by Lynn Landes
She understands with a grim finality that all of this will end in her death. No plan, no help, and no power in Heaven or on Earth will stop it from happening. When she accepted this task her fate was sealed.
A single tear makes its way down her cheek as she takes the ancient wooden box from her brother. She hides the vision and the knowledge it holds in her heart to prevent anyone from seeing it, accepting her destiny.
Alex notices the tear on her face. “Are you okay? Why are you crying?”
She looks at her younger brother who is quickly becoming the man that their father was. “No, not upset. Just proud of the man you are becoming. You don’t remember our family, do you?”
“No, I really don’t, other than pieces of memories that feel like somebody else’s.”
“Let me share some of mine with you. I want you to see our parents and family as they were, happy, before all these trials and tribulations began.”
She reaches out her empty hand and takes Alex’s young hand in hers. His thumb rubs the scars she has earned from years of fighting and she smiles, sharing with him a picnic by a river.
Laughter fills the air and the sound of happy voices full of love. She shows him the love shared between two parents who adored him. He feels the arms of his mother as she sings him to sleep. Feels the rush of excitement as he is tossed into the air and caught by a loving father.
Alex smiles. He hears the voice of his brother showing him his favorite bow and whispering secrets of how best to use it. Finally she shares with him the last image of her father running into the arms of his family, promising that one day they would all be together again.
Alex holds the images close to his heart and stares into the eyes of his sister. “How did you survive it, Elina? Watching them die?” he asks with pain echoing through his soul.
“I didn’t. The little girl was no more, she died that day Alex. But, I was sheltered in God our father’s embrace. He shared in every tear, every moment of anger I felt, he felt. He taught me to not let it consume me.” Elina turns towards the center of the village.
“He gave me guardians who showed me that every moment is a gift. They taught me how to trust in my God and lean not on my own understanding. I don’t think as humans we can comprehend what he has planned. We can only hope to make him proud.”
Nameed eyes shine with pride and he looks at Malach sharing in the moment with him.
Elina walks toward the center of the old village. She stops at a large ring of rocks for the village’s communal fire. Everyone follows closely, feeling a change in the air.
“Once the Ketuwah represented life to those living in the thriving community.” She sends a spark and a fire erupts in the center.
Alex walks over and adds a piece of wood, followed by Jake, Loe, and Makaio. Each of them, adding their own fuel to the bright fire. The flames grow higher and they each take a place around the circle.
Nameed adds his spark to the growing wall of flame, followed by Gabriel, Uriel, and Malach. All are silent as Elina begins to speak.
“The evil that walks this world thinks victory is within their grasp. But they are mistaken. Our Maker leaves nothing to chance. Every loss, and every victory is orchestrated by our God.”
As Elina speaks the red flame grows higher and hotter. She holds up the true pen given to her by Alex and removes the end.
She shakes out a tiny scroll and tosses it into the hot fire. A blue flame shoots to the heavens with a blinding flash, before shrinking back and returning to its normal color. Elina replaces the seal on the pen and hands it to Alex.
“I am the Keeper of the Light and I am ready to complete the Covenant. Once another swore a covenant in blood to create a place for us in heaven. His sacrifice allowed us to be forgiven of our sins. I understand now and my will is gone. That was the fourth part of the book.”
She glances at Malach, “We will face this evil today, but no matter the outcome we must not forget that our Faith is greater than any weapon given to us.”
She looks at Alex, “Prayer is a power, and only those who are close to him can wield it.”
They drop to their knees and all who surround the ring, join her in her prayer.
“Father, God, guide our steps today, we know we cannot defeat this evil without you. We submit to your will, we ask you to direct us in this battle, defend us when we can’t. We pray that you defeat this enemy...” the fire grows taller, flickering and flares white hot, forming a column of energy consuming everything in the ring of rock. Those closest are forced to jump back or be fed to the wall of raw energy.
All back away except for Elina, her hair billowing back, she lifts her face to the intense heat and her tattoos illuminate below her skin. Peace fills her soul and she does not look back as she steps into the now open portal.
Powerful arms embrace her and the Mocker laughs,
“You pray to a God who no longer hears you, KEEPER!” The Mocker has been waiting for just this moment. His demons come drawn to the freedom. They pour from the ragged gash of a doorway between realms, leaping at the angels and humans alike, hungry for blood and souls.
Chapter 32
The powerful arms drag Elina from the doorway and the Mocker hears her whisper, “Amen.” The massive arms clamped tightly around her tighten with fury and pain as she finishes her prayer.
Surrounded by monsters she ignores the howls and screams around her and he feels the searing power in her build and begin to burn his skin away on his arms and chest.
In agony he screams as the fire from her skin wraps his upper body in its embrace. He tries to let go and drop the Keeper from his grasp, but she has locked her arms around his refusing to let him release her. Looking down into her eyes, he sees the Holy fire of Heaven burning inside of her. With a last great heave he throws her back from him yelling in pain as some of the skin from his chest is peeled away from the intensity of her heat.
Elina lands easily on her feet after flipping away from the Mocker. She looks at the cauterized meat of his chest and smiles a deadly smile. “There is no fire hotter than that of God’s fury, Mocker!”
She does not see Alex running towards her as she motions and a powerful shield slams to the ground around them. All the sounds of the battle raging are shut off and Elina hears Alex run up behind her and Elina looks at him with fear.
“Alex!” Speaking to his mind, “This is not your battle! The Keepers need you outside to help stall those demons! You must follow the plan brother, it needs to work!”
“No! You can’t do this alone, sister! Let me help you! The angels will hold them and together we can beat this monster!”
Elina shakes her head at him, “No, Alex you have a different path! Go!” She hears a sword ring as it is pulled from a scabbard and turns to see the Mocker rushing at them.
With a quick swing she throws her obsidian sword up to meet the Mockers with a loud clash. Her feet are pushed into the hard broken ground from the impact of the blow. A quick glance tells her that Alex is moving around behind the Mocker to attack instead of getting out of the shield as she told him to!
“Damn teenagers!” she yells as the Mocker attacks her again.
‘GO, Alex!’ She yells, but he just shakes his head.
The sound of the sword impacts ring in the shield as she deflects the Mockers blows, keeping his attention away from Alex.
A fast slice of her sword and a deep bleeding wound opens up on the Mockers scarred chest. Instead of jumping back out of his range she stabs forward with her blade, stepping inside of his wild swing as he tries to behead her. It sinks to the hilt in his shoulder. The mocker drops to a knee and tries to grab Elina’s wrist as she kicks away from him pulling her bloodied sword with her.
Thinking he has an opening, Alex fires off an energy ball at the Mockers back yelling with victory as he sees one of the Mockers wings burn to cinder from the explosion. He runs forward to press his advantage just as the Mocker shoves his sword back and up from his kneeled position.
The blade slides into Alex’s stomach and out of his back in a moment of pure agony. It happens so fast he can’t even scream from the shock.
“I just got that wing back, boy!” the Mocker growls out.
Elina looks over the demons shoulder and Alex sees her scream his name but does not hear her over the roar in his own ears.
Rising up from his knees with death in his eyes the Mocker smiles at Elina and with a slow pull of his sword releases it from Alex’s tortured embrace. The young man falls to the ground behind him moaning in pain. The hard, thirsty ground begins soaking up the precious blood of the young keeper while he crawls to the edge of the shield.
The Mocker recognizes the raw fear and terror in her eyes as she looks at her injured brother. In a flash of movement he lunges forward, sinking the crimson soaked blade into her leg, opening the wound Nameed had healed. He jerks the sword from Elina’s leg with a vicious twist and she falls.
“Humans, you are so predictable. Your weakness is always the same,” he says, kicking her in the wounded leg. “Do you really think that I would make it that easy for you? Raphaim was a fool and because of him you survived boy, but I will not make that same mistake.”
He looks down at his wounded chest and rolls his back feeling the stump where his wing once was. His lust filled eyes return to Elina’s, “I need a little more of that delicious nectar, Elina! It is powerful!” His black tongue darts out across his cracked, burned lips.
As the Mocker steps forward, his jaw unhinges exposing needle sharp teeth intending to drain her dry.
She regains her senses enough to swing her sword around, attempting to stab him again.
He laughs blocking the weak un-aimed strike.
“You preach about faith,” he says blocking a blow from Elina when she leaps towards him, only to growl at her when she blocks him with her sword.
“You preach about submitting to Gods will,” he whips around kicking Elina away and advances on Alex to kick him in the back. He laughs as the boy rolls in agony.
Alex’s scream of pain is felt by Nameed outside of the shield. The fighting has been heavy with all of the demons coming in waves from the portal.
“Brothers, we must close this infernal door!” He projects his thoughts to his brothers fighting off the shadow walkers and they immediately react to the plan.
Uriel and Gabriel begin calling down lightning from the heavens. Each strike hits the portal in a thunderous crash, flattening the unfortunate demons surrounding it. Every bolt causes the doorway to flicker and become weaker.
The final bolt hits, deafening everybody in the area and the portal collapses in an explosion of sickening purple and black light.
The remaining horde roars out in hatred and turn to fight to their last.
Nameed calls to the Fist of God, “The Mocker is trapped. It is time to finish this!”
“ALEX!” Elina screams and she does the only thing she can do, she drops the shield and ports her injured brother a short distance, shoving him towards Nameed.
The Mocker slams another shield down of his own making!
Nameed is fighting a group of fallen angels when he hears Elina’s scream. A final swing of his sword and the last angel in front of him falls to the ground in pieces, still twitching with the life running out of him.
He feels Elina’s pain and hears her thoughts to save Alex at all costs. He sees inside where Alex is in a ball lying on the ground with the Mocker kicking him and laughing. He steps toward the shield and it flashes dropping. Alex is ported just before another wall of dark energy manifests locking Elina inside with the nightmare called the Mocker.
“Alone at last!” his wicked voice calls out and no one can get in and she can’t get out.
Elina watches Malach soundless roar as he attempts to break through the shield and her eyes connect with his. “Protect Alex, Malach. He is the future.”
“You preach, Keeper but do you walk the walk?” Bleeding heavily from her thigh and face, Elina stands defiantly facing her enemy.
“I have no need to walk, for my Lord carries me.” She straightens her back and stands tall watching the Mocker circle like a caged animal. “When my load is heavy and I can go no further, he is with me!”
The metallic scent of her blood fills the dome and her words strike home, infuriating him. He moves fast, shoving a clawed hand toward her chest.
She drops her sword and tries to block the hit, but his blackened nails drive forward and sink into her skin. As she feels his clawed fingers break her skin, she locks her arms, pressing back against the strength of hell.
Alex feels the push and loses his breath as she ports him to safety. But when he opens his eyes, he is surrounded by Nightwalkers. They smell his blood and are hungry for it.
Nameed ports in front of Alex just as the Nightwalkers leap at the boy. He wraps his massive striped wings over Alex and absorbs the blows.
They attack like rabid dogs, biting clawing and ripping out chunks of the powerful angel. Alex can only watch from the ground. He turns his head and watches, through blood hazed eyes, as the Mocker begins to kill his sister. The air is filled with the sounds of death all around him.
A deep voice calls out from the heaven, “I see you demons!” the demons on Nameed fall backwards in agony.
“You are temptation, liars, corruption, jealousy, envy, greed, and lust. I see you!” The power of his voice causes the demons to writhe in pain, screaming, their flesh begins to boil, “I see you!” he roars again and the flesh melts from their demonic bones, “I see you!” and the bones turn to dust.
Nameed falls forward from his knees landing on his face and Alex attempts to catch him. He stares up weakly from Alex’s arms, broken he whispers, “What took you so long, Michael?”
Michael smiles and drops to help heal his friend.
“It is too late for me, Michael, heal the boy quickly! I fade, our father is calling me home.” Nameed tells him.
Michael pulls Nameed away from the boy fighting a weakened Alex.
“No! Heal him first, please!” he begs the angel. Michaels begins to pray and heal Alex’s grievous wounds.
Nameed watches too weak to speak, he pushes his final thoughts to Alex, “I’m so proud of you. You are a worthy son, our Father is pleased.”
“I’m sorry.” Michael says and watches with sorrow, as his brother closes his eyes for the last time on Earth. A warm glow begins at the center of Nameed’s chest and slowly ripples outward until his whole being his dissolved to stardust and floats skyward drifting on a soft breeze until out of sight. He looks at the young man in front of him and feels his loss. “He was a great warrior, and friend. He will be missed.”
Lost for a moment in his pain and grief, Alex looks towards his sister fighting off the Mocker inside of the shield. He has her backed up against the wall of the energy field and is attempting to rip her heart out with a black clawed hand. The look of victory can be seen on his face as Elina fights and pulls at the hand pushing into her chest.
Alex stands up, amazed his wounds have healed so quickly, and fires a bright white energy ball crackling towards the shield, hitting it where the Mockers head would have been. The explosion reverberates across the old abandoned village and the powerful shield flashes and dims. Enthused by the effect, he fires another charge at the wall and the shield dims some more.
Michael watches and realizing what he is doing calls down lightning strikes to hit the dark shimmering shield as well. With every blast the shield grows weaker.
The Mockers eyes look up from his sister and meet Alex’s. He smiles at him, shaking his head as if scolding a child for stealing a cookie. His eyes flash an unearthly purple and the shield illuminates once again to its full strength.
Michael hits it again with another bolt of lightning and it scorches the earth around the base of the wall but does no damage to the shield. In desperation, Alex throws more strikes at the wall desperate to save his sister, his ears ring with pain from the
noise but nothing seems to weaken it.
Finished with his diversion the Mocker returns his full focus back to Elina. His mouth waters at the thought of her blood filling his weakened body. His black tongue flicks at his lips in anticipation. He pushes harder, forcing his claws further into her chest. He can feel her heart beating a rapid staccato as she fights against him. He laughs.
“I imagine this is how your brother felt when Raphaim ripped his heart out. Funny how history repeats itself.”
With a laugh, he looks down into Elina’s eyes, expecting to see defeat, what he finds instead is defiance.
Her eyes lock onto his and she erupts with the power inside of her. The tattoos on her skin surge with the heavenly power of never ending faith and his hands begin to burn from the contact with her skin. With a sharp explosion, he is thrown back from his prey and driven into the shield wall behind him.
The impact breaks his remaining wing and the skin on his face and chest has been burned completely away, leaving the charred muscle and bone exposed to the world.
As he lifts himself from the ground, he looks at Elina with lidless eyes and watches her drop to her knees. He looks at the golden Aramaic script emblazed on her skin and his eyes go wide with shock.
At that moment he realizes, the Keeper is the final piece!
Fighting back the darkness that threatens to take her Elina holds her hand over her chest covering the holes from his claws. Blood is running freely down her arms dripping to the ground in puddles. The tattoos on her skin are dimming and she struggles to stay awake.
His pain is gloriously intense, it tells him he is still alive. Looking at the shield he sees that it has also dimmed, he is getting weak, and he needs her blood.
With that thought he jumps at Elina, like an animal, pinning her to the ground by the wall and sinks his teeth into her shoulder once more. Immense power floods his body as he leaches the essence from her body.
