Elijah lounged in the splendour of the Central World Agencies presidential desk with a deepening, satisfied smile that spread across his perfect features. His crossed legs rested upon the large mahogany desk before him, a desk that had seated over 66 American presidents before him, all of their memories now crushed underneath his ultimate reign of the educated society. He soaked up the views televised to him through holographic 3D screens just above the desk. The pathetic home to millions of faithful, thousands upon thousands of years of secrets, and ancient locked away scripture were now turned to ashes under the glory of man’s technology.
The way humans were so fascinated with the possibility of their own destruction was one of the main endearing traits to their species. They were so quick to blame themselves, and each other when the world began to turn in on itself.
Elijah took a deep breath, noticing the smell of sulphur and the distinct scent of what could only be described as the stench of a wild goat.
“So pleased you came to visit Azazel.” He welcomed the ancient demon with a smile before indicating to the seat in front of his table.
“Please, take a seat and watch the festivities with me.” The demon paused, thousands of years must have born in the old beast a degree of patience.
“What in rat’s ass are you trying to pull you desiccated scrotum sack.” The beast growled as he smashed the chair aside, the wood flung into the wall shattering into pieces. Luckily he had instructed the security team never to enter his room before his signal, he knew Azazel would require some training.
“I see you’ve been studying English, well done old friend, but please, promise me you’ll keep learning, okay?” The beast glared at him, still awaiting an answer.
“I told you I’d be destroying that disgusting city.” Elijah spat, remembering all the curses he suffered from their constant irritation.
“I was destroying it!” Azazel growled.
“Oh, if I had to wait for you we’d be waiting for weeks. Things have changed over the last few thousand years. The humans have decided to use their little brains to manipulate the designs of this world to their own ends. It’s really quite amazing.” Elijah continued as he watched the remains of the mushroom clouds drift through the atmosphere from the satellites that were beaming him the live footage.
“There was an angel in Rome, I saw him.” Azazel grabbed the other chair and awkwardly sat in it, the chair slowly creaking underneath the beast’s weight. Elijah nearly exploded with laughter as he watched the old demon uncomfortably shift in the comparably small, leather bound chair. Such a sight he thought he would never see, this creature that had sat upon mountains of gold and had been worshiped amongst a world of people only a couple of thousand years before.
“My son told me there was an angel on earth. I need to catch that annoying little creature, it would give me much sway with the old fossil” Azazel snorted in contempt.
“Hey, don’t forget I talked you free from that disjointed carcass of a god. He has his uses, when played right.”
“He does nothing, for all that is done in his name, the old goat’s ass.” Azazel mumbled.
“Really Azazel, leave the obscenities alone until you’re better at them.” Elijah criticized, wondering if the half goat half man didn’t realise the implications of his own statement.
“So, what now?” Azazel muttered as he picked at his wiry matted hair spilling over his chest.
“Now we wait. The fifth seal will be broken soon now that I have killed so many of their followers. We shall continue to slay anyone who dares to follow that pathetic fossils son.”
“So you plan to just ride the waves of terror that he will cast down at us? We shall have no souls left by the time he is done with Earth.” Elijah smiled as he imagined the horrified look upon all the wretched souls that were fated to suffer the glorious love of their so called god.
“Their curses will be a beautiful song that shall ease my heart at its every chorus, but no. I shall not sit in squander whilst they wait in the angelic realm, planning their attack. This is why I needed you old friend. We need to raise the gates upon this plane.” Elijah smiled as Azazel glared at him angrily, he knew the task required of him, and he knew it would not be easy, but the price of freedom rarely comes easily.
“You intend to attack?” Azazel concluded his deep blood red eyes began glinting with anticipation as he bared his blackened tusks.
“Attack? No, Azazel, you misunderstand. I intend to destroy.”
***
Uriel couldn’t remember a time when the hall of the Father had ever been so crowded. He stood, arms crossed before him on the raised platform besides the far left throne, the one reserved for their yet to be discovered leader. He glanced towards the mountainous pillars of marble that lined the length of each side of the hall and noticed Ophanim, powers, Domains, and all ranks of angels gathering between each pillar, creating walls in which to keep the sea of souls contained. The martyrs were outraged, ravenous with a deranged anger that belied their truly wondrous and controlled lives on Earth.
They threw curses down upon the creatures that wronged them and his fallen brother that had led them so astray. Thousands of years of tortured suffering and cruelty beyond mention had boiled together to erupt against the office of God demanding an absolute justice that would soothe their souls. A justice that echoed within Uriel’s aching heart. It reminded him of the days when the Lord God was not so patient with those who did not believe.
“I know it was written, but truly, did any of us realise the magnitude of such an outcry?” He heard Gabriel ask him from his spot besides the Son’s throne.
“How many souls here would have read those scriptures before, and understand the power they now hold?” Uriel replied as he felt Raphael and Michael shimmer in behind them. The two had impeccably similar timing for Uriel’s comfort, he knew they were at odds after the release of Azazel, but he hoped it was a rift they would be quick to mend.
“Just in time brothers,’ Gabriel greeted as he glanced over at the two of them who had quickly moved aside, Michael to stand beside Gabriel and Raphael besides Uriel.
“I’m glad they aren’t joining me in Lest’eriel” Raphael muttered as he looked out towards the crowd.
The crowd’s tears and cries became a wave of hushes and mumbles before not even a whisper could be heard among them. Uriel heard the footsteps and turned to see the Son approaching his throne on the right hand side just before where Gabriel and Michael Stood.
“My children,” he stood before them and greeted with open arms as wide as his smile. A mass of greetings and praises erupted from the crowd before reverting back to their hushed whispered tones as the Son lowered his hands.
“I have heard your pleas and cries for justice, I have felt the pain and suffering of each and every one of you. I love every single one of you, so dearly. The father of lies has tested you, hurt you, lied to you, abused you in mind, body and soul, yet I have brought you home to me for you stood firm, and so did your faith.” Another song of praises echoed throughout the room as the martyrs screamed their joy and stories of their unyielding faith.
Uriel watched in awe as the souls seemed to pulse in unison their ties to the lord becoming one. Deep down he felt a twinge of envy that they could be joined so closely to the Lord God. He glanced aside to Raphael and wondered if he felt the same. These tides upon tides of small, short lived creatures had been given a gift so incredibly bountiful that their minds couldn’t even comprehend the magnitude of such a gift.
“From now on my children, you shall be living with me in the kingdom of God, here in Zion. These four Archangels beside me shall release the fifth seal and open the gates of Zion to you all. I give you my word, that those who have caused you to suffer, shall in return suffer a fate tenfold.”
The celebrations burst forth with a plethora of voices singing their praises to the Lord, and Uriel was amazed at the pureness and the all-consuming love that resonated inside each one of them. Perhaps that was why the Lord loved them so, for their ability to become so absorbed, so single minded in their absolute love for him.
He spun around to face the scroll, once again secured inside the multitude of ingenious barriers that even he could not follow. Before they had begun releasing and resealing the barriers, it had been thousands of years since any of them had used so much power; indeed he was sure they all were cautious in how much they could actually release without destroying themselves. Now however, they were all far more confident in their own abilities. The four Brothers swelled in power as they unleashed a conjoined force of pure energy, their souls, usually kept bound, tore apart at the edges as they released some of the ever present barriers that kept their souls confined, letting their souls burst forth to be controlled and directed by Raphael.
Uriel watched carefully as he followed his brother’s weaving and countering, as if watching a master threader at work creating a quilt of unimaginable complexity. He couldn’t keep up with his brother’s speed as he directed waves of energy through the complex barriers, finding key points that only Raphael could see. The barriers began melting away, one by one until none remained, yet even then Raphael continued his weave, completing some invisible task that no others could follow.
When it was done, Raphael nodded before backing away from the scroll slowly. Uriel redirected his soul to connect to Raphael, feeding his unique healing ability within his brother to help ease what he knew would be a uniquely exhausting burden. His heart blossomed as he watched Raphael smile in appreciation, happily accepting the aid.
The Son of God walked slowly towards the scroll, lifting it up and over his head for the souls below to see as they all now stared in amazement.
“And so I declare the Gates of Zion open, the blood of the Martyrs is accepted and shall all those remaining tremble with what is to come.” The Son announced as the heavens rocked with his words, sending echoes throughout the Angelic realm and further to resonate around the Earth.