The Rebellion of The Angels, page 21
—It is really an eagle —He said, lighting it up close with his torch—. But this bird did not arrive here by chance or by disorientation, not even by commitment or obligation...
—What do you mean, Eyes of Heaven? —Light asked.
—That we are not the only ones who inhabit this cave —He said looking at his companions and towards the sides, as if looking for some other dead specimen or a new clue—. Although I do not think it is necessarily demons who are accompanying us this time...
—And who else?
—I do not know, Peace, I do not know, but sooner or later they will appear.
Then the group continued advancing much more carefully than before.
Youth had time to remember that dream in which she arrived to the Celestial Kingdom and God told her in private conversation: “Soon there will be new dangers”, and that was not the most transcendent but what continued: “Once you arrive at the farthest Northeast of the North Continent, look for the coast, in the ocean... in the sea... you will find the light...”.
Soon after, new events brought her down from her thoughts to reality. Several small caves opened on the sides of what seemed to be the main path of those underground routes, and at the feet of some of them they found new victims, although they still did not know what or who exterminated them.
—Are you sure of continuing on this road? —Abed asked, closing the group with a lantern in hand.
—It would be much more dangerous to take one of the many alternatives —Hope said, and without hesitation they continued walking along that main route.
Until a few minutes after moving forward, they discovered that meters ahead the road shrank and as small tunnel, it led to a wide and extensive area as a snow track, although not with a firm surface of snow, but by bridges that started from all sides which communicated with each other as stairs perhaps, as the only way to reach the other end, where the road continued in a normal way with no chance of falling to the precipice, like the serious risk of crossing that place.
The group approached the entrance to that chamber where they stopped as if thinking about what to do. It was then Youth who saying:
—Let's go. We cannot waste time —She led the group, which in pairs, was prepared to move on those slippery bridges that had ladder shapes.
They walked a few meters changing direction, —because there was not a bridge that took them directly to the other end— and when they arrived practically at the middle of the place, a serious shout was heard starting from the group's back, and when they turned around, they discovered that strange beast which killed those birds found on the road... Little by little, dozens of something like snow Yetis species —which was the most accurate name or nickname to call or qualify those strange creatures— were appearing through the caverns on the sides —although still at a prudent distance— of the bridge occupied by Youth and the group, and the beasts occupied the different bridges, seeking to approach those who apparently would be their new prey...
The group began to run with Youth and Light as guides, guessing more than knowing which bridge to cross. The Yetis did not have swords, axes, bow or arrow as weapons, but they had sharp claws capable of dismembering large prey with just a touch.
Hope and Eyes of Heaven shot arrows to miss, because the intention in the first instance was to scare them and not kill them, but those beasts seemed to be too hungry. For this reason and for not wanting to be part of their dish of the day, Abed shot arrows to kill and thus knocked down a couple of beasts but only wounding them and provoking the fury of its companions, one of which, running over a bridge that passed above the one travelled by Youth´s group, threw itself against Abed throwing him to the floor, until he was hanging from the bridge, about to fall to the precipice... The beast stood on the bridge blocking the way of Peace, Love and Compassion, but it was attacked from behind by Hope who, after a slap thrown by the Yeti, flew backwards being caught by Eyes of Heaven shortly before falling to the precipice... Hope hugged her secret beloved that saved her life, while Light, who had already loaded her bow, looked for the head of the beast, against which she shot hitting the target, and the beast fell to the precipice.
Peace went for Abed in a hurry and helped by Love, they could avoid the fall of the man into the abyss.
The group continued crossing with hurry while from both sides, with more desperation than patience or intelligence, the beasts threw themselves from other bridges towards them, that at times avoiding them, they made them pass with permission to fall to the precipice when they did not hit them with some arrow, although according to where they shot, they could killed them with a single arrow as Light did.
Shortly after the group finally managed to cross the extensive and wide place, and as soon as they arrived at the other end where the road was similar to the initial one —rocky, although with some layers of snow that covered the ceiling as part of its humidity— they turned around, and when they saw that the snow Yetis were still trying to get to them running, even without caring what danger could haunt them by the front, Youth´s group was lost along that path, which after a few meters was divided into three options... then the group agreed to take the one which was going more towards the East, that is to say the one on their right, since they think it could take them to their final destination, which was to reach the cloudy forests, although after so much danger they felt somewhat disoriented about which way to go.
On the other hand, those who had already stepped on the northern continent but in this case advancing through the central region, although without suffering attacks of any kind so far, although they did not underestimate future dangers, was the numerous group of angels followers of God led by Temperance and Offer, that late at night came to the top of a silver hill that, under the light of the moon and the stars, further opened in a long meadow.
The large group camped on the heights as they tried to do whenever they stopped to rest, seeking in this way to be ahead possible enemies, as it happened that night when the air was bright, and in which Temperance and Offer came close to the shore of top of the hill, from where they observed for the first time another army as armed as the one in the western region discovered by Youth and her group; with catapults that moved large and thick trunks, bales of dry grass to light fires and throw them to the enemy, hand weapons such as axes, swords, shields, bows and arrows, in addition to the long and strong stairs to climb outside.
Temperance and Offer looked at each other perhaps surprised, surely scared but even so, Offer, faithful to her name, would fight to prevent those demons —whose description could be appreciated by their red skins according to their natural state— from arriving at the town of Chacra. However, Temperance stopped her by the arm.
—Temperance, we should take advantage of the advantage we have to be on top of them. We can prevent them from attacking the town of Chacra.
—Offer, they are three times more than us, and we have another mission, perhaps much more important. We must get to their base and attack them there and, if that is not enough, rescue Rahab.
—I do not think the men of the town of Chacra can put up with such attacks —Offer said.
—If the small kingdoms of the East and the West arrived, they could defeat them —Temperance imagined hugging her sister friend—. We must have what we never lost or lose those who one day descended from the Heavens to protect the life of man. We must have hope, Offer, hope...
Then, the girls went back to their group and hours later they continued their journey towards the farthest northeast of the northern continent, seeking to reach the cloudy forests.
After many more weeks, who knew how many days, that not—so—numerous group led by Rage, one of the leading demons with the skin of a woman, arrived with Rahab as a hostage to the camp the demons had in the entrails of the cloudy forest.
That young woman —captured by those in the battle that took place in the hiding place used by the neutral angels with the skin of men and women, that underground place that was in the seventh station starting from the library of the town of Chacra, and that had a similar aspect to the room where, in the Heavenly Kingdom, the angels met with God their Father— had her hands tied and her mouth with a turban in case she thought of screaming, but even with this set of discomforts, Rahab did not facilitate the trip to the demons that, in their natural state, that is to say with their red skin colour, pushed her to walk and even pull her by the arm correcting the way the young girl took, who tried, even in an useful way, to distract them.
That group with the girl as a hostage crossed the edges of the cloudy forests, under a morning that, even though it was the spring, —the season in that moment— described the name of the forest and not that of the time of year.
The air seemed polluted, because the very smell of the demons had this effect of rotten almost nauseating.
—We are almost there —Rage said loudly and perhaps unnecessarily.
Among pillows of damp leaves which, since it was no longer spring, stopped falling in abundance, although it could also be decomposed by the demonic fragrances, the group of Rage made a few meters in the direction of the heart of the forest and soon they were surrounded by tents of different shapes and sizes, and with familiar faces that greeted in a not very gentle way, although normal for the demons.
Then that group of common agreement raised the head to look for the highest and wide tent located in the centre of the camp, where the demon leaders were reunited with another one of the hostages, the wizard Suleiman, and when they visualized it, they went towards there with Rahab, who tried to offer resistance.
Just inside that terrifying tent were five of the twelve demon leaders that Satan himself named as such and baptized with the names of Hate, Pain, Suffering, Envy and Revenge, in the company of some guards and the highly guarded Suleiman, who, sitting next to the table, was writing on a paper the name of Abed and after performing his spell that allowed him to locate him, he divided his deck of cards into three taking the pile on the right, and he turned over the first card, which had a man surrounded by angels on it. This caused the exaltation of the five demon leaders in the place, that immediately stood up as if they had seen a ghost, and Revenge asked:
—What does that mean, what translation does that card have?
—Look at the mirror and you will know —The wizard Suleiman answered with satisfaction.
Then everyone looked towards the burning mirror located meters away from the table, and the one that in front had a kind of fountain that instead of holding water had flames, translated the meaning of that card: Abed walked through an underground passage of very low and rocky walls, accompanied by Youth, Light, Peace, Love, Compassion, Hope and Eyes of Heaven...
—Who are they? —Hate asked.
—Well, if you do not know... —Suleiman said with irony, with some air of greatness that provoked the rage of Revenge.
—I will slice your head with my sword, stupid wizard —And when she drew her weapon to do it... A small demon with a dark face, although similar in size to the messengers the masters used to communicate with each other at a distance, —because they had the ability to travel underground by opening subterranean galleries, as moles perhaps—, appeared among the flames of the fountain, causing Revenge not to execute the mortal blow to the wizard Suleiman, and quite the contrary, that everyone, including the wizard, looked towards the burning mirror, in which after the disappearance of the images of Abed, Youth and the rest of the group advancing through an underground passage, the sinister face of Satan appeared saying:
—What is wrong with you? What relevant event could have focused so much fear on their diabolical souls, as for me to feel it from the most remote surroundings of the underworld?
—I will explain it to you better than anybody, my Lord —Rage interrupted abruptly, entering that disturbing tent in the company of some demon soldiers who came with her holding Rahab with strength. When they took her closer to the burning mirror, she closed her eyes trying to ignore the most dark and disgusting being that could exist, the father of all demons, Satan.
—¡It was time for you to show up! —Envy greeted Rage in a bad way.
—Oh, good... I congratulate you Rage, you have brought my beautiful young mother... —Satan said, before the rage of Envy, that it was impossible to hide…—. Yes, do not be surprised, my faithful followers — Satan continued, before the amazement of everyone and even Rahab, who now opened her eyes—. And do you know who will have the privilege of being my mother's lover...? —They were all quiet except for Rahab, who could not avoid crying—. Hate... Yes, you, Hate, you will be the lover of my beautiful and young mother and my father because I, Satan, or the Devil himself, as you like to call me, will be reincarnated in the belly of the young woman, and she will give birth to me to catapult the definitive power of evil in the Earthly Kingdom, and put an end to every man and woman. That will be the price that man will pay at the expense of God, our old Father, for betraying us and fundamentally me, who loved him so much, to the point of separating me from his side by sending me to the Hells —Rahab tried to get rid of the demons that held her, even though everything was in vain—. But I still feel a great shiver that runs through your bodies until it compress your soul —Satan said, changing the subject and his face not so happy, as the burning mirror showed—. Tell me Rage, what is it that frightens you so much?
—Satan, my Lord of the Hells, I would like to give any other news rather than this one, but I must inform you. Oh, my Lord! However it may sound uncomfortable, that man is not alone, my Lord...
—What do you mean, Rage? Explain yourself —Satan ordered, with a worried face.
—I mean that our old and... —Rage hesitated—. ...Almighty Father, God ... —She stammered with some fear...—. He sent here, to the Earthly Kingdom, the rest of the angels closest to him and powerful, those who together with you were part of the group of his twelve disciples...
—¡That is almost impossible…! —Satan exclaimed—. How do you know? —He asked later.
—I heard their names and I crossed them in battle —Satan remained thoughtful—. And what is even worse, my Lord, is that I would not be surprised if they are coming here. They have plenty of reasons, gifts and strategies to look for us and find us —Rage finished.
—Leave that place immediately. Come here with the girl. Eliminate the wizard and do not leave a single ship at the mercy of the enemy. Move fast —Satan ordered, more restless and desperate than his close followers.
Immediately, Pain ordered some guards to take the burning mirror and the fountain to one of the many boats that rested on the shores of the Ghost Port, with which the cloudy forests adjoined the Northeast.
Suffering told Revenge, drawing his sword:
—You grant me the privilege —And Revenge nodded; smiling ironically, as Suffering hit the body of the wizard Suleiman with his sword, who fell on the floor, though he was still alive.
Then, Suffering told him, while he writhed in cries of pain:
—Suffer, until you no longer breathe…
The group of demons with Rahab as a hostage left the tent, which would only remain in the company of the wounded wizard Suleiman, and when he went outside, Hate shouted:
—Leave the camp and go to the boats, we will sail as soon as possible to the island of the Valleys of Fire, our home —Then there was a great commotion, a disturbing movement of demons, while their leaders walked to the port with the handcuffed and hostage Rahab, who shortly before stepping on the sands of those nearby coasts, tried to remove the turban from her mouth as if trying to say something.
—My fiance wants to say something —Hate said with irony, arriving at the port.
Envy took off the turban and she said:
—Do you have to pee?
—No, I want to tell you that my friends will find you and make you spit fire from your mouths...
—And who are your friends? —Revenge asked, as if to eliminate doubts about what Rage said.
Youth, Light, Peace, Love, Compassion... —Rahab answered, making her kidnappers to feel more fear. In fact, Rage reacted quickly and covered her mouth again with the turban, while Revenge slapped her in the face saying:
—Do not even think about name them again or I will make you swallow your teeth.
The group of demon leaders arrived at the Ghost Port with the young Rahab as a hostage, and shortly after several of them untied the moorings that held the dozens of ships grouped there, in the middle of great clouds of fog that came from the sea, covering the whole region, —Hence, the port was called Ghost, and the forests were baptized with the pseudonym of cloudy— Rage ordered:
—Get on the boats and sail —She said, getting on to the largest and apparently the strongest boat, in the company of their five fellow leaders, and some guards who were watching carefully at Rahab again.
Once every demon was on the boats, they left that port without leaving a single ship, as Satan ordered, and in the direction of the island that he inhabited.
Chapter XI
Miracles
Shortly after those ships sailed, near the camp abandoned by the demons, where there were still tents, among them the widest and tallest that was still inhabited by the wounded wizard Suleiman, a certain presence approached that exhaled a crystalline and pure perfume, which apparently purified so much nature suffocated by the nauseating smell of the demons.
It was about Youth and her group, which were still advancing using the underground galleries that apparently, inside the cloudy forests, came to an end. A kind of gate made of thick wood that was born from the ground and where only a person could fit in, sealed the exit of a passage with very low walls, like a long tunnel in the open sky, although already within the high cloudy forests.
Then, when they hit that gate, Youth called:
—Compassion —And he drew his axe and after he came forward, he approached the gate, destroying it with little more than three strong blows.
