewhere safer than on his own person, but with Luciferael and his minions in control of the Seventh Heaven, his mansion wouldn't be a safe place either. He was careful not to let Raziel see him adjust the Books stored under the tunic folds that hung on his back under the spear sling. Better that no one knows I have the Books, he thought. Anyone captured could be forced to give up what they knew. Luciferael, after all, was involved with creating each of the Archangels and had a special power over them.

  “Let’s go find them,” Jarahmael said, turning his direction away from his own mansion and began heading back down through the Sixth Heaven.

  Chapter 21

  SUBSTITUTION

  Luciferael's spirits were high as he left the Seventh Heaven, having triumphantly taken the Throne Room. His rebel armies were conquering all of the Heavens one by one and destroying the resistance. He had caught them all by surprise. Soon his forces would reach the Earth and he would be able to get rid of those Humans and Simians once and for all. There would no longer be any competition from them, he would anoint himself as the new Almighty and end their pesky existence just as the soon-to-be former Almighty had destroyed his creatures, the dinosaurs.

  Luciferael was surprised that he also caught the Almighty off guard. He took the Seventh Heaven easily and now had control of the Book of Creation. He was unstoppable now. The whole Universe would be his to command. He crossed back down through the Sixth Heaven and headed into the Fifth Heaven, savoring the sites as each of these were his to rule from this day forward.

  Luciferael would be kind and allow the respective Orders of Angels to reoccupy their Heavens. All they had to do was swear allegiance to him and it would be done. I am the savior of the Beings of Light, he thought to himself. I have prevented the Almighty from making us second to the Humans. From now on, we will remain the most powerful beings in the Universe, and it will stay that way forever.

  As he passed through the gateway into the Fifth Heaven and entered the clouds in the skies there, he was met by Sammuael, who was flying alone to find him. “Lord Luciferael, I have great news!” he exclaimed. “I wanted to tell you personally and in private.”

  Luciferael smiled back. “More good news! How good can this day get!”

  “The war will soon be over. My agent, Volac of the Dominions, succeeded in capturing the Archangel Michael!”

  “Lord Michael? We broke through to the Earth already? That's wonderful!”

  “No, we have Michael here in the Fifth Heaven, my lord Luciferael. On my orders Volac went to the Earth and tricked Michael to come up into the Heavens alone. Once up here, he was able to get the better of him and capture him!”

  “Where is he now?” Luciferael said, his smile getting broader and broader.

  “Down here in the Hall of the Virtues where it all began. I have him under Cherubim guard.”

  “Perhaps I can get him to join our cause,” Luciferael said.

  “Perhaps,” replied Sammuael, still smiling, but underneath hoping that Michael would remain an enemy. If Michael changed his allegiance to Luciferael, Michael could take Sammuael's place as the next in command. Sammuael had not worked this hard to be displaced.

  “Lead the way!” Luciferael commanded.

  The two Archangels glided down from the skies of the Fifth Heaven and landed at the entrance to the Hall of the Virtues. As they walked in, Michael was seated off to their left surrounded by standing Cherubim guards.

  “Greetings lord Michael!” said Luciferael in a friendly tone. “It is so good to see you here! I do hope you and I can work something out. We were, and should remain, brothers.”

  “Greetings to you, too, lord Luciferael and lord Sammuael! If we are brothers, why am I held here as a captive?”

  “A mere detail,” stated Sammuael “For both your and our protection.”

  “You have nothing to fear here, lord Michael. I want only for you to join our cause,” Luciferael assured him.

  “And what cause is that, lord Luciferael?”

  “The removal of Humans and the Simians, along with the reestablishment of the Beings of Light as the most important life forms in the Universe!” Luciferael said as his body moved closer so he could stare more deeply into Michael's eyes.

  “And the by-product of that is the promotion of yourself as the replacement for the Almighty?” Michael asked with some annoyance in his voice.

  “Yes, unfortunately. It has become clear that His replacement will be necessary. You know that the Almighty is seldom around anymore. He leaves the Heavens under my control or even your control at times. He has little interest in us or our well-being anymore. Besides, you and I can do a much better job in the continued creation of this Universe, if given half a chance.”

  “But lord Luciferael, do you not respect loyalty?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, I do, lord Michael, in fact I demand it!” Luciferael responded, looking directly back into Michael's eyes.

  “You expect lord Sammuael here to follow out any command you give to him?” Michael said, continuing his point.

  “Of course!”

  “And if he doesn't have anything to carry out, do you expect him to remain loyal to you? To look out for your best interests?” Michael said as he sped up his questions.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Even if it means that he must sacrifice his own self-interest for your benefit?” Michael looked at both of them standing before him.

  “Yes, he should be honored to do that.” Luciferael looked over at Sammuael as Sammuael nodded in agreement.

  “And would he be disloyal if he did something for his own benefit that harmed you?”

  “Yes, but lord Sammuael would never do that, would you?” Luciferael asked as he looked over at Sammuael.

  “I would never do such a thing, my lord!” Sammuael answered.

  Michael ignored the interchange between them and continued. “If he was disloyal, would you keep him working with you?” Michael asked.

  “No, of course not, I need to trust those who are around me,” Luciferael responded confidently.

  “And if you had brethren whom you did not trust, what would you do to them?” Michael asked.

  “I would cast them out, banish them, or incapacitate them, maybe even destroy them if I had to.”

  “So what do you expect the Almighty to do with you, then?” asked Michael, pleased he had already made his points. “You who have not been following his commands, by putting your self-interests over that of the Almighty's desires concerning the Humans, you who have turned a full third of the Heavenly Host against those loyal to the Almighty? And you who even now plot to become the Almighty Himself and cast Him out of the Heavens He created?”

  “Yes, but He did not show the proper respect for our kind, lord Michael, placing these Humans above us, giving them more attention than He should have been giving to us!”

  “I know you feel that way, lord Luciferael, as do the Archangels that are part of your own little group, the Auxilium. I predi
ct that you will all turn on one another, all be jealous of one another, as you have lost sight of the love the Almighty has for each and every one of us, none really above the other. You just want all the attention, lord Luciferael!” Michael made the comments hoping to rekindle a more compassionate Luciferael.

  Sammuael interjected and spoke directly to Luciferael, ignoring Michael’s presence altogether.

  ”Don't you understand, my lord Luciferael? It is Michael who wants to rule in Heaven over us. It is he who spends time now with the Almighty. He does not serve the Almighty because of his love for the Almighty, but he does so because the Almighty gives him special counsel and special assignments. Soon he will not pay attention to you at all, my lord. And he believes that he and his ‘little group’ of Archangels will be above all of us.”

  Sammuael then turned his attention to Michael. “Isn't it true, Michael, that the Almighty discusses things with you privately outside the presence of lord Luciferael, even though he is the Prince of Heaven?”

  “Yes, but it is because—” Michael attempted to answer.

  Sammuael interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. “Isn't it true that the Almighty selected you to help with the Humans?

  “Yes, but—”

  “Isn’t it true that He had you observe the Humans without the knowledge of the rest of the Archangels?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Isn’t it true that you did this without the knowledge or permission of the lord Luciferael?”