Realm of the Dead (30 page)

Gabriel stood aside as the three heads of state stood next to one another – Eladrin, Nephanos, and Michael. Michael lifted his arms high, and Nephanos enveloped the Chief Prince in fire and he was ablaze. Eladrin's faces changed and merged with Michael's own face, and when Gabriel looked upon his friend, he saw he had become something altogether different. For Michael shimmered between existence and non-existence with a golden Halo over his head, and his face changed to one of five faces. Twirling around him, the sword of Ophanim raged and Gabriel could not stand near, for the weapon was ferocious in its orbit around its master, and great fire surrounded Michael's person.

Gabriel spoke. "Is the Michael that I know still with us?"

The face of a human turned to him and spoke. "We are here, for we are the Sum of All Things and the image of what Lucifer should have been. Now go to, and help our brethren resist the Devil – and we shall see to Charon."

And when Michael spoke those words, he launched himself at the oncoming Angel of Death. With wings of the Ophanim and skin of the Seraphim, Michael, prince of all Elohim, rose to do battle with Charon.

All of Hades watched as Michael smashed into the Warden of Hell. Charon's chest cavity caved in and he fell from the sky falling in smoke, fire, and ash...with Michael atop him.

Michael commanded the Sword of Ophanim to split, and the blade broke apart and rocketed to cut the angel down. Charon's cloak then turned obsidian and hard as diamond. Flecks of light and the clinking of sword strikes could be heard, as the blades of cadmium scratched the armored angel.

Unexpectedly on the defensive, Charon turned his back to Michael. And when he did so, Michael disappeared, his swords still striking and hacking. Charon unsheathed his dreaded scythe, and when he pulled the weapon from his robes, Michael materialized in front of him. With a stretched out hand, Nephanos leaped from his palms and blanketed Charon in a ferocious attack of fire, and the Angel of Death blazed. His great hands attempted to swish Nephanos's fire as one would bat a buzzing mosquito.

Lucifer took note that Charon had not come to assist him, and he frowned.

"What plagues the Lord of Darkness?" mocked Jerahmeel. "Surely the mighty Lucifer doth not need anyone to assist him?"

Lucifer smiled as Jerahmeel, Eskalion, Turiel, Metatron, and Gabriel stood before him as a shining wall of light, each armored and ready to battle.

Lucifer unsheathed his sword of Malice and replied. "Charon is but a tool. You have yet to understand the power of sin to repel the Father. But I will teach you this lesson." 

He then touched the flaming key of Hell around his neck and broke a small piece from it. The great mountain of Hell then let loose a guttural roar that reverberated so that it shook even the nations of the earth above. Mountain ranges lifted further into the sky, and sent volcanoes into eruption and disturbed the deep places in the earth. Tectonic plates shifted as the Heavenly mountain cried out in pain and men would long remember the day when whirlpools emerged from the ocean depths and swallowed whole kingdoms into the sea, for Lucifer had released Hell. Since the dawn of mankind's fall, her pent up rage waited to be unleashed upon her captors. Now her chains lay in pieces and she was free to attack all that indwelt her – and the beast hungered.

Tendrils of fire and the maggots of Hell raced from every corner, and lava flooded chambers above and below. The inhabitants of Hades and Paradise became as one man to fight Hell herself and to resist her digestive clutches, for she no longer discerned friend from foe, and all were but foodstuffs to the living mountain of Hell.

Jerahmeel, Eskalion, Gabriel, Metatron and Turiel watched the chaotic collapse of the bowel as teeth emerged from the floor all about them.

Lucifer stood in the midst, and his eyes glistened in beaming pride and jubilation as he shouted, "See the beginning of the Void!  The end of all things!" 

He grinned and slammed his blade into the moist floor of Hell's flesh, and a tremor rumbled all about them. A fissure of fire exploded beneath Lucifer's sword and raced toward the position of the assembled vanguard of heaven.

Gabriel, seeing the crack, looked to see the Lord Yeshua watching him. The Lord nodded in affirmation and Gabriel sprinted toward Lucifer like lightning that flashed across the sky. Instantly, he absorbed the kinetic power of the oncoming blast and was upon his brother, his staff at the ready to belt the jaw of Lucifer.

Satan raised his hand and caught the Prince of Malakim by the throat, then chuckled and cocked his head in disappointment. "You think your speed can avail against me?  Only God is light, dear brother, and thou art much, much slower than He."

Gabriel looked back, struggling in Lucifer's grip and cried to his brethren, "NOW!"

Lucifer then took his sword and thrust it into Gabriel, hitting a hard thud on his breastplate. Slowly, the features of the head of House Malakim shriveled before Lucifer's eyes, and he said, "Goodbye, brother."

"NOOOOOO!" Jerahmeel cried, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Immediately, Metatron, Eskalion, Turiel, and Jerahmeel raced toward his position, as Lucifer threw the now withered body of Gabriel into the dust.

*   *   *

Charon's barbed bony tentacles waved about him as he defended himself against the seven bladed Sword of Ophanim. Michael struggled, despite his power of the three kings to contain the giant angel and keep him at bay. Fighting that he might serve as interference his brethren might contend with Lucifer.

The bodies of the three beings merged into a united fighting force, allowing through Michael's halo, the ability to communicate mentally.

We cannot kill him!  Michael thought while bringing his fist squarely on the giant's chest. Pummeling Charon, he dashed off to prevent his own demise if Charon grasped him.

Eladrin replied, We cannot bring Death to heel, but the stalling of Charon is not the true goal.  We must regain the lost keys of Death and Hell. Only then will this come to an end.

Nephanos's fire accosted Charon's face and blinded the giant angel. Remember, Charon is not our enemy. He is but an unwilling servant to the Usurper. We must be careful to avoid injury.

A tentacle grabbed Michael by his leg and lifted him up high, then slammed him into the ground. Michael heard something snap on his wing and the pain of a thousand needles shot through his neck. He rolled over to spy bruised tendons that connected his wings to his shoulders.

Alas, the Warden does not hold our own injury in such high regard. We must hurry or we may not be able to avoid risk to him. He will grow stronger in time, and we must stop Lucifer before this occurs.

Charon's scythe flew in great swaths before him, deflecting the smaller swords of Michael away. Eladrin then separated from Michael and left he and Nephanos to contend with Charon while he raced to confront Lucifer.

Hell was run amok, and in the chaos that ensued in the Realm of the Dead, four angels: Jerahmeel, Metatron, Eskalion, and Turiel fought the Dragon.

Dashing between sword strikes, and plowing blows to face and body, Metatron and Eskalion attacked Lucifer in hand to hand combat. Blood and strips of flesh tore from the lacerations each foe gave to the other.

With the power of sound and light at his command, Lucifer bellowed projections that sliced through armor and flesh. Jerahmeel provided sheets of ice to protect his brothers and raised spears from the floor of Hell to impale Lucifer, but Satan leaped into the air. Turiel slashed at him with his dagger, attacked him misted, his dagger whizzing about him in stabbing attempts to strike the rebel king.

But Lucifer was the former prince of angels and he moved with great swiftness. And with the percussions embedded in his flesh, he blew toward Turiel and caused the gaseous Grigori to dissipate against the blast of powerful air.

Lucifer tucked in his wings and fell hard onto Metatron, slamming the angel into the ground. He quickly rose, and with a leg sweep tripped Eskalion, knocking him onto his back with a thud. Yet Metatron would not be denied. He opened his palm, and a conical force of sound flung from his hand and as an invisible knife, sliced through Lucifer's armor and bit into his flesh, causing the angel to bleed.

Lucifer cried out in agony and raised his sword to fling at him. The blade of Malice released and flew through the air like a coiled serpent...an emerald weapon of dark magic designed from Hell's own essence to siphon the life of all it touched. The sword whirred and spun, crossing the field of battle and as it traveled it bore the tortured sound of Kilnstones gone mad. The cries of captured souls strained to get out, yet in the moments that passed, four faces flew across Metatron's path and the sword caught in the King of Ophanim rings and wheels within wheels. The blade hovered, mere inches from Metatron's face.

Metatron backed away, and when he did, Eladrin held the sword and twirled it within his body's rings, gyrating. The momentum of the blade still moved from one wheel to another and Eladrin swiveled the sword and turned it back to point at Lucifer. Eladrin released it from his twirling wheels and it flew back toward its master. Lucifer ducked, and Jerahmeel, who approached him from behind, also ducked as the green blade hurtled past him and lodged into the moist wall of Hell.

The blade began to grow emerald green, and the sapphire power oozed from it and crept up the mountain walls. The blade instinctively attempted to do the impossible and siphon the life of Hell itself, and as a cancerous cell devours flesh, so, too, did the Hell-forged blade now seek to feast upon the beast.

Jerahmeel faced his brother, and the two ran toward one another. A mighty crash sounded and Lucifer brought his fist squarely against his brother's face. Jerahmeel kneed his sibling in the abdomen.

Cries of struggle and exertion radiated from their fight. Lucifer fell back to his rear, and Jerahmeel grabbed him and pounded him across the face. The duo traded powerful blow after powerful blow, and while Lucifer grew lost in his battle lust directed at his brother Jerahmeel, he failed to see Turiel reach toward the back of his neck and pull on the keys of Death and Hell. The Dark Lord's head jerked back as Turiel pulled with all his might. The chain links snapped...and the keys of Death and Hell fell to the ground.

Lucifer detonated in light, blinding all that surrounded him. Jerahmeel covered his eyes, and Turiel misted instinctively to avoid the attack. Metatron crawled on the ground. Eladrin raced to scour the ground and recover the keys.

Lucifer pulled his Blade of Malice out of the wall and turned to find the keys lying on the ground.  As his brethren groped the floor in blindness, he flew to recover them, but when he reached to pick them up, a sandaled foot stepped on his hand and a voice of many waters spoke.

"You have something that belongs to me."

Lucifer looked up and when he did, the Lord Yeshua stood above him, glowing in power. Behind him, Abraham, Moses and David were running towards him, swords drawn, as millions of the righteous dead followed, having beat Satan's forces to come for him.

*   *   *

Michael wrestled with Charon and whilst he did, the Angel of Death spoke.

"The keyyss, they haveee fallennn."

Michael immediately stopped his attack and Charon also ceased from his struggles.  Both turned to the Lord's position and watched the true struggle that ensued within eyes view.

Lucifer was on hands and knees and had reached to retrieve the fallen keys of Death and Hell, but the Lord towered above him, and His foot was on the Keys of Power. Lucifer pulled his hand back, gripped the Sword of Malice, and raising the green blade attempted to plunge it into Yeshua's abdomen.

The Lord neither moved nor budged, His face stoic and grim. Michael had seen the same look before.  It was in the eyes of his King prior when He had judged his children and flung them into exile. And now once more, Michael saw the King of Kings' eyes narrow, as His rebellious son sought to strike down His Master. Yeshua then grabbed the blade with His bare hands and stopped its penetration into His flesh. The Sword of Malice glowed in its voracious attempt to steal the life of God.  To reap the living soul of the God-man, Yeshua.

Lucifer smiled with glee, his eyes wide in anticipation that the soul reaving sword had found its mark. Here in the confines of Hell, within the dimensions of a creature whose hunger was satisfied only by Elomic flesh, Lucifer would finally destroy the indestructible God.

But it was not so.

For when the sword of Lucifer's making glowed, Yeshua also glowed and lost the appearance of a man as He took on the semblance of El. And when He spoke, His voice was as the voice of many waters, and His words were on this wise: "Did I not tell thee, all souls are mine?"

The Lord released the blade and allowed it to strike Him in the abdomen, and when it did, a green hue overtook Yeshua. All watched as Lucifer attempted to hold the Sword steady as green waves of power flowed from the sword into the Lord. But the green flowing stream of power reversed and extended from the Lord's body to Lucifer's hand, and Satan grabbed the hilt with both hands, struggling to hold on, but could not.

The blade screamed as Yeshua siphoned the power from it. Visible waves of emerald light pulsed from it and into the Lord. Voices and whispers echoed upon one another as the blade shrilled and then exploded in jade and limelight. The emerald blade shattered in Lucifer's hands and crumpled as dust at the Lord's feet.