Realm of the Dead

by Donovan Neal

  Iblis bowed.

  Michael gestured him to sit, and Iblis did so. "Tell me about this Hell-forge you mentioned earlier," he said.

  Iblis guffawed. "For what purpose should I disclose more to thee? I have been locked in this room for many a day. Perhaps Lucifer was right in that true justice cannot be found in Heaven, and that El..."

  "Very well," Michael said, interrupting. "Guards, bind him in fetters of iron and take him to the waypoint. Make sure he is returned to Pergamos." Michael stood and turned to walk toward the door. "I am sure Satan will want to debrief you as to what knowledge you have divulged."

  The guards moved to shackle him.

  "WAIT!!" screamed Iblis, who rose from his chair so swiftly that he knocked it over. "Wait...please..." He put his hand out beckoning Michael to pause. "Wait...Michael."

  Michael stopped. "I'm sorry, is there something you wish to tell me? Because I would know of this Hell-forge. What is it?"

  Iblis sighed. "The Hell-forge is a kiln, after a fashion. A furnace that produces weapons of war. Lucifer hast learned through magics to twist the kilnstone of daemons and shape them into images of his own likeness. He has strengthened the Horde with beasts not imagined by either God or man."

  Michael nodded. "Your Prince carried a sword into battle. A weapon that drained the very life of Elohim by merely touch..."

  "Lucifer is not my prince!" Iblis raged. "He is...a deceiver. He said I could rise above my station if I followed him."

  Michael rebuked him. "T'was not Lucifer's deception that gave rise to your turning, but thine own desire to live self-ruled. You chose to not abide in thy calling. And instead of petitioning El to change thy stewardship, you joined in usurpation with the renegade. Jerahmeel was right. I should have never allowed you to grace the shores of Heaven. Guards, return him to Earth immediately."

  "WAIT!" Iblis cried. "What if I were to take you to the forge? What if I could help you destroy it? For even I know that Argoth doth not possess knowledge of Hell's inner passages, for the beast hast changed under the leash of Lucifer and hath enlarged herself beyond the scope of his remaining Grigori to watch."

  Guards approached Iblis, and Michael raised his hand. "Leave us," Michael said. The two Arelim soldiers exited the room and closed the door behind them.

  Michael eyed Iblis, turned to stand square to him, and said, "I will make this my bond to you. If you wilt lead a party to the Hell-forge, I will petition thy cause before El, for thou hast been exiled, and remain in the realm as a prisoner of war and are no longer a citizen of Heaven. To grant thee pardon is El's alone. If thou dost return after the forge hath been destroyed, I will make intercession for thee. Betray or fail me and I owe thee nothing, for thou art an enemy of the crown. Are you clear in your purpose?"

  Iblis nodded. "I am clear." He smiled, satisfied that he had delayed his return to Earth without the forces of Heaven as an escort. "When am I to leave?"

  Michael turned to leave the room and spoke from over his shoulder. "When I have convinced the head of House Harrada to not kill you while he travels by your side."

  Ibis's face dropped and he swallowed hard as Michael exited the room.

  * * *

  The Lord called Enoch whilst he slept in his chamber.

  He answered, "Here am I." Thinking Argoth had called him, he ran to Argoth, who was sitting reading in his chambers, and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me."

  Argoth looked at his guest, puzzled, and replied, "I am sorry, Adamson, but I did not call thee. Thou mayest return to rest."

  Enoch went back to his chambers and lay down.

  The Lord called whilst he slept, saying, "Enoch, Enoch."

  And Enoch was awakened from his sleep and arose and went to Argoth's chambers a second time, and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me."

  Argoth answered, "I called thee not, Adamson. Please, I am trying to study. Lie down again, and we shall talk in the morning when thou art rested."

  Enoch again did as was bidden, and when he was fast asleep, the Lord called a third time. Again, Enoch arose and went to Argoth. "Thou didst indeed call me. For I am here as bidden."

  Argoth then perceived that the Lord had called Enoch. Therefore, Argoth said unto him, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls thee, thou shalt say, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.'"

  So Enoch went and laid down in his place and the Lord stood by his bed and called as at other times. "Enoch, Enoch."

  Then Enoch answered, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

  And the Lord said to Enoch, "Behold, I will do a new thing in Heaven, at which the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. For I will perform against Lucifer all things which I have spoken concerning his house and his people: for when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because he trafficked in deceit and caused dissension between the peoples of the kingdom. And therefore, I have sworn unto the house of Elohim that the iniquity of Draco's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever, but only by the bowing of the Lumazi's knee will come healing." The voice of the Lord then stopped from speaking and His presence was seen no more.

  Enoch understood not the saying but laid down until the morning. And when he awoke, he went about his business and opened the doors of the library housed within the Hall of Annals, and he went about reading the scrolls that Argoth prepared for him daily, and Enoch feared to shew Argoth the vision.

  Argoth entered and said, "Enoch, son of Adam"

  . And he answered, "Here am I," Enoch answered.

  "What is the thing that the Lord God said unto thee? Hide it not from me, I pray, for God do so to thee, and more also if thou hide anything from me of all the things that He hath said unto thee."

  Enoch's eyes darted to the ground, and he paused.

  "Please," Argoth said, "for I have seen a vision...seven stars bow before a fiery moon, and it can but mean that the Lumazi must show humility in a time yet to come."

  Enoch then relented and told him every whit of what God had said and held nothing back.

  Argoth sighed, bowed his head, and spoke, "The thing is of the Lord. Let Him do what seemeth good unto Him."

  "I am sorry," Enoch replied.

  "There is no need for regret, for the Lord makes all things beautiful in His time. It is His way. He doth not forget, nor will He fail to restore. Now come Enoch, son of Adam. I have something to show thee."

  "What is it?"

  Argoth remained silent and simply motioned for him to follow. They entered the Hall of Annals, and Argoth spoke to the white, nondescript room. "Reveal the record of Elijah, son of Adam, and reference with the Seraphimic record."

  Immediately the room exploded in color. Enoch beheld the projection that showed a man of years and another of younger stature, walking side by side as they spake to one another. And it came to pass, as they talked, there appeared a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire, and the two men were parted asunder, and the man went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. The fiery horses flew within a ladder, and when the ladder had stopped, countless Seraphim and Gryphons flew throughout the sky. The projection then showed a Seraphim walking toward Enoch and Argoth as if it were aware of their presence. The behemoth then opened his mouth, and when he did so, the sound that he made was of such power, the screen in the Hall of Annals shook and a crack began to appear in the very room above the duo's heads. Argoth shouted, "Cease record NOW!"

  Immediately, the room stopped its projection and Argoth stood pale as he watched the fiery overhead crack sizzle and slowly dissipate.

  "What was that?" Enoch said. He looked at Argoth, still perplexed and visibly anxious, as the air now smelled of brimstone.

  "Whilst thee and Michael were away to see Eladrin, El gave a commission to bring another of thy kind to the realm---but the extraction of the human was not given to angel-kind."

  "Another man has come to Heaven?" Enoch looked at Argoth
, puzzled. "And what dost thou mean 'the human was not given to angel-kind?' I have been to the Aerie, and through all of Jerusalem, and never have I seen horses of fire such as those, yet the man clearly came to Heaven through means of a ladder. Who is he? How long has he been here? I do not understand."

  Argoth sighed, "The man's name is Elijah, and he is a powerful prophet of the Lord for thy people. And, no, thou hast not seen the Aithon in this area, as they are neither native to Jerusalem nor the burbs roundabout. Elijah came before thou didst arrive from the Aerie. And hast been in Heaven many days."

  Enoch mumbled to himself. "Elijah? The Lord hast made mention of this name to me...another man in Heaven...I...I wish to meet this man whom God hath allowed in the realm."

  Argoth grumbled in irritation, "Adamson, there are some things..."

  Enoch lifted his finger to Argoth, "No! You showed me this because thou knewest I would have learned of it. You adjure me earlier to not withhold that which God had shown me. Do not dare do so thyself when I now seek thy knowledge."

  Argoth sighed. "Your words are true. Very well." Argoth sighed and waved his hand. A scroll from the Grigoric library lifted from between the shelves and flew to Argoth, landing gently on his waiting palm. He spread the scroll before Enoch on a table and spoke.

  "El hast prophesied to the King of Tyrus, and Isaiah, a man servant of the most high God, hath recorded it. Read and learn."

  Enoch sat at the table and read the scroll taken from Isaiah, and the words were written on this wise.

  Moreover, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

  Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold. The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so. Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God. Thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

  By the multitude of thy merchandise, they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned. Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God, and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty. Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground. I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

  Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick, therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee. It shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee. Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be anymore.

  Enoch closed the book and stared at the pages for a moment, then glanced up at Argoth who waited for him to speak. "I do not understand," Enoch said. "Does the prophet speak of the king of Tyrus or another? For how can the King be the covering cherub? Nor hath this man been in the Garden of Eden, nor seen the Mountain of God. Of whom then does the prophet speak?"

  "Is the answer so far removed from thee? There is but one who even now is adversary to the Kingdom of Heaven."

  "Lucifer?"

  Argoth nodded. "There is much, Adamson, that is untold of Lucifer's fall, for he trafficked in pride and merchandised in haughtiness until it created a schism between the celestial hosts, for none in his mind were greater in station or in beauty than he. If he was ever challenged, he was quick to bring low an adversary whose brightness might eclipse his own. Therefore, learn Adamson the tale of the Seraphim. For long ago, before the age of man, when creation was still in its infancy and light was called forth from the mouth of Almighty God, we watched the Lord God speak the realms into existence. We beheld in fascination and awe as El placed the ceiling of creation.

  Yet while El fashioned your world, and brought creation into existence, we populated Heaven and built what thou dost see as a gift for El, to be presented when He completed creation. And whilst the Lord worked, Lucifer traveled to the high place of Aesir, the seat of the Seraphim.

  "The Seraphim were a mighty race, gifted in the properties of sound and fashioned the most beautiful of instruments. They helped build the temple, you see. It was they who, before the Kortai, carved the palace and glittered Heaven's streets with gold. And of all creation, it was they who El let release music, worship, and praise into the realms, and lo, when Lucifer saw that El had not given to him beauty and praise alone, when he heard that trumpets and cornet gave sound to music that eclipsed even his own, he made a wager with Nephanos, King of the Seraphim.

  "Here the seeds of temptation could be seen, but were not understood by our kind. Here Lucifer learned the ways of barter and cunning, for he wagered with Nephanos a wager of whom could eclipse the other in song. Nephanos, intrigued by the proposition that any other than his own people could surpass them in sound, commanded his people to craft a Psalm of Psalms. A ballad that would be the greatest hymn Heaven had ever known; and thus a song was crafted among the Seraphim and Angels to see who among our kind could give rise to lift all of Heaven in praise. An audition given to determine who would be Heaven's choir master and herald to El's presence, a wager that would determine whom would live in the Holy City."

  "And the loser?" Enoch asked.

  Argoth continued, "The loser would stand at the posts of the temple and bellow annunciation of God's holiness. Fated to shout forever and banished to live both behind and underneath the basement of Heaven. A race forever called to be as an eternal echo and a reminder of who was the greatest in Heaven.

  "Thus, both Seraphim and Angels rehearsed. We were confident that we were supreme among all in worship to El. Whilst the Seraphim boasted that none could compare to them, the Ophanim stood to bear as a witness of our squabbling and were content to abide in the calling wherein they had been called. They watched as Angel and Seraphim sported in hubris.

  "But Lucifer was full of guile, and neither rehearsed nor practiced but instead bartered with Camael, one of the chief Seraphim, who was adept in the construction of all manner of musical instruments and bedazzled him with light. For the Seraphim were the burning ones and were not covered in the precious gems which adorned our kind. Therefore, Lucifer took from his own flesh each of the ten gemstones which were from his skin and one thing other."

  "What was it?" Enoch said.

  "A Stone of Fire. In exchange for seven trumpets crafted by the Seraphim. Camael became so enamored by the gemstones' colors of light and despised his gift of sound. Coveting the gifts of light, he agreed, and an exchange of light was given in exchange for sound.

  "And when time had arrived to sing, all of Heaven assembled before the mountain of God, and song was risen to El while He worked. The Seraphim's music was magnificent. Glorious. Superb. The three great races of Heaven, Ophanim, Elohim, and Seraphim, were as one. All lifted up El as was purposed. All except one person."

  "Lucifer?" Enoch said.

  "Aye, Lucifer," replied Argoth. "Lucifer stood laughing at all of Heaven, and everyone stopped to discover why in the whole of Heaven one angel would not sing to his master's glory. And Lucifer's words were recorded on this wise.

  'What I hear is but wails,' Lucifer laughed. 'Echoes and clanging of screeches before my ears.' Lucifer then turned to Eladrin and spoke, 'Hath you Eladrin determined who amongst us is greatest in song among the Host?'

  Argoth continued, "Eladrin, who in his wisdom sought to not pit brother against brother answered, 'Nay, for all of Heaven is sweet to our ears.'"

  "Lucifer replied, 'Then let Hea
ven be silent and hear me, and let none ever compare me, nor my people to another in glory or beauty.'

  "Lucifer then took the seven trumpets he had obtained from Camael, and added them to his own. When he opened his mouth to sing, none could resist the majestic sounds that sprung forth from his body. His light was as the stars that move across the golden ceiling of Heaven, and rainbows and hues of every color skipped about his body. As he played, his song enraptured even the Seraphim, for he was privy to their own instruments of worship, and the light from his skin and the tabrets and harps made everyone sway. All were bedazzled by the brightness of his glory, and his melody was sweet to every ear. Thus, when Lucifer was done, he had won all of Heaven over. Eladrin reluctantly named him the victor.

  "The Seraphim were wroth for Camael had betrayed their cause and trafficked sound for light and trinkets for his birthright. Thus, Nephanos ordered his people away from the realm of Jerusalem, as agreed, forever hidden behind the veil of sound. The king then appointed four to never leave the temple they had carved for El and to forever pronounce his holiness. They would serve forever as a reminder that the Seraphim sang honorably, yet angel-kind had trafficked in collusion to obtain gain, so the whole of the Seraphim then disappeared beneath the mountain and have not since been seen.

  "Therefore, those four roar HOLY, HOLY, HOLY as a reminder that one may never enter the presence of God with duplicity nor guile. To honor one's word and a reminder to all of El's majesty.

  "And when the Godhead had completed their work on the second day, El returned to see that one of His creations was not present to celebrate and He asked His sons what was it that they talked about whilst he was away. All held their peace, knowing they had contested over who would be the greatest and that Lucifer had caused strife among his brethren over who might be first.

  "Therefore, the Lord took the seven trumpets Lucifer had received in trade and cursed them. He returned them to the Seraphim and honored their wish to remain behind the veil until offense had been forgiven, with warning that on the day that they and the trumpets next entered His sight, He would, with the seven trumpets merchandised, unleash His wrath upon the works of His son.