The Rebellion of The Angels, page 12
Meanwhile, while the contingent continued entering the room, and shortly before the girls entered there too, Experience said in a low voice:
—We must divide us and look for the library.
—The library could not be anything other than one of those two buildings —Light thought, referring to the library itself and the King's palace, although she did not know exactly which one was.
—They are the largest buildings —Peace agreed.
And Youth, who still did not talk to her friend because of the argument they had, but trying to approach her through acts that caught her attention, took Rahab by her arm, and taking advantage of the commotion of those who tried to enter the room, they slipped away into the surroundings of the neighbouring shops, which were managed by their owners, who were assisting their last customers of the day, which certainly were not few.
Experience looked at the closest soldiers, begging that they did not notice the movements of Youth and Rahab, while Light did not lose opportunity to reproach Experience for Youth´s child—like acts:
—I do not understand how you have so much patience, Experience. I would have strangled her already!
—¡Light…! Peace said.
—Even if we are angry with each other I do not stop loving her for what she is, a sister —Experience explained.
—Well, it does not sound like you are very angry with her —Light continued.
—But I am. I will go after her. Let´s separate, see you in the library! — Experience concluded, who, after making sure once more that the closest soldiers did not discover her, also slipped away into the surroundings of the shops, trying to reach Youth and Rahab, who did not stop avoiding people, trying to approach the library.
Shortly after, Light and Peace avoided the look of every soldier, and they separated from that group of people, hiding behind a wagon, under the faint light of some old lanterns and candelabras hanging from the fronts of the different buildings, since the cloudy night scared the moon away, and only let a few stars shine.
Hiding among different wagons, the young nymphs advanced towards the centre of the town, where those constructions were located. They bet and imagined, correctly, that one of them would be the library.
Love and Compassion also separated from the tumult of souls, trying not to be seen by the soldiers, with the difference that for these two, the path would become a little longer, for having chosen to reach the library passing behind the rooms and the stables.
And while that small group that, except for Rahab, were all angels with the skin of women and men approached the library of the town of Chacra by different ways, another contingent, apparently the one that had to arrive from the central region, was advancing towards that nation in a number that far exceeded the previous contingent, which included Experience, Youth and their friends.
Youth and Rahab evaded every guard eyes that observed the foreigners who arrived in a group, and far from that crowd that was still entering the rooms that would house them and close to the library, they continued walking in a normal way down a narrow street, avoiding calling people´s attention, given that by the distance between them and the girls, no one would guess if they were native from that town or not. The rest of the group did the same thing, moving forward through different sectors: Experience one way, Light and Peace by the other, and Love and Compassion through their own way.
But the first to reach the wide entrance doors of the library, illuminated by candelabras placed on its front, were Youth and Rahab who, without hesitation, greeted the guards who protected the access, who, with a gesture and without suspecting anything, greeted them back.
Quickly, the furtive visitors glanced at the solitary reception, whose counter extended along with several desks and furniture, until it reached a wall that welcomed a long and wide corridor, with doors on both sides illuminated by more candelabras, smaller than those at the entrance. The building had old but tall and strong walls.
And while Youth and Rahab left that long corridor behind, Experience reached the main access explaining to the guards:
—I come for the two girls who have just entered —She received only a gestural approval of those guards as an answer.
She hurried along the long corridor of high walls, coming to a huge hall with many doors that led to other sections of the library; and that in its extremes it had extensive and wide stairs that connected all the floors, and that finished in the third and last floor.
Inside, the place seemed uninhabited. Not even the presence of any employee was observed, so she did not hesitate to take the closest staircase and went to the first floor. Then Light and Peace arrived at the main door of the library, who greeted the guards in a courteous manner and they entered, although they did not returned the greeting. Both walked through the well—known corridor, and when they reached the lonely room they took the same staircase as Experience, although they did not know that she had already arrived.
Shortly after, Love and Compassion entered, who took advantage of the fact that at that moment a group of people were leaving to mix up with them and to go unnoticed by the guards of the place; all this at the precise moment the contingent that took a route of the central region arrived at the large and strong doors of the town, accompanied like the previous contingent by the soldiers hiding in the nearby mountains.
This contingent was gradually entering the town and moved to another place specially prepared to house them, but as if they had come there chasing the trail or trace of someone, several men of strange appearance separated furtively from the contingent avoiding the guard of the soldiers who, overwhelmed by the crowd, could not impose order.
Those men of strange appearance slipped away quickly into the shadows projected by the shops that, in some cases, were still open, and their clients waiting to be helped, and without hesitation, those intruders went to the library, as if smelling a magic aroma that showed them the right way.
Precisely, inside the library, Youth and Rahab went down the rooms of the north wing of the second floor; these rooms were large and long, with high walls, which in some cases had mezzanine floors, which were reached through stairs located in the middle; these extended along, and in turn, in some areas, they were separated by very old furniture of different sizes that had hundreds of books, maps, many types of folders and other writings.
—Youth, I think that Experience does not deserve this rebellion from you —Rahab said, as they walked down the corridor closest to the exit doors, which led to the wide external gallery, which could be seen from the ground floor, through the parapets of the stairs.
—It is not rebellion. We just could not get here all together. We would have caught the soldier’s attention —Youth answered.
—But you could have waited for Experience to give the order to divide us. She would have come with us —Rahab continued.
—I can do things without waiting for Experience´s orders and do not worry; we will all meet in some room in this library —Youth said, as she paused to observe a map that apparently caught her attention. She did not hesitate to take it and hid it among her clothes with the idea of restoring it, once they analysed the information they were looking for, and that motivated that expedition.
—But the library is large and it closes in less than an hour —Rahab said, looking at Youth, who as she continued walking did not know if she touched her clothes because she was bothered by the stolen map, or if she had lost something...
—What happens? —Rahab asked then.
—The destiny is big and this world is small, Rahab —Youth answered.
—I do not understand. What do you mean? —And Youth showed her the furthest pocket of her jacket, where she hid her guardian angel that was totally white, a colour that identified the presence of those who were neutral angels, that is, those who took the Holy Grail with them led by Hope, although not with the desire to possess the powers of that cup, but to preserve it from the dark ambitions of Satan, until one day they would return it to their Father and Lord.
—We have found who we were looking for. Come on, maybe they are on the third floor... —Youth said, and they went to the nearest exit door, which led to the external gallery on the second floor, then they took the stairs that led them to the third floor.
Experience also walked along the second floor, but in this case she went to the rooms of the south wing.
On the other hand, Light and Peace did the same, but in this case they went down the rooms of the west wing of the second floor, also through the closest area to the exit doors.
The decoration of the room did not change so much with respect to the other rooms.
However, Light and Peace had the privilege that their friends did not have, of bumping into two adolescent boys, whose eyes were lost in the clear eyes of the young girls, until they examined the entire figure of both...
—What is wrong with these two? —Light asked ingenuously and in a low voice.
—I believe that they had never seen two angels with the skin of a woman before... —Peace guessed, while one of the young boys said:
—Do you need help? Can we go with you?
—Sorry, but we found what we were looking for and we are leaving now —Peace answered, while Light looked at her guardian angel, who rested in one of her pockets in a transparent colour.
—They are natural humans —Light said, according to the information that her guardian angel gave. Both continued their walk, and once away from those unusual admirers who were attracted to them, Light once again looked at her guardian angel that had changed from transparent to white, which meant the approach of neutral angels...
—¡Peace, look at your guardian angel! —And after doing that...
—Neutral angels! Let's see on the third floor —Peace said, and both left the rooms of the west wing, taking the exit door closest to the external gallery, and they continued their search through the stairs.
Meanwhile, in the surroundings of the library, those men of strange appearance, attracted by a perfume that only they could smell, went to the library. They approached divided into several groups of six men, to be at a distance not to catch the attention of the soldiers who guarded the streets.
Then, as if they had previously agreed, one of the groups of six men went to the entrance of the library, and they entered ignoring the presence of the four guards standing on both sides of the place. But this group did not go inside the building as many visitors; they were waiting at the reception a few meters from the entrance.
It was then when, tired of so much waiting, or continuing with a thoughtful plan, one of those strange men called out loud:
—Is there someone who can help us? —While he was hitting the counter with both hands, so one of the four guards who remained at the door approached saying:
—Sir, the employees of the reception left an hour ago. I ask you to stop hitting the counter and tell me what I can do for you.
—You can help me by throwing your weapons to the floor! —He answered, drawing his sword, which he pressed against the guard's neck, while three of the intruders, also drawing their swords from their clothes, approached the guards, subduing them as they did with the first one.
Meanwhile, another attacker, going a few meters outside the library, carefully not to be seen, made a subtle gesture with his head, warning the rest of that group of strange men who, according to the plan, remained in the surrounding, meaning that they could enter.
Without hesitating but trying not to caught people´s attention, those men went to the library and after they all entered, they closed the doors as if they were its jealous guardians. Later, they eliminated the four guards. Then and by mutual agreement, they walked along the long corridor of high walls, at the same time that, as mysterious as magic perhaps, in those strange men there was a metamorphosis that changed the colour of their human skin to red, as the chameleon changed its clothes; the true identity of those men, who were part of a group of demons, was discovered. Maybe some of them were those who escaped from the group of Experience, Youth and their friends, in the fight that happened in the river...
When they arrived at the hall, they divided into groups of two or three demons, and while one stayed to watch the stairs, the others were distributed through the different doors of the ground floor, looking for Experience, Youth and all their company.
At the same time, surrounded by the cloudy night, an important group of horsemen announced themselves in the high and strong doors of the town, illuminated by several torches located on both sides.
Apparently, that group of horsemen belonged to the town, or they were old acquaintances of the king, since the doors opened immediately. They were received by the General of the Army, who riding his horse and in the company of an escort, greeted them and he then expressed:
—I am glad to see you again in these lands, Oilim... For some time our king has been waiting for you, although I am afraid you will not be able to see him until tomorrow. He is resting.
Oilim was nothing less than Eyes of Heaven, which used a fantasy name so that neither the demons nor those who were neutral angels would recognise him, and thus he would be able to find the Grail that he and his group were still looking for. That sacred cup for which Eyes of Heaven and his entire group were sent by God, hundreds of years ago perhaps, after the steps of the neutral angels who stole it, and who were pursued by the angels who took Lucifer´s side, baptized by God as Satan shortly before he was sent to hell, and after which, that old contest in the Celestial Kingdom started. Precisely, Oilim’s group had arrived at the same town where Experience, Youth and their friends disembarked.
—I would not be so calm if I were the king; the enemy moves with hurry and fury without distinguishing between the day and the night —Eyes of Heaven said, who in the town was known as Oilim. Then the general, galloping his horse and accompanied by his soldiers, led the newcomers to the room that would house them for the rest of the night.
—We somehow know about the enemy. Many of our soldiers are leaving everyday in search of the villagers to shelter them in this town. Four contingents have arrived today —The general said. And when they reached the doors of the room that would house Eyes of Heaven and his group, they all went down the horses.
—Could you verify if among the contingents that had already arrived, is there a young person who was lost some time ago? —Eyes of Heaven said.
—Yes, of course. The people are in those rooms —The general pointed out. —Although I doubt you will find them awake —He finished.
—Anyway, I will look for her —Eyes of Heaven insisted, calling Temperance, Offer and Abed's three friends, who was kidnapped by the demons and taken through a route in the East region towards the free lands of the south, since they knew Rahab, Abed´s daughter, who was missing. And while these few went to the rooms already occupied to see if among the people they found the girl, the rest of the group entered another room where they would have dinner and rest, while the soldiers returned to their posts.
Meanwhile, inside the library, Love and Compassion crossed the rooms of the north wing of the first floor, along its farthest corridor from the exit doors. They came to an end where the room twisted. It led to the rooms of the east wing through a double door that remained closed. It was then when Compassion asked:
—We have already walked the entire floor, right?
—Yes, and apparently it will be impossible to find our friends —Love answered.
—Come on, we'd better search in the second floor —Compassion said, and instead of taking the door that led to the east wing rooms, they went through one that communicated with the wide external gallery on the first floor, whose view led to the ground floor. And when they were leaving...
—¡You two, stop there! —One of the demons shouted, who in his natural state was waiting for his companions who were still going down the facilities of the ground floor, precisely looking for Experience, Youth and their friends, and the demons entered the room shortly after that scream.
Without hesitating, all the demons that had entered the library, went through the different stairs in pursuit of Love and Compassion, who, aware of their condition, ran towards the staircase closest to the second floor, since they heard the footsteps of the demons that were going down the stairs, and their voices shouting “Catch them”, thanks to the developed ears of Experience. At that moment, the young woman went through the rooms of the north wing of the second floor, through the closest corridor to the exit doors, one of which the young girl chose at random. This led to the wide external gallery, where she could see Love and Compassion that came quickly running down the stairs pursued closely by a group of demons that Experience tried to eliminate using her bow and arrow; but an enemy arrow that was shot from the lower floors and almost reached her, caused the girl to give her attempt up. Surprised by this enemy manoeuvre, Experience went as close as she could to the parapets of the external gallery, where she discovered that down the stairs the demons multiplied, and she shouted to her friends.
—On the third floor, go to the third floor! —She said while she was taking the nearest staircase, shortly before she was almost reached by a group of demons that did not stop running.
Experience for one side, and Love and Compassion for another, they entered the rooms of the north wing of the third floor, which were also occupied later by all the group of demons that, once again, made every door they used creaked, until everything went back to normal. The main room and the external galleries of the upper floors were once again involved in a deep loneliness. However, the rooms on the third floor were apparently occupied by everyone.
In fact, Youth and Rahab went down the rooms of the east wing along the farthest corridor from the exit doors, thinking on each of their steps. Youth did so by looking at the pocket of her jacket, where she hid her guardian angel in an unnoticed way; which twinkled between transparent, colour that indicated the presence of natural humans, and white, colour that described the presence of neutral angels.
