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

by John J Higgins

  She would focus on the present. With her new wings she could explore Eden and the First Heaven from above. She could also explore the Earth just like the Angels could. She felt free and empowered. She had gotten free of Adam and now maybe she needed to get free of Luciferael and his Archangels. With these new wings she could travel wherever she chose!

  She also did not want to be this close to the war being fought. But, this was the safest place for her to be as she knew nothing about war and how to navigate her way safely through it, nor did she have any desire to learn. There was nothing good in her mind about this rebellion, as it had disrupted her life and taken Jarahmael from her.

  As she moved around in the hut she thought back to when she lived here, a simpler time when her whole world was contained here in the Garden of Eden. She did not know much about the Archangels nor what would become of their struggles. She remembered how she had felt when she had first seen Jarahmael and how he had come down to find her after she left Adam. How he pursued her across the Earth to make sure she was safe. How much she missed seeing him, feeling him and being with him. Luciferael may have been more handsome but he did not have one tenth of the warmth that Jarahmael had. She started to cry when she thought of him being gone from her and that she would never be able to see or talk to him again. She was stuck now with the cold self-loving Luciferael and his strange companions, Archangels that she did not like.

  For now, though, she was safe in Eden. Perhaps this is the best thing for me, she thought. “Stay here until the battles are over and then catch up with Luciferael later,” she said aloud, reinforcing it in her mind. “I will wait and see what tomorrow brings!” She did not want to take a chance by calling out the spell that Luciferael had used to take away her wings. What if I can't get the wings to come back with the other spell? she thought to herself. I will be stranded here on my own. Adam and Eve are gone too. Best to leave the wings as they are for now. She rearranged the straw in her bed so she could better support her back even with her wings. Despite having slept a good portion of the day away, she was still tired from having such little sleep the night before. And she knew the next day was going to be a long one. For Lillith, it was now a time for sleep and rest.

  Chapter 43

  GATHERING WHAT’S ABOVE

  The next morning, Jarahmael and Cerebriel arose after a night resting with their legions in the Third Heaven. They were ahead of Luciferael in the Heavens and had so far avoided detection. Jarahmael was counting on Luciferael being focused on Michael’s loyal Angels chasing after him from the lower Heavens. Luciferael would not even think that there were any loyal Angels moving ahead of him to protect the Seventh Heaven.

  Jarahmael met with Cerebriel and some of the other loyal Angels, preparing to lead their detachment up through the Third Heaven towards the Fourth Heaven. One of his Cherubim scouts approached them as they began their ascent. Excitedly, the scout called out, “I have news, my lords!” causing Jarahmael and Cerebriel to stop and hover as the Cherubim came closer.

  Cerebriel asked, “What news do you bring?”

  “I return from the Second Heaven below us, where my orders were to make sure that all of the Potentates had been evacuated and that there were none left behind. After a quick flight down, confirming that all the Potentates had left, I saw that Luciferael and his legions were making their way into the Second Heaven. If he and his legions move at the same rate that I observed, I believe he could be upon us in a matter of hours, my lords. Is there something you wish for me to do?”

  Jarahmael looked at Cerebriel and spoke, thinking aloud. “I had seen some defenses that were put up at the gateway between the Fourth and Third Heavens. Actually it was there that the rebel Angels believed that I had fallen. I left only my spear, as I needed to use it to catapult myself out from in-between the walls. We could rebuild those defenses and assign warriors to hold the mazes as long as possible. But that will, of course, give away our position. Luciferael at this point doesn't even know that we are in the levels of the Heavens above him.”

  Jarahmael turned his gaze back to the scout. “Did you see any signs that Luciferael's legions were being pursued by the Archangel Michael and his command?”

  “No, I did not my lord,” he replied to Jarahmael.

  Jarahmael moved closer to Cerebriel. He wanted his counsel, but not for everyone to hear. “Cerebriel, what do you think? There is no way to confirm that Michael is on the other side of the rebel legions, pushing them up into the Heavens. Michael could have been defeated or have some other problem. In any event, I believe we should keep in mind that we are the only thing that stands in the way of Luciferael getting to the Seventh Heaven.”

  Jarahmael hesitated for a second, debating about telling Cerebriel the truth about his taking the Book of Creation and Book of Life. They were far too powerful to fall into Luciferael's hands or any other Angel's for that matter. Besides, they were on the Earth below and inaccessible to him now. Luciferael’s army stood between him and the Books.

  As far as Jarahmael knew, no one other than the Almighty was aware of the existence of the Book of Life, and he would leave that to the Almighty to explain when the proper time came. Nor was anyone in the Heavens aware that occupying the seat of the Throne itself gave one power in the Universe. All the more reason to keep Luciferael away from the Throne and the Seventh Heaven. Jarahmael did not want anyone else to know that, the risks were just too great. But Cerebriel and others knew about the Book of Creation and that would be reason enough for them to hurry and protect the Thone Room from Luciferael and his minions.

  Jarahmael decided to keep the secrets safe and to himself and continued, “We also need to keep Luciferael away from the Throne Room as well as the Book of Creation. Luciferael’s control of the Book of Creation would give him many of the powers that the Almighty possesses and would aid him in solidifying his control of our Universe.”

  Cerebriel had been deep in thought about what Jarahmael had said. “As much as I would like to slow Luciferael down and fight him from a strong defensive position, I think you are right. Revealing that we are here in the Heavens above him may speed him up if he breaks through those defenses again at the gateway of the Third into the Fourth Heavens. He has broken through them once in the past already. It may make him rush up through the Heavens more quickly and overwhelm us with the numbers he has in his legions. And I agree, if what you say is true, that if he gets positioned in the Seventh Heaven or gets his hands on the Book of Creation, we will not stand a chance in defending ourselves against him.”

  Separating themselves from their huddle, Jarahmael stated to the Cherubim scout, “Thank you for letting us know.” Jarahmael then turned to some of Guardian Angels who were acting as messengers and said, “Go tell everyone to speed up in their ascent directly into the Fifth Heaven. We are not defending the gateway between the Third and Fourth Heavens and skipping through the Fourth Heaven altogether. In the meantime, Cerebriel, will you go on ahead, take a detachment of Cherubim with you and head directly to the Sixth Heaven? Clear out any rebel Angels and free any of the loyal Cherubim that may still be held captive. Take the rebel Angels as prisoners with you, do not leave them there.”

  Jarahmael looked over at Faumiel and spoke: “Faumiel, bring your detachment with you, and come along with me. We will clear out the rebel Dominion Angels and free their captives in the Fourth Heaven and then proceed to remove the rebel Virtue Angels and free the loyal ones in the Fifth Heaven. We need to move quickly, as I want to overcome any resistance before the main body of our loyal Angels and especially the Potentates begin arriving in the Fifth Heaven. We will catch up with Cerebriel once we are done. Gaardrael, keep the rest of our column moving. By that time the main body of our force should be somewhere in between the Fifth and Sixth Heavens.”

  Jarahmael and Cerebriel both broke off from the main body of the loyal Angels, each with their respective grouping of Cherubim Angels. Jarahmael and Faumiel’s small force quickly conquered the rest
of the rebel guards. The rebels in the Fourth Heaven were no more skilled than the ones left in the Third Heaven guarding the loyal Principalities. With the freed loyal Dominions guarding and moving the captive rebels, they quickly joined the main column of Jarahmael’s growing legion as they ascended upwards.

  Crossing into the Fifth Heaven, Jarahmael and his group quietly headed west, towards the Hall of the Virtues, while Cerebriel and his group continued ascending, heading towards the gateway into the Sixth Heaven.

  A little while later, Jarahmael and his small squad landed on the ground near the Hall of the Virtues, a place very familiar to him as he had been here to free Michael and Ariel just a few days before. Despite Jarahmael's successful raid, Luciferael had not increased the number of guards. Nor were they on any heightened alert or any more watchful. The guards obviously thought that the real fighting was supposed to be occurring on the Earth. The rebel Cherubim guards were very surprised when Jarahmael and his small group overran them and made them captives.

  Luciferael and his rebel Angels must have believed that they were going to simply surround the loyal Angels on the Earth and win the war, Jarahmael thought. That overconfidence and pride still gives us some advantage, as he will not be racing to cut us off get to the Seventh Heaven first.

  In the Fifth Heaven there was about half a legion of loyal Virtues who were being held captive, but now freed they could join Jarahmael's legions. This increased Jarahmael's Angel strength to about three quarters of a legion, between what he had brought with him from the First Heaven, and the captive Principalities, Dominions and Virtues. With luck Cerebriel would be able to release another one fourth of a legion of loyal Cherubim still captive in the Sixth Heaven. By the time he would get to the Seventh Heaven, they should be up to a full legion's strength. He also had a greater number of Potentates along with him but he knew he could not count on them as fighting Angels but only as energizers for the rest of his legion. Although he would still be outnumbered by Luciferael’s forces he would make his stand at the entrance to the Seventh Heaven whether or not Luciferael was being pursued by Michael. There was no time to waste.

  Chapter 44

  STAYING AHEAD OF WHAT’S BELOW

  Two columns of winged Angels ascended to the Seventh Heaven, a sight not seen in many days.

  Cerebriel approached up and from the west, ascending from the Cathedral of the Cherubim in the Sixth Heaven towards the entrance of the Seventh Heaven. He had retaken his Cathedral, capturing the rebel Cherubim who had been left behind by Luciferael to guard the captured loyal Cherubim. Cerebriel’s loyal Cherubim under the command of Zachiel had been trapped there when Luciferael declared war on the Heavens. Zachiel and the others now joined with Cerebriel’s column swelling its ranks and keeping it composed of only Cherubim warriors. As Cerebriel looked at his column, he thought about how they all had become quite proficient as fighters in this rebellion, no matter whether they fought for the loyal or the rebel Angels.

  To the east was the column of Angels led by Jarahmael. His legion, on the other hand, was composed of every type of Angel. He had begun with a few Cherubim and Gaardrael's Guardian Angels as they ascended from the First Heaven. He added additional loyal Angels to his ranks from the Angels he liberated from Luciferael's rebel captors, as they moved up further through the Heavens. The liberated Angels among his rank were highly motivated after being captured and held as Luciferael’s prisoners, and they were determined to fight back against Luciferael and his rebels if they were given the opportunity.

  Because Jarahmael’s legion was composed of different types of Angels who did not all travel at the same speed, it was not as compact as Cerebriel's disciplined column of Cherubim Angels. Jarahmael was concerned because his column was stretched, and it could be dangerously exposed if Luciferael realized that it was in front of him, heading towards the Seventh Heaven. If Luciferael caught up to Jarahmael’s legion, it would not be able to respond effectively to attacks because of all the slow moving Angels in the rear, and it would take time to tighten up his own ranks. Jarahmael knew that the danger was growing as Luciferael was coming up through the Heavens behind him, heading towards the Throne Room. At least that is exactly what he would do, if he was in Luciferael's position. Scouts had just told him that Luciferael was advancing behind him at a faster pace. To quicken his column of Angels Jarahmael ordered the Guardian Angels fly up and down the line urging everyone to move faster.

  Cerebriel's Cherubim in their entirety were ahead of him as the two columns were approaching the entrance into the Seventh Heaven. On the favorable side, they would be able to recombine their forces, having cleared out the lower Heavens of any loyal Angels who could potentially be held captive by Luciferael's forces. That meant all the loyal Angels were finally out of the control of the rebel Angels, and Jarahmael felt relieved that none of the loyal Angels remained captive, even though he knew that a final showdown between the loyal Angels and the rebel Angels was rapidly approaching.

  In order to protect the stragglers he had in his column, Potentate Angels for the most part as they did not move as quickly as his other Angels, Jarahmael decided to enlist the help of Cerebriel's Cherubim to act as a rear guard, and quickly flew up to meet Cerebriel at the entrance into the Seventh Heaven.

  “Good, we both made it, Cerebriel,” Jarahmael said with relief in his voice. “Scouts have told me that Luciferael is not far behind us; he should be coming through into the Sixth Heaven any time soon. We barely got out of the upper Fifth Heaven before his advance Cherubim scouts were entering into the Fifth Heaven from below.”

  “Did you see him advancing? What about Michael? Any word?” Cerebriel asked.

  “No, to both questions,” said Jarahmael. “But you know Luciferael has to come here. He will want the Almighty’s Book from the Throne Room and will be looking for a way to defeat us. If things work out right, Michael will be the hammer and we will be the anvil with Luciferael's legions locked in between both of us. When we all get positioned we will attack from both sides to neatly trap Luciferael, once and for all.”

  Jarahmael again felt a sense of guilt pass through him, uncomfortable that he had not told Cerebriel that he had already removed the Books, but he knew it was best kept a secret from everyone at this point. This way no one could tell Luciferael where the Books were located in the event that they were captured.

  Cerebriel smiled. “It will be good to get things back to normal here.”

  “Yes, seems like forever since we had a morning ceremony. I need to go back to my palace to check on Lillith,” Jarahmael said. “I am concerned that my column is moving too slowly, as those Potentate Angels with their orb forms cannot fly as fast as the other Angels. We definitely want and need them on our side though.”

  “Agreed,” responded Cerebriel.

  “Would you send down some of your Cherubim to guard and protect the rear of my column as they come up into the Seventh Heaven?”

  “Consider it done,” responded Cerebriel. “Anything else you need?”

  “Yes. Once the Dominions and Principalities get up here in the Seventh Heaven, have them fortify the entrance and work on putting up impenetrable gates. I would like to make the gateway into a defensive position for us.”

  Jarahmael continued quietly, “We will have trouble holding here if Luciferael brings the full weight of his legions to bear down upon us, as he does have our position and legion outnumbered and out-armed. And to make it worse, his legions have previously occupied the Seventh Heaven and he could have surprises in store that we do not know about. Make sure you send scouts. We don't have enough real weapons to go around for everyone and most of our captive loyal Angels are inexperienced when it comes to fighting.”

  Cerebriel then spoke, “And, if he gets his hands on the Book of Creation, he may be able to use spells on our Angels.”

  Jarahmael continued without elaborating about the Books. “Just make sure that our position is flexible enough that we can send down an attacking f
orce against Luciferael if need be. I am hoping that Michael has not been defeated and is pursuing Luciferael from behind. That will force Luciferael and his legions to fight on both his front and his back, giving us the advantage of our loyal Angels attacking the rebels simultaneously from above and from below.”

  “Agreed, but what if Michael was defeated by Luciferael in the lower Heavens?” Cerebriel asked, a troubled look passing over his face.

  “Then I have led us all into a position where we shall be trapped and conquered,” Jarahmael responded. “We just need to keep faith that this is a good plan and that it will actually work. There was no other plan that I believe would have been successful.”

  “Yes, that is true,” Cerebriel answered. “I will make the arrangements, Jarahmael.”

  “In the meantime, I am going to my palace and will return soon. If something happens before I get back here, send someone to find me.” Jarahmael said as he was preparing to take flight.

  “All right, I will look for you when you get back,” responded Cerebriel.

  Jarahmael flew from the gateway of the Seventh Heaven towards his palace, passing over the Throne Room along the way. When he looked down through the skylight as he flew over, he saw a group of at least six rebel Cherubim guards lounging around the Almighty's Throne. He was pleased with himself that he had removed the actual Books out of there earlier, and had done so, right under Luciferael's and the other rebel Angel's watchful gazes! He began to circle overhead in the sky, staying just out of the rebel Cherubim's view from below. He could see that the rebel Cherubim were stationed around the Throne, guarding it. He realized that he could not leave rebel Cherubim warriors in the Throne Room who could attack his position at the gateway from behind. Although he had only seen six of them, they could wreak havoc and if they attacked at the right moment, it could weaken the loyal Angel army at a very vulnerable time. He thought about the damage he himself was able to do acting alone by maneuvering behind enemy lines.