Rise of the Fallen (42 page)

Barob sneered when he saw the disbelief in Validus’s expression. “They knew they would not survive, but Apollyon promised them a position of power when the gates of the Abyss are opened.” Barob scoffed. “They had a choice—the Abyss without a promise or the Abyss with one. The Abyss is not just a prison. It’s the yoke by which Apollyon rules.” Barob fell silent for a moment, and Validus waited.

“They didn’t know if they would survive long enough to discover what Apollyon wanted. In searing agony they made their way to the Hall of Ages. One of the warriors entered while the other waited at the door to carry the message back to the third warrior waiting beyond the wall.”

Barob stopped and began to lick the open wound on his arm. The demon moaned with delight at the taste of the blood. Validus turned away in disgust. He could hardly take it.

Out in the streets he could hear men shouting. The drug lord and his gunmen were coming.

“Did it work?” Validus nearly shouted.

The man Barob had possessed cried out. “I must run. They will kill me … they will kill me!” His eyes darted about the room, but his body seemed frozen, unable to move.

His face contorted from fear and terror back to a calm, ghoulish peace. “No,” Barob said. “We will not run. You will die, and the draegers will come for you.”

From the eyes of a human, the exchange was schizophrenic, but Validus knew exactly what was happening. Barob was through with this host. Whether it was to escape to roam again or to go to the prison of the Abyss, he was tired of the man. His only escape was the man’s death.

Barob recovered control and glared at Validus. “Why do you think they are coming for me? They know something about the future that you don’t, a secret that Elohim is hiding.” His face twisted into a malicious smile. “And they know the only way you can find out is through me. That’s why Apollyon is coming to kill us both.”

Something Barob said sent chills through Validus. Was this a secret of Elohim that he was not supposed to know? Validus hadn’t considered that
finding the answer he sought might anger the Lord. Perhaps his discovering what Apollyon knew might be an act of disobedience.

The realization sobered Validus to his core, and it frightened him. How had he rationalized, searched, and come this far without understanding this?

Trembling, he stood up, repenting that he had come, fully understanding that this act may not have helped in his mission to protect Carter but instead actually jeopardized it. He turned to leave, wondering if it was already too late to escape.

“Drew Carter is the last,” Barob said, smiling almost gleefully.

Validus froze.

“That was the message the demon shouted out before dissolution—Drew Carter is the last. Apollyon knows the Book of Life is nearly full. He’s going to kill Carter before he is saved
and
Sydney Carlyle, just as a measure of precaution. He’s changed the course of humanity before, and he’ll do it again.”

Barob began to laugh sadistically. He had played Validus all along, knowing what it would mean for him to learn this secret. He had entangled Validus with his words and brought potential judgment against him because of it.

“Now you know, angel!” Barob mocked. “How does it taste?” His laughter filled the dingy room.

The drug lord and his men were at the door.

Validus ran to the back doorway and bolted through it, but the laughter of the demon lingered and danced in his mind. He scrambled across the littered floor and shimmied through the window of the adjoining shack. One more shack and he reached the alley behind this cluster of houses.

Outside he cried out to Elohim, pleading to hear His voice but afraid of the silence that might be waiting for him forever. Validus had never known fear, not even facing the worst of droxans, but he knew it now. He fell to his knees in the muck of the alley behind the dilapidated shack and lifted his face and hands toward heaven.

“My God, my God, forgive my foolishness. In my ignorance I have offended You. Please do not forsake Your servant!”

Validus’s heart broke as he contemplated what it might mean to fall out of fellowship with the Holy One. He wept bitterly in the silence of his waiting. Long seconds passed until there, in the refuge of humanity, the angel warrior wrapped in the flesh of an impoverished little boy heard the whisper of God.

Be still, My servant, and be at peace. I am here, and My love for you is unchanged. Rise up and fight!

Validus’s tears of sorrow turned to tears of great joy. It would be the closest he would ever come to feeling the joy of salvation filling the heart of a human for the first time.

The blue fire of Ruach Elohim began to fall on him, filling his heart with the courage of the King. The Fallen were coming, and even though he could not see them, he knew they were near. He bathed in the power of Elohim’s Spirit, knowing that just across the thin veil of the realms, a raging war waited for him.

He shouted out his praise to God and began to translate back into the world of angels and demons. The translation hurt, and midway through it, the world exploded around him, filling his eyes and ears with excruciatingly vivid sensations once again. All around him thousands of angels were fighting desperately, all to protect him. It felt as if the world were collapsing in on him.

“Validus!” Captain Bern shouted from atop a nearby shack as he threw Validus’s sword to him.

Validus caught the weapon just in time to slice across the chest of an attacking demon. He looked to his left and saw Persimus battling with two fierce demons. He ran to his side and engaged one of the Fallen not a moment too soon.

Gunshots rang out in the shack beside them, and a moment later there was a flurry of activity by the Fallen just behind the line of battle. Barob, now freed from his host, was on the move, fleeing through the walls of the thousands of shacks in the favela. Many of the Fallen gave chase, easing the raging fight surrounding Validus and the warriors of Sorak.

Validus searched for an exit route for the warriors. The forest was southwest—their best chance.

“Captain, have your men retreat to the forest!” he shouted to Bern. Sorak had obviously put him in charge of the assault.

Slowly they extracted themselves from the favela. Validus and Persimus were the last to leave, providing cover for the wounded warriors.

Just before they reached the tree line, the Fallen redoubled their efforts to get to Validus, but reinforcements from Sorak’s legions to the south arrived and
put the attack down. They gave aid to their wounded and recovered back to headquarters at Sao Paulo Cathedral.

Once the wounded were attended to and the regional commanders had given their reports, Validus and Persimus were called to a private meeting with Commander Sorak. He deserved answers. Validus had brought the Fallen from two continents to his doorstep and disrupted his entire force, jeopardizing many of the scheduled missions in South America.

Sorak stood with his arms crossed, glaring … waiting.

“Commander Sorak, I know this has been costly to you and you don’t even know why.” Validus stopped, remembering that moment when he thought he had lost everything. “What I discovered I’m not sure I’m supposed to know, but now I know why the Fallen are trying to destroy Drew Carter and why I’ve been assigned to protect him.”

Sorak eyed Validus with a steely gaze. “You and I have seen too many battles and fought in too many wars to pretend like we don’t make mistakes. I don’t need answers from you as to why you did it. I just need to know that the men who lost their lives today did so for something worthy.”

Validus stared back, remembering the valiant fight of every warrior—knowing the pain of their dissolution and of their angst in Mount Simcha at being unable to continue the fight with their brothers. He also knew how much harder the remaining battles would be without them.

“Apollyon is trying to interrupt the time line for the End of Days. He knows his time is short, and he intends to change that. Your men fought for the very preservation of the will of Elohim on earth as the End of Days draws closer.”

Sorak thought for a moment, then nodded. It seemed to be enough.

“Commander,” Captain Bern interrupted, “a guardian is here for Commander Validus.”

Bern stepped aside, and the guardian stepped forward.

“Tren!” Validus exclaimed, delighted to see his fellow protector. But his delight was short lived, for he knew that Tren’s presence could only mean one thing … trouble.

“Validus, you’d better come back with me, and soon. Carter could be in serious trouble.”

“How can he be in serious trouble? The FBI have him. That’s as safe as a nonbeliever can get.”

Tren shook his head. “You won’t say that when you find out what they’re planning on doing to him.”

“Who?” Persimus asked. “The Fallen?”

Tren shook his head. “The United States Government.”

Validus scrutinized Tren. He couldn’t imagine what could possibly be worse than defending an unbeliever from the gangs of Chicago and the FBI all at the same time.

He morphed his wings, and Persimus and Tren followed suit.

Validus looked at Persimus. “The boys?”

“He’s briefed us,” Commander Sorak interjected. “We’ll take care of them. Restoration Ministries in Sao Paulo is a great asset for us.”

“Thank you, Commander.” Validus nodded.

Sorak nodded back. “Godspeed, Commander Validus.”

The trio launched upward through the ceiling of the cathedral and into the heavy, humid air of Brazil.

“Drew Carter … the last salvation,” Validus said almost to himself as they gained speed.

At least now I know why the Fallen are after him. They’ll stop at nothing to delay the End of Days and their impending judgment
, Validus thought.

Tren flew to his left. The guardian was discerning, and Validus knew he needed to rely more on his abilities than he previously had. He was as good a guardian as Validus had seen. Choosing him for the mission to protect Carter until salvation now made perfect sense.

Validus looked over at Persimus to his right, admiring the angel’s quiet brilliance, serving Elohim as only he—and none other—could. Validus was proud of him. Persimus would be invaluable in the days to come as they prepared for the onslaught of the Fallen.

Together they would face the devious genius of their ancient friend turned enemy, Niturni. Validus knew he would have to face him again, but this time the stakes would be higher … much higher. It would be a battle to determine the very fate of mankind, and Validus would give his all to preserve Elohim’s plan for humanity.

Are angels real, or are they just the creation of man’s imagination and belong in the fantasy category with elves, goblins, hobbits, and fairies? According to Scripture, angels are very real, with specific purposes and responsibilities. The Bible references angels nearly three hundred times. In ancient texts they are called “watchers,” and in 1 Corinthians 4:9 the apostles are called a “spectacle” to the world, to men, and to the angels. But angels do more than just watch us. God’s angels are ministers, messengers, warriors, worshipers, and instruments of judgment. Their very existence ought to cause us to be careful of our behavior.

The chapter opens with Validus and his men embroiled in a fierce battle. The affairs of men and of angels are inextricably entwined, and this battle scene attempts to depict this principle as the war for the unborn child rages on. The Bible tells us that life is precious because God created it. Men and women are made in the image of God and thus should be cherished and respected.

Abortion hurts everyone: the child, the mother, the father, the community, and God. The beautiful thing about God is that He is always ready to forgive and to heal. His love overcomes all tragedy if we are willing to receive it.

There is great speculation about heaven. Man does not have the skill or capacity to portray even a fraction of the glory of such a place. Isaiah and John tried, but even their descriptions of the divine abode seem inadequate, and even lesser still are the speculative depictions in this book. The text in
bold
helps discriminate biblical truth from the speculative descriptions of fiction. In this chapter, the river of heaven is described by John in the book of Revelation.

How does one describe God? As a new angel experiencing life for the first time, Validus tries to describe his Creator, but once again words are inadequate. The
Trinity of God may never be fully understood this side of death, if ever. We do know that God has chosen to describe Himself as three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.