The Third Heaven: The Rise of Fallen Stars Read online

  Jerahmeel gathered himself, for he could still hear the explosions and the sounds of battle outside. He scooted away from his brother as the Kilnstone reached out for him. Jerahmeel ran back into the front room. When he had come to Argoth, he took the inkhorn, stylus, and the tome of Raphael and placed them in Argoth’s outstretched palms.

  When he did, Argoth moved and took them into himself, stepped down from his pedestal, and without speaking walked past Jerahmeel who stared at him.

  Jerahmeel put his hands on his hips, “Hmmph, Not even a thank you?”

  When Argoth walked to the steward’s chamber, the Kilnstone glowed at his presence. Raphael’s body still lay on the ground. Argoth paused and nodded at his fallen brother as if to pay respect, and when he did, he looked upwards and flew into the sky. Set high above the great library, he was awash in color, and light ejected from his person so that all of Heaven stopped to see. Argoth’s presence radiated with the glory of the Lord, and his voice boomed as he spoke so that all could hear.

  “For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be made known.”

  The domed wall suddenly erupted in multicolor, a rainbow shot up from the tower's spire, and lo, all that battled saw it and paused to ponder the meaning of this strange new adversary.

  The light shot high into the heavenly sky and spread out as an umbrella. Each Grigori, became visible and with tombs opened, suddenly illuminated, and all volumes released their pages and everywhere projected the image. Nowhere in the multiverse was there not a Grigori that did not display it, and image after image paraded itself across the canopy of Heaven's sky. The sound was such that all could hear. The volumes of all Grigori hovered in the air, and their pages showed the image.

  Each angel beheld that El and Lucifer were within the Kiln. Apollyon’s stone was freshly cut, whole, and made by the hand of the creator. All Elohim watched in fascinated horror as Lucifer took Apollyon’s stone and bashed it against the Kiln wall breaking it into several pieces. Across the emporium, and throughout the city, all let out a collective gasp that the Chief Prince had marred the purpose of God’s creation. One by one–the words "iniquity", and "blasphemy" was mouthed, in hushed whispers.

  Lucifer beheld the image above the skies, his secret now revealed for all the realms to see. His face contorted with a frown of shock, and chagrin, that his secret was exposed. Lucifer’s muscular ribcage spasmed and he clutched at his chest in pain. The agony was overbearing and he could no longer hold his draconic form, and changed back into his angelic appearance. Abaddon’s eyes were wide in disbelief and his mouth agape, and all hostilities had stopped to see the great images in the sky.

  When the last page of the tome plastered to the wall, the great prismatic beam retracted into the spire, a thunderclap reverberated across the realm. The sky returned to its normal hue, and all eyes turned and fixated on Lucifer and Abaddon.

  Abaddon whose head still looked to the sky lowered his now grim gaze and turned to look at Lucifer. “It was you! My stone was broken because of you! My birthright–– of that too you have robbed me. El knew the thoughts he had towards me, for they were always of peace and not of evil, to replace thee as Lightbringer. All this time you have been but false to me — all this time you knew!”

  Abaddon’s countenance changed. He roared with anguish, and his anger was such that he bucked as a wild stallion. Talus and Gabriel struggled to hold him but could not, and he broke free. Abaddon grabbed a sword from its sheath and rushed towards Lucifer. His stone that remained glowed, his form grew black, and from his innards spilled bile. The swarm of stinging locust poured from openings in his flesh, and he charged to cut Lucifer down.

  Suddenly, from his rearward, chains of rusted black iron wrapped themselves around him. He turned to see who would stop the Destroyer, and with horror, he saw the Warden had reach of him. In terror, Abaddon attempted to back away but it was too late, for Charon held him fast by his legs and arms. Abaddon fell forward, and he was dragged screaming as he clawed at the ground straining for escape.

  “Nooo!” He screamed. “Nooo! I cannot go back!”

  Then he howled, for the worms of Hell consumed alive the stinging locusts and bored themselves into Abaddon’s flesh. All onlookers moved away from Charon’s path, and none interfered as he pulled at the writhing angel who struggled to breathe. Charon dragged him kicking and screaming, and none dared to stop him. The fires of Hell licked and jetted out from his cowled equine body; his molten footprints scarred the ground.

  “Help me!” screamed Abaddon, but no man came to his aid. In desperation, he sought to unleash the swarm on Charon, but they melted when they touched his form. The worms of Hell feasted on them as appetizers, for the manacles wrapped around Abaddon were as straws to Hell. As she siphoned Abaddon’s power, his features deteriorated, and he wasted away before the eyes of all. Charon then turned to drag him to the Maw and return him to its bowels. Abaddon kicked and screamed, both pleading and enraged.

  “Lucifer! Lucifer! I will have you! Do you hear me! Your day will come King of Lies! I will have you! Lucifer! Arrrgghhhhhh!”

  Lucifer smiled. “Thus ends my pretender to the throne.”

  Lucifer then turned to gaze upon Michael who stood between him and the throne of God and spoke.

  “You cannot defeat me brother, for I and the Kiln Stone are one. The very power of El resides within my bosom. Stand aside, for I go to claim what is mine.”

  Michael sword in hand, barred his entry into El’s presence. His seven floating swords gyroscopically whirled around him in light and blue flame.

  “No, brother.”

  Lucifer stepped closer, “I am now He who can be all things. And who now shall save you from my hand?”

  Michael replied. “Never was my task to bring you low but only to forestall thee. For thy treason and thy crimes can only be judged by another.”

  Michael smiled and pointed to Lucifer’s rear. The First of Angels spun around to see that the constellations of Heaven had turned. The stars had changed their alignment, and in the distance off to the horizon. The Shekinah glory raced as a great incoming wave across the land. It illuminated all in its wake, covering everything in a trail of brightness. Color returned to the land, and it meant but one thing.

  The evening and morning were the 8th day.

  Chapter Ten

  The Sins that Follow After

  The Shekinah glory roared across the land as waves that crashed along the sea, a white blinding force of holiness that heralded the return of the Lord of Hosts.

  It was clear to all who gazed that in a moment, the Lord of all things would awake. Panic suddenly gripped those who had fought against El.

  Lucifer turned to face Michael and transformed into pure light; desperately crazed to smite El while he still slept. He waved his hand, and a flash of light-blinded Michael. Lucifer then used the sound of his fingers and flung Michael against a marble wall. His head hit hard against a pillar.

  The light of the new day and the Shekinah had now reached the outer burbs and quickly made its way towards the city.

  Lucifer rushed to El’s throne and took from his sheath a golden sword of light to smite the Almighty, and as he raised his hand to bring it down, the Shekinah then enveloped the temple, sprinted into the holy of holies, and surrounded El. The mountain shook, and the colors of the rainbow jetted in all directions, so that even Lucifer covered his eyes, for the brilliance of El’s glory was too much to behold.

  The light of El reflected off everything, and the whole of the city was awash in white so that all that dared to look in the direction of the mountain cried out with pain, for the glare was too bright to view.

  El’s eyes then opened, and when his gaze sat itself upon Lucifer, he knew what his oldest child had done, and he stood.

  Lucifer ran with sword raised swinging wildly and struck the Lord in his heel. Blood flowed from the wound, but not as the blood of Elohim; for the blood of angels w
as blue. El’s blood was as crimson: and it pooled at his heel. The Almighty winced and felt pain. The Ophanim that had been asleep immediately came to life, surrounded El, and created a wall so that Lucifer could no more approach.

  El was wroth, and from his mouth, a great sword emerged. Then he spoke. “Because thou hast not heeded my words and hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, and will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

  "Because thou hast said, I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north.

  "Because thou hast said, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, and that I will be like the most High. Thou shalt be brought down to Hell, even to the sides of the pit.

  "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying, is this the man that made the Earth to tremble and that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the house of prisoners?

  "For behold, thou art as the spit in my mouth and an offense to me; a Satan to be no more in my sight.”

  As the Lord spoke, Lucifer cried out in agony. The Prime Stone he had stolen from the Kiln burst from his chest, ripped through his skin, and rocketed into the waiting palm of El. Lucifer’s features grew dark and pale, and he lost the power to reflect the glory of the Lord. El walked towards him, and as he did — Lucifer was forcibly repelled from his presence, and the Ophanim whizzed outside the temple like dogs unleashed. The whole of Heaven bowed and covered their heads, and the colors of El were such as he was as a thousand suns. The Almighty held Lucifer suspended in the air, choking and contorting in an invisible grip, and the whole of Heaven saw the Lightbringer, as he was— a creature forever subject to the creator.

  The presence of God was palpable, lightning and seven thunders echoed, and the Seraphim were ablaze again. They stood and resumed to shout HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! Their voices boomed across the court, and El’s majesty was such that wherever He walked those that had fallen to dissolution immediately rose to life, choking and gasping for air, as if rescued from drowning.

  El looked at his children and the great destruction to the city of Jerusalem. He frowned and then said, “Charon, be thou still.”

  Upon command, Charon stopped his march to the Maw of Hell and tightened his clutch around Abaddon who struggled to obtain release.

  The Lord then pronounced judgment on Abaddon. “Thou shalt yet serve in the last days, and your wrath may then be quenched, and justice even then shall be thine, for that which was taken cannot be returned. Because thou hast fallen from thy glory, ye shall fall till the end of days, as thy rage knew no bottom, nor shalt thy fall from my sight.”

  The Lord, then pointed to the Abyss.

  Charon then took Abaddon, who kicked and screamed, and walked him over to the cliffs and the raging winds of the Maelstrom that swirled below. Charon then lifted Abaddon above his head and tossed him flailing into the bottomless pit. Abaddon clawed against the winds of the chasm of endless space, and his cries of mercy echoed in the air as he fell. Black, acrid smoke rose up from the Maelstrom as he descended, and the locusts followed their master.

  The Lord then created a golden seal with a key, placed it over the Abyss, and shut it, so that none might fall therein, and nothing could escape. Moreover, when the seal covered the Abyss, the muffled screams of Abaddon ceased. For as the closing of a flue, so too did the smoke billow no more into Heaven’s air.

  The Lord returned his gaze to Lucifer, still suspended in the air for every eye to see. Lightning crackled around him, and the Lord spoke. A Ladder then instantly formed in front of Him, a vortex of such size and power that Heaven had never seen anything like it before. It ejected lightning and fire before the Almighty. Lucifer became as lighting himself, cried aloud, and was flung across the skies of Heaven and cast out.

  Lucifer screamed curses at the Lord, and writhed as he was expelled to parts unknown; his wails carried across the sky.

  The Ladder however, did not close, and the multicolored vortex, whirled and suddenly became black as night. Then, without warning, all that bore the mark of Lucifer were entangled with black tendrils that reached for them from the ground. The tentacles burned, and the whole of Elohim who sided with Lucifer were seized.

  Some struggled to escape, and others sought to hide, but the black held them and found them no matter where they hid; curses, howls, and cries for mercy echoed across the city.

  Chronos’ face grew grim as he looked at his brother whom he had just aided. Iblis was his name. He locked his eyes on Chronos, and his countenance was one of resignation to his fate, for he neither struggled nor resisted as large black tendrils clutched him and dragged him into the ground.

  “I am sorry, my brother,” said Chronos.

  “As am I,” said Iblis. “I will not forget your kindness.”

  Chronos shed a tear as the tentacles enveloped his brother and dragged him into the depths of the floors of Heaven, and when Iblis was pulled through Heaven's crust to the roof of the second heaven he was ejected with legions of others as they streaked across the lower spaces and plummeted throughout the realms below.

  Many in the city wailed and cried aloud, for judgment had come. The giant Ladder split with a great explosion and spread across Heaven like a spider’s web cocooning each traitor in blackness. For all that had espoused Lucifer’s cause were cast out and fell to the heaven's below; the storm of El’s fury was such that He banished all those who bore Lucifer’s mark or failed to take up His cause, so that when He was done there were none left in Heaven but those who were on the Lord's side.

  The heavens shuddered for the legions of Elohim that streaked through the realms. Some were flung and became locked in the depths of great seas; others were thrown to burn in the center of stars, fated to encircle the universe until the end of days. While those who were too powerful to roam free, El let them pass through the atmospheres of frost planets, where they took the form of ice and judged to hurtle through the heavens encased until the last days. Still others were propelled to celestial corners where their Kilnstones changed, and became so heavy that they were entrapped: crushed by the dense weight of their own sin: so that not even light could escape their reach. They consumed all things, a celestial warning forever for other Elohim.

  Those that were fortunate fell to the planet El had created for the humans. Imprisoned in mountains, trees, and the lower parts of the Earth reserved until El’s wrath had subsided. The Lord set aside those who had entrapped his people on Earth to Tartarus, the realm of Lucifer’s own creation and sealed them within the Earth.

  El then turned to those who had been prime evils in aiding Lucifer and said, “Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof because thou have threshed Jerusalem with threshing instruments of iron and have been chief to set brother against brother.”

  Then Murmur, Ashtaroth, Zeus, and Ares were cast as one man tied to each other in flaming chains and were hurtled across the arc of space, exiled to Earth, and sealed in the great river Euphrates. When their bodies crashed into the river, a third part of the fish in the river died. The Lord then set a watch over the mouth of the river so that if they ever sought escape, they would perish by an Ophanim he posted over the river. He sealed them deep within the mouth of the river until the end of all things.

  Thus, the Lord chastened the sons of God that they fell as a great torrential rain unleashed from the sky. The Earth became without form, and darkness covered the face of the deep: as the loss of so many Elohim had turned the works of God back upon itself. The continents were ripped from the upheaval, for there were many that had turned away to watch El’s word. The Lord then placed a living mist around Eden to protect it, and shrouded the man he had created from harm.

  The great Ladders that had been sprawled across the face of Heaven then faded into nothing, and when the crackling of lightning had disappeared, seven thunders uttered. “It is done!” The Ophanim the
n rushed to El and surrounded the Lord in a great light. The Lord's features were visible by all, and He was as a great lion with wings.

  When El had stopped in the pronunciation of judgment, the sky returned to its golden hue, and El changed, as a man ancient in years that walked with a limp, for the injury to his heel was clear. All wondered as they saw the blood and pondered. Can God be hurt? Can the Eternal One be destroyed?

  Michael, like all of his kind, bowed his head before the Lord, and when the Lord walked past him to return to his throne, Michael turned to God and said, “Will not the judge of all the realms do right? For thou my Lord could have prevented such a thing. To what end does the loss of the realm’s children serve?”

  The Lord stopped, sighed, turned to face his son, and walked towards him. Michael was afraid for the power of the Lord and the Ophanim was still a thing that made the air to crackle. Michael knelt and bowed his head and the Lord knelt to touch Michael’s forehead.

  “See O beloved of angels, the things that are yet to come.”

  A shimmering globe appeared in El’s hands, and Michael gazed into the giant crystal. It displayed images similar to the walls within the Hall of Grigoric records, but these images were different, and Michael perceived that what he watched were images that were of the future. For the Earth below him was populated with the humans and they multiplied as the stars in the sky. Michael peered deeper into the orb and watched as thousands of humans escaped a land that had kept them in slavery for 400 years, brought out by the mighty hand of the Lord. He watched as the seas swallowed their pursuers.

  Moreover, men named Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David lived and died to serve El’s cause, and Michael watched as they fought to scrape out holiness in lands that had begun to worship the very ones El had just ejected. And Michael beheld as many a nation rose and fell by the command of the Lord. Finally, the great orb revealed a man whipped and beaten, and a crown of thorns was placed on his head. Michael looked away from the cruelty and destruction that the Adam and his kind could inflict on one another. Yet the brutality that this man took upon himself was somehow different. Michael looked on in horror at what he beheld, and he stared into the eyes of a man who hung on a cross.