Judgment (Game of Lords Book 3), page 17
He grabbed the dagger and was examining it when out of the corner of his eye he saw something moving outside in the courtyard. He could not believe his eyes. Adon. He hid to the side and peered out, watching Adon go around to the side of the Throne Room and untether a horse. Adon hopped on and said something to the Angels still lying on the ground, then pulled the reins and trotted out onto the road outside the compound.
Legion exclaimed, “What is he doing here? Wait! No. Did he have the sword with him? Has Adon taken the sword?” He looked again. Adon had no sword. Luminé must have taken it. But Luminé did not have it. Legion was sure he examined the sword on Luminé’s belt and it was not the Golden Sword. His mind raced, trying to think of what he had missed. Then it occurred to him. He had not examined Oxana’s sword. She must have concealed it. She must have it. But why?
And what was this Golden Dagger? He would figure it out on the way. He had no time to waste. Tucking the dagger into his belt he went outside, grabbed a horse and headed out to follow Adon. He would keep at a distance and find out why he was there, today of all days.
Cirianna
Cirianna, Archangel of the 7th Heavenly Realm, sat alone on the seaside cliff facing the morning sun. It was her favorite spot and the place of her morning prayer time. Each day her custom was to rise before dawn, shower, and head out to a scenic place to pray. The rigors of commanding one of the Heavenly Realms were endless and full of decisions and interactions. This was the one time of the day when she could turn it all off. She cherished this time of solitude.
Behind her back, many called her the forgotten Archangel. She was one of three females but did not enjoy Splendora's notoriety, known for her prowess and rank, or Rana, known for her epic beauty. Cirianna was beautiful in her own right, and she possessed absolute prowess with the sword and with command, but she kept it all low-key. Her brown hair was kept short because it was practical, and she seldom adorned her slim rose-colored lips or light brown eyes with colored herbs, as many of the females did, because it wasn’t necessary. She was happy with who she was and how she was, and it was all enough for her.
As she sat, singing a song of praise to the Lords, she kept hearing two words in her mind: trust and fight. Trust and fight. I don’t understand. What does that mean? She ended her prayer as she usually did. “Be with me this day, Lords of Heaven, and bless those under my command. And, as always, help those who are lost, even my old friends, to find you somehow again.”
She stood up and gave her body a much-needed stretch. As she turned to leave, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Are those birds? She squinted, focusing her vision, and again asked herself. Is that a flock of birds?
She flew toward the distant objects in an effort to make them out. Then she stopped. In the distance, she saw thousands upon thousands of Angels flying as fast as they could. They were headed straight for the frontier of her Realm. What is… oh no. What are they doing? Are we being attacked?
She turned and raced through the sky to her headquarters, landing in the still quiet courtyard. She grabbed the trumpet from the guard at the front gate and began blowing the battle sound. At once, all the Angels of the Seventh Realm sprang into action, most directly from their beds. But she was too late. Within mere minutes Luminé and his forces were upon them, and fighting broke out all over the Realm. The battle for the 7th Heavenly Realm had begun.
~ ~ ~ ~
Rana jogged along the wooded path that wound its way like a long snake through the pine forest at the 6th Heavenly Realm's southern edge. She loved to jog here each morning because of the softness of the pine needles that blanketed the path. Her runs had become much more prominent in her life, now that Michael was gone. She regretted helping Luminé and losing Michael. It was all that simple. She had her pick of the most handsome two Angels in all the Heavens, and she had lost them both. She was unsure when love would ever find her again, and she didn’t want to engage in her past behavior of entering shallow, merely physical relationships. She wanted more. Now, as never before, she understood the Lords’ wisdom in establishing not only Seasons of Love, but also Seasons of Reflection. She was in such a season now, and the reflecting was doing her good.
Suddenly an Angel fell onto the path in front of her. A moment later, another Angel wearing a dark bandana landed on top of him, and they commenced fighting. In one swift motion, the dark-clad Angel thrust his sword, pummeling one of her guards through the stomach.
Rana stood still, horrified, as the Angel now turned and saw her. She took off flying through the woods while the Angel pursued her. Now all around, she could see more and more dark-clad Angels raining down from the sky, attacking her Angels, most of whom were still asleep in their huts.
She neared her Headquarters and started shouting, but two Angels grabbed her. Their hands were rough and strong, angry and unyielding. She struggled, shouting, “Let me go!” She kicked one in the groin and broke a hand free, punching the other in the face, but then she felt a heavy blow on the back of her head, and all went black.
~ ~ ~ ~
By late afternoon, both the 6th and 7th Heavenly Realms were in the hands of Luminé’s Angels. Both Realms were littered with badly wounded Angels. Those not wounded were inside Dark Cages, including Rana. Luminé’s forces had incurred minimal casualties, and all efforts were turned to preparing for the attack that would come either by nightfall or in the morning.
At the Throne Room
Splendora rushed to the Throne Room for the emergency meeting she had been summoned to. She arrived, shaken, having heard the news of the attack on the way. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Marcellus were waiting for her.
Splendora exclaimed, “My Lords, what is happening. Is it true? Please tell me that Luminé is not attacking the Heavens?”
Calla replied, “I am afraid he already has.”
“Oh, no! Where is Lord Adon?”
Yeshua replied, “Adon is nowhere to be found. His horse and animals are there, but he is not.”
“Why is he doing this?” Splendora asked as she saw Michael clench his teeth, wanting to reply.
Yeshua answered her. “I am afraid he has become desperate, Splendora. Perhaps we acted hastily in not allowing him to find a way to come back.”
Splendora, desperate to somehow make an excuse for Luminé, exclaimed, “Legion is behind this. He clearly has some influence or hold over Luminé. I can’t see Luminé doing this on his own. Nevertheless… he is making a huge mistake.”
Calla grew cross. “It is more than a mistake, Splendora. Luminé has crossed the line, and a line he can never step behind again.”
Michael stepped forward, snapped to attention, and said in a booming voice, “My Lords, we are ready to launch a counter-attack.”
Calla said, “Yes, we will take back what is ours. Splendora, you and Gabriel will attack the 7th Realm. Michael, you and Raphael will attack the 6th. Marcellus, your army will defend the Land of the Lords and the Throne Room, in case he is bold enough to come here.”
“When will we attack, Lord Calla?” asked Michael.
“Tomorrow, just before first light.”
No one said a word, as all knew they were in a fight for the very existence of the Heavens.
Splendora interrupted the silence, saying in a commanding voice, “We should not split up.”
Everyone turned to her.
“Why not?” Yeshua asked.
“Luminé would want us to. He has almost 120,000 Angels in each of the Realms. By splitting up, we are practically evening the odds. Together, we should attack at once from all four directions and overwhelm him at one of the Realms. Then, we can turn our attention to the other.”
All were quiet as Calla and Yeshua considered her idea.
“It has merit, Splendora.”
She asked, “Where is Luminé now?”
“He is in the 7th Realm,” Michael said.
“Then there is where we will attack,” Splendora said. “It will pin Luminé down, and he will not be able to get reinforcements fast enough.”
Calla looked at Michael. “Michael, do you agree?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then, go.”
The Ancient Portal
The sun was setting and nightfall was nearing, so Adon decided to set up camp. He found a good spot and tied up the horse he had borrowed. He built a small fire, pulled some meat from his satchel, unwrapped it, and began to warm it.
As he sat alone in the cold night of Luminare, he could not help but feel sorry for its inhabitants. I don’t know where they all are, but I am sure they will be back. He felt a sense of compassion for his fallen Angels, having to live in such a dismal home. He thought about Luminé, whom he loved like a son. He knew Legion was pulling him in, but he had to allow it. Free will had to allow it. What surprised him, though, was how fast it happened. Ahh, yes, Oxana. Oxana must have been seduced. It is the only way she could have fallen so quickly and pulled Luminé down with her. Still, Adon loved them both. They were his children; all of his Angels were his children.
Calla’s letter had given him another reason to come here, not only to check on Luminé but to see if perhaps Legion was here. Clearly, they were not. He would wait till the morning and go quickly to check on the Ancient Portal.
The portals were long-forgotten secret passages from under the sea into all the Realms in the Heavens. The Lords had designed them as an elaborate architectural feature at the beginning of Creation. They were never needed so they were largely forgotten. They represented a way in, not a way out, and had to be opened from the inside. Adon wondered if perhaps this portal could become the way he could visit this place more frequently and keep closer tabs on Luminé.
He bedded down, placing his dagger near his side, and tried to fall asleep. But sleep would not come. It was too quiet.
~ ~ ~ ~
Not far away, Legion rested on a bed of grass, keeping a constant eye on Adon’s campfire. He, too, was troubled. He knew he should have received word by now how Luminé and Oxana were faring. He tried to summon his presence within Oxana, but it was strangely silent. Maybe they have failed. He frowned. Maybe they have succeeded.
For the first time he could remember, he felt confused. He was sure that Oxana had the Golden Sword. That meant that it was possible, if they lost, that the Lords would possess it. Legion had wanted them to lose, but now he realized that he needed Luminé and his army to win because of the sword. The Golden Sword was all that mattered right now.
He looked across at Adon’s dwindling fire, then pulled the Golden Dagger out of his waistband and examined it. Could this have been forged? Could this be made of the same metal as the Golden Sword? It looked like it. Would it, could it, kill Adon, forever? One less Lord to contend with would even the odds.
He looked again at the fire, almost extinguished. Adon must be going to sleep. Perhaps I should subdue him now? No, it will be too risky. I must wait for the perfect opportunity. He lay back down and finally fell asleep.
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion jolted awake. The sun was up. He jumped up and quietly maneuvered his way toward Adon’s camp. Peering at the smoldering fire, he saw that Adon was gone. He looked around and saw hoof marks making a trail and followed as fast as he could, trying not to make noise, not knowing how far ahead he was.
Legion followed the trail to the top of a hill. From here, he scampered up a tree and peered into the distance. There he is! Where is he going?
~ ~ ~ ~
Adon was hurrying to the portal. He had a growing sense he had lingered here too long. A sinking feeling was growing in his stomach that Luminé’s desperation may cause him to do something stupid. But what? I have to go back to the Heavens and let the other Lords know about Luminé’s predicament. Perhaps there is still time to fix this.
He was close to the portal now and turned the horse to the right, riding into a valley between two large sea-side cliffs that sloped down in a narrow gulley to the water’s edge.
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion watched as Adon dismounted and led his horse into the shallow water. He turned to the left and walked out of sight along the cliffs. That’s strange, there is nothing but cliffs there. Legion dismounted and ran to the water’s edge, peering around the corner. About a hundred feet away he saw Adon standing in two feet of water, tugging at something on the side of the cliff as his horse stood behind him. What is he doing?
As he watched, to his amazement a wide steel door swung open. Adon took the horse’s reins and led him in through the wide steel door, and they disappeared into the side of the cliff. Legion waded into the water quietly, inching his way toward the slightly ajar steel door, keeping as close as he could to the cliff wall. He reached the opening and peered in.
About seventy-five feet in, at the back of the cave, Adon stood looking carefully at some type of large doorway. There was writing engraved above and on the sides, but Legion could not make any of it out. He watched intently as Adon ran his hands along the entire door frame, examining its seal. Legion backed away slowly and reached for the Golden Dagger, contemplating his move.
Day Two
As dawn approached the eastern horizon Splendora sat atop her white stallion, waiting to give the order. She would head the combined army, composed of the armies of herself, Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. All were assembled in one massive fighting formation, with 240 columns, spread arm's length apart, ready to race to their target.
They were on the Southern shore of the Land of the Lords. From there, they would retake the 7th Heavenly Realm. Each army had 80,000 Angels and combined, there were 240,000 of them, and it would have been more, except Calla was holding Marcellus and his 80,000 Angels in reserve. Splendora hoped this would not harm their chances.
She felt confident, though. She could see the strength, loyalty, and determination in all their faces. They were being called on to defend their homeland, and they would do so at all costs.
Yeshua and Calla were there too, seated upon their horses, watching. They would not be participating directly, but they wanted a close understanding of the plans and their execution.
As soon as the sun crested the eastern horizon, Splendora raised her hand high in the air then waved it forward, signaling the start. She leaped up into the air on her horse, flying high, as all at once 240,000 Angels headed out over the sea as one unit, with Splendora at the head.
~ ~ ~ ~
At the 7th Heavenly Realm, Yuki and the 120,000 Angels under her command waited for the expected attack. Oxana and Luminé were here too, with them, waiting. They had taken both the 6th and 7th Realms completely by surprise. The fight had been short and violent. There were tens of thousands of incapacitated wounded, mostly from Heaven’s side, as none of Heaven’s Angels had been prepared for battle. Between the two Realms, over 70,000 of Heaven’s Angels were inside Dark Cages along the shorelines, where they would stay until the war was over and the grand bargaining stage began.
Shortly after the sun crested the horizon, one of the lookouts yelled out, “Here they come.”
Luminé turned to Oxana, his eyes wild like fire, and announced, “One more day of fighting, and we will have our victory.”
Oxana smiled. “And what will we do with that victory, Luminé? Live here?”
She could see the tone of her words disturbed him, and she intended it that way. He did not know she had seen his letter to Splendora. He also did not know that if Oxana got her way, Splendora would never be at his side, nor anyone else’s, for that matter.
She placed her hand on the maroon cloth that covered the Golden Sword handle she had concealed in her sheath early that morning. She would wait for the opportunity, as she had always done, to seize control of her own destiny. If Luminé did not want to rule with her, she would rule without him, even if that meant ruling alongside Legion.
“There is something wrong,” Luminé said, snapping Oxana out of her thinking.
“What is it?”
“There are too many of them,” Luminé said, his eyes fixed on the mass of Angels headed their way. “They have not split their forces as I anticipated.” He thought for a moment and said, “Oxana, quickly, send a messenger to Antonio. Tell him to come at once with all of his forces.”
Oxana looked out onto the horizon filled with Angels on their way and panicked. She looked around and saw someone she could use as a messenger. She called out, “Sparkis!”
Sparkis raced over. “Yes, Oxana.”
“Go at once to the 6th Realm. Tell Antonio the attack is here! He is to come here!”
“At once!” he said as he flew off.
Oxana watched him, then turned to get ready to fight. She needed to stay out of the fray until she found her chance.
~ ~ ~ ~
Luminé and Oxana retreated inland, hoping to get a better view of the battle about to unfold. They kept looking to the east, wondering when Antonio and his 120,000 Angels would arrive from the 6th Heavenly Realm.
Splendora and her commanders were the first to swoop in and engage Luminé’s forces. Luminé’s heart dropped. He had not wanted Splendora to see any of this and had imagined he would not see her.
“Well, look who’s here,” Oxana said to Luminé. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her myself.”
“Stay away from her, Oxana. She is too strong… and too fast for you.”
Oxana looked away, but kept her eye on Splendora’s whereabouts so she could ascertain when she would have the chance to engage her.
Luminé watched Yuki’s army absorb the blows of the incoming line of Angels. There was a crush all along the Northern coast of the 7th Heavenly Realm. Angels from Heaven rushed in on a wide front, swords and spears drawn. Yuki’s Angels bravely met them, fending off as much as they could, but it was too much. Heaven was breaking through.
