Incarnation: Wandering Stars Volume One (53 page)

With
these thoughts spinning through
his
head,
Enoch
noticed a sudden change in the shimmer on the ocean surface, several hundred yards out.
  The light swirled, then broke into two intersecting lines.  The point where the lines converged was moving quickly to the
southeast
, coming closer
to
the
land
as it
moved across the path of his vision.

Enoch rose from his position and put a hand to his forehead
,
trying to block the glare from the setting sun.  Now that it was close enough, he understood that something large was moving through the water, just under the surface.  When it
passed
beyond
the point
on
which he stood,
it began to curve to the
south and out of sight
.

It’s circling
, Enoch thought.  Stepping down off his rock, he started to run through the tall grass, trying to keep up with
it. 
He dodged to the side of a sprawling tree and pushed through a hedge of brush
just in time to see the massive wake
move
beyond another point to the east. 
Enoch ran once more, down into a shallow valley and up the other side.  When he crested the hill, he had to climb through a tangle of thick branches that seemed to be competing
with one another for territory.

Finally, pushing a vine aside, Enoch could see
a tiny cove with steep, rocky terrain on its western side gradually merging with the flat, sandy terrain in the east.  On the sand, just before the water’s edge, a
group of tall figures was gathered.  Enoch was suddenly choked by the lump in his throat.  His heart, already beating quickly from the exertion, now thumped powerfully in his chest, as it did anytime he felt fear.
 
Even at a distance of a hundred yards, Enoch could tell that the figures on the shore were
the same as
those he’d
lived with in
Aragatsiyr
.  However, something was quite different about their appearance.

Cautiously moving closer, Enoch began to see the difference. 
Some were small
er than before, wearing the forms of humans.
 
M
ost were large, like the armies of the
Amatru
.  Animal features had been blended with human
and angelic
features, while some wore
their
animal forms altogether.  The water in
the
bay swirled and
rose
to outline a
round
shape.  As it lifted from the water, strands of
dark blue
light ran
down
from its spherical surface.  Then Enoch saw the eyes, glowing like fire, but blue and green in color. 
He was seeing o
nly the head of the massive creature with long hair flowing down into the water.  When its pale
blue
neck and shoulders came out, Enoch realized the enormity of the beast with human features.

These are the g
ods
whom the Kahyin worship!

It was as if a veil had been removed from his eyes.  He remembered in that instant how these magnificent creatures had first appeared in his sight, before their splendor was eclipsed by the beauty of the Throne, and the One who sat upon it.

Ananel was not among them.  Neither was Sariel.  And as soon as he thought of the winged soldier he remembered something
Sariel had
once said
to him
.

It takes years to learn a form; generations of your time to master it.  Forms are not chosen lightly.

Enoch
was
now
struck with a realization—the
Myndarym had been lying to him all this time.  While they had played the part of
the
victims of Semjaza’s oppressive rule, they had been studying and mastering these forms the entire time. 
And if they wore these forms now, why hadn’t they made use of them during the battle with Semjaza? 
It was obvious
now
, as he looked upon the
motley
assortment of intimidating creatures, that their forms held no other purpose than to put themselves in positions of control over this world. 
And they had been so committed to keeping the depth of their iniquity a secret they had allowed hundreds of holy angels to fight and die on their behalf.

Enoch ground his teeth together.

T
hrough the loud pounding in his chest
a firm conviction cut like a blade, immediately silencing all doubts.  It left little room for question or uncertainty about its origin.

Go
Enoch
.

Go and speak to
my Wandering Stars
.

With immediate obedience, Enoch stepped away from the trees and began to walk along the top of the ridge that
swung
down to the beach.
  With fear still coursing through his veins he
approached the creatures who could smash him
like an insect
in
one
swift movement. 
But greater still than his fear of the Myndarym’s new forms was his
wonder
of the Holy One.  He would never forget the sight of Him sitting upon His
s
apphire
t
hrone
,
encircled by countless multitudes of Keruvym.  He could still feel the heat from the tongues of fire which surrounded the crystalline city.  And he knew that as long as he lived, nothing would ever surpass the feeling of power and majesty that he felt in the presence of the Holy One.  Though he walked now into a situation that would have caused other men to
tremble
, he was confident that he would be protected.

“…burden of authority,” someone said as Enoch neared.

“Semjaza is defeated and his kingdom overthrown. 
The
Amatru
have returned to the
Eternal R
ealm
,” someone else answered.

Enoch continued walking toward the group, wondering when he would be noticed.

“
Now we find ourselves here, unrestrained, ruling over the land, sea, and air.  No longer do we have Myndar,
Anduar
,
Iryllur
, and
V
i
dir
—the classifications of the
Amatru
.  This is a new world.  We are all equals.
”

“But only some of us are here,” another offered.

“Yes,”
another
replied.  “I propose that this new era demands the establishment of a leadership with these principles in mind.”

The enormous sea creature
moaned
with what seemed to be
disapproval.  “We came here to escape such things
,” it said with a booming, lonely voice
. 
“…t
o live in freedom
, i
n whatever form
s
we wish
ed
.  Now you want to establish more tyranny?”

A tall, winged creature raised his hand.  His skin was black as the night and his wings were featherless, with skin stretched over a framework of thin bones.  “Not tyranny,” he argued.  “
…b
ut a gathering of equals. 
Of course we all desire to roam from place to place and live as we please.  And we will do that.  But eventually, we will run into issues of jurisdiction, ownership of land and
people
.  I
suggest
that
we start this discussion now.  To meet at some regular interval to work out these
matters
before they become problems.
 
Not tyranny, but a council.”

Enoch continued walking toward the group, now
conscious of the sound of his steps
padding across the soft sand.  He couldn’t stand to be silent any longer, disgusted by what he was hearing.  “How dare you!” he shouted.

The Myndarym, in their
multitude of
forms, turned in unison, eyes wide with surprise.

Enoch looked now from one grotesque creature to the next
.  It was a much smaller group than before and he wondered if many had been killed in the battle
,
or if these were simply the only ones who hadn’t gone their own way.

“How did you get here, Prophet?” asked a tall and beautiful woman.  Her skin was pale and perfectly smooth and she glared at Enoch with piercing green eyes.

“Why does it continue to surprise you that nothing is hidden from the sight of the Holy One?” Enoch shot back.
  He’d never spoken to them in this way before, but the days of being friends with such creatures were over.

“This is a private meeting,” a wolf-headed creature
growled
.  His oversized human body now seemed tense, as if he were expecting to attack at any moment.  “It has nothing to do with you
!
”

Enoch shook his head
slowly
without removing his gaze.  “When will you learn?  You have all come here to discuss how you will divide this world that is not yours to begin with.  You believe this meeting is part of your plans.  But you are wrong.  The Holy One brought me here months ago.  And now I see that you have been gathered to me to hear your
judgment
.”

To his left, the air swirled and twisted in such a way that Enoch knew another Myndar was present, floating along in the form of the thing that
it had
sustained
at one point of
its
life, and
s
haped
at another.  At the back of the crowd, toward the sea,
Enoch recognized the one who had
taught the others to bring Semjaza from the Eternal Realm
.  His angelic f
orm began to shimmer as
he
started to
s
hape
himself
into something else.

“Here is what the Holy One has to say to you. 
‘
If you desire, in the hardness of your hearts, to live in a place that is not meant for you
, then so be it.  You will have what you want.  …for a time!
’
”

As soon as the words came out of Enoch’s mouth, he felt a sudden relief.  A weight lifted off his shoulders and he knew immediately that his task
had been
fulfilled.
 
He
turned away
suddenly
, eager to begin the
long
journey home
.  As his feet took their first steps across the sand,
he could hear the laughter just starting to crop up among the
rebellious angels.

First one
.

T
hen another.

Finally, all of the
Myndarym
joined in, laughing heartily at the powerless words of a
tiny
human.

By the time
Enoch had
taken
twenty
steps, the laughter came to an abrupt end and Enoch thought he heard choking.

“
I…  C
an’t
… 
S
hape
,” someone grunted, sounding as if they were in great pain.

Enoch
didn’t bother turning around.  He didn’t need to.  Whatever judgment the Holy One would bring about was
no business of his.  He no longer had to concern himself with their disobedience or their punishment.  Instead, he felt only great anticipation.  He envisioned the day
when he
would look out across
the grassy
plains and see Sedekiyr in the distance.  He couldn’t wait to
pick up Methu and embrace him
; t
o stare into Zacol’s eyes once again.  This was all that was on his mind now.
  And it brought a smile to his face.

*   *   *   *

Sheyir walked slowly, looking downward.  Her left hand rested on the growing bump of her belly, unconsciously rubbing it.

“Do you see it?” Sariel asked from up ahead.

Sheyir suddenly pulled her hand away and looked up
. 
She smiled quickly, ho
ping that Sariel hadn’t noticed, but her heart pounded with fear. 

Sariel was facing ahead and only now turned around. 
His human form, though tall, was far less intimidating tha
n
his angelic form. 
His bright blue eyes looked out
through the mist with
compassion, while his
shaggy
,
white hair and beard gave him the distinguished look of a tribe elder. 
“There, just where the mountains come together.
 
Do
you see it?”